Just wondering the norm on office hours in rv parks that you all encounter, I have read alot of reviews with non existent office personnel upon arrival. I get alot of people that are amazed that I am in my parks office 8:30am-9:30pm weekdays and open till like 11:00pm on weekends and holidays. Winter hours shorter but still longer than i guess most parks plus I live on the grounds and have my cell number on maps for 24 hour service if I am needed, I have been woke up at 3am for ice but mostly never get any calls.
We spend 175-225 nights per year in commercial campgrounds, mostly east of Mississipe except northeast. Campground office hours vary from someone almost never in the office to what seems like someone is there all hours. We are staying in a park now where office hours are 9a to 9p. Park we were at before hours were 7a - 4p. Sometimes you have to call to get someone to come to the office. Sometimes you have to find the guy on the lawn mower and get his attention. Whatever the hours however, it always seems to work out.
Our hours are 10 AM to 7 PM Monday thru Sat. I don't sit in the office all day but am either at home (30 steps away) or out working in the yard. There is a phone on our office porch that will ring to where ever I am and I come over instantly. We are on call 24/7 and will go to the office at any time, even our day off. I have been at this job for 1 1/2 years and have not been off premise for more than a few hours at any given time. I will say that it is nice when people come in after hours and will say thank you for opening up for us. I believe that is what I get paid for but a thank you is really nice.
Having been a camp ground host where uncaring campers ignore the "off duty" sign, I feel for the campground owners who have to cater to those same type people as a matter of busines survival. Honest people, and thankfully there are more of those than dishonest one, will excercise a bit of common sense to leave a payment regardless of office hours.
Our office is open 9 to 9 Sun - Thursday and 9a to 11p on Fri and Sat. That is during the peak season. Off peak, we are open very limited hours every afternoon and closed on Sunday. We always post a number where we can be reached for assistance if the office is closed.
QUOTE(joez @ Jul 12 2010, 07:40 PM) [snapback]22979[/snapback] We spend 175-225 nights per year in commercial campgrounds, mostly east of Mississipe except northeast. Campground office hours vary from someone almost never in the office to what seems like someone is there all hours. We are staying in a park now where office hours are 9a to 9p. Park we were at before hours were 7a - 4p. Sometimes you have to call to get someone to come to the office. Sometimes you have to find the guy on the lawn mower and get his attention. Whatever the hours however, it always seems to work out. And sometimes you have to hunt down the owner at a community fish fry! Happened to me once in Clinton, MO. I called the phone number, got voice mail. Left a message that I was there and willing to pay if they came and found me. Decided to go to a community fish fry that was a few blocks away, and guess what, the owner was at the fish fry. JJ
We stayed at a park on the DelMarVa Peninsula where the check-in office closed at 3:00 p.m.; then the staff rolled around at 8:00 a.m. the next morning pointing out (in a very insulting manner) that we hadn't paid for the night before. When I observed that there seemed to be no mechanism in place for paying when the office was closed, I was told "...everyone knows you need to get here before 3:00" Wonderful! Then there was the park in Moab, UT, where the staff went to "lunch" before 1:00 p.m. and did not return until 5:00. We had prepaid reservations, but had no idea what site we'd been assigned, so we sat there for 4 hours.
When we find nobody around, we go get a site and hook up just the electric, leave a Post-it note on the office door and start exploring the area as if we have already paid and catch up with the staff later or the next morning. I look at it as their problem, not mine. We have never had a problem doing it this way (so far). We generally try to stay cool and loose and try to not let too much spoil our fun.
Hours vary greatly. Most parks offer an after hours payment mechanism, although there are parks which do not want after hours registrations (why I have no idea). Figuring that most people arrive in late afternoon or early evening, I would expect the office to be open till 7pm. If we are after 7pm I sometimes call ahead to verify hours, availability, rate etc. When I have called ahead I have found the park employees have been great. Sometimes I find my space info on a board outside the office when I arrive. There have been occasions where I have been told to knock on the office door upon arrival (after regular hours) or just find a site and stop by the office the following morning to pay. I would not consider these options unless instructed by the park staff however. I know park managers work long enough hours as it is.
