Owners Attitudes

Is it just me or is one of the things that will get a park a bad rating quicker then any other is a problem with owner or staff. I know the only time I have ever given a bad (1 or 2 ) rating was because of owner attitude. Even where there are obvious deficiencys i still don't see any reason for that other then owner attitude, and I won't go back to a park with what I call owner problems
I also see this on other post as well

 

Yep, I agree with you. A simple, polite "Hello!" when entering the camp office will many times set the tone for the whole experience.

 

As a workamper who has and is working in the office, I treat people the way I'd like to be treated.

 

We rarely run into this, but it does happen. We try to be very cheerful and ask lots of questions about local knowledge. We had one really nasty employee make a comment about us using a PassPort America discount card. I told her, I'd be leaving tomorrow in a $150,000 coach (I exaggerated) and what would she be doing? Life is too short to let a nasty clerk ruin our day. We have had some campground owners on this forum say some pretty wild things about RV'ers.

 

I would probably knock a point off if someone was rude but I don't go to RV parks to make friends with the staff.

I look at it this way. Every thing that another camper has done to really annoy you like leaving their spot trashed, not watching their kids or barking dogs, complaining about everything or interrupting while you are tired and waiting to check in: this is what the people at the RV parks deal with all day. Maybe they don't want to greet you with a hug.

 

QUOTE(mdcamping @ Oct 12 2010, 06:59 PM) [snapback]24580[/snapback]

Point I'm trying to make is having the skills to deal with people day in and out is a skill that I think most people underestimate. Mike


It's a skill and an art. "Under estimated"... and probably underpaid... either way.

 

QUOTE(chickenpants @ Oct 12 2010, 10:22 PM) [snapback]24581[/snapback]

I would probably knock a point off if someone was rude but I don't go to RV parks to make friends with the staff.

I look at it this way. Every thing that another camper has done to really annoy you like leaving their spot trashed, not watching their kids or barking dogs, complaining about everything or interrupting while you are tired and waiting to check in: this is what the people at the RV parks deal with all day. Maybe they don't want to greet you with a hug.

Well said. All I need is "Here's the map, this is your site, enjoy your stay." My main concern is if I have a problem, they address it. If they are crabby, so be it. I couldn't deal with some of the stuff they have to on a daily basis. I've seen some pretty ignorant/inconsiderate campers (as you all have) in my time.

 

I'm not sure what type of "owner problems" exist, as have always been treated fairly by park staff in the couple years I have been on the road full-time. Some certainly have better people skills than others, but all have been polite to me.

In larger parks, it's not always the owner or manager that you deal with. I've stayed a few places with different people on duty different days, where one is very friendly, and another more businesslike to the point etc. It's personalities, like in any business. If I ever had "owner problems" it would influence the rating, but I would need to give credit if everything else was great.

 

Having had been in the retail business for a number of years....I have one question, What ever happened to "the customer is always right?" Must admit that I personally had to bite my tongue a few times, but it is all in the cost of doing business. Let me enlighten you as to what happened to myself this last summer during our annual Maine vacation. We were in a campground outside Ellsworth, in Trenton, when I realized that I had made an error in our stay, due to a mix up with the previous campground, so I went to the office, and after stating I had made an error, to see if we could stay an additional day. This cg has a pay for six days and receive the seventh free. This was the seventh day that was in question. We have been going to this same cg for seven years and over the years have sent other travelers to this cg, so they knew who we were. The conversation went like this: Explained that I had made an error in our leaving date, and requested an additional day. The counter person stated; well let me see if your site is open for that date. I responded; that with all the vacant sites, I could not see why they could not move an incoming to another site if that was necessary. I was immediately told by the office manager, the owners' daughter, "you get more with sugar and you need to be nice to us"! I was shocked by this response from her and caught me totally off guard....I said nothing more, she then approached me at the counter, put her hand on my arm and said, "you need to lighten up". I was not in anyway disrespectful to anyone during this encounter nor did I deserve her response/attitude......
I was really taken back with her outburst/comments and just wonder if this was pay back because we had complained more than once about the very bad sewer smell....it was really bad!!!! You know what they say about pay backs........ As we had already made our reservations for our 2011 trip to Maine before we left, We are now questioning ourselves, "do we really want to return, and possibly be misused again?" At this point; We think NOT.... Their loss.... We'll just move on, the motor home does have wheels...........

 

We have stayed at that campground if I remember correctly. I had heard that they were the reason, the Wal-Mart up the street could allow over night stays anymore. I seem to recall that they also had pay showers. As I recall, they were not to friendly with me either. I do remember that the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound is one of my favorite places to eat in the whole USA thought. WOW is it good. Go have one for me.