Carson,
We do get asked for our Good Sam card. Jerry says maybe more than half the time. We actually use it quite a lot, more than we did in our early RVing days when we were more inclined to boondock. It's like KOA; sometimes we need to use them more than others, such as when attending a reunion, visiting family, or something that requires staying at the nearest campground which just happens to be a KOA.
I'm not sure I can answer much about how it all works. I do know that people actually do go around and rate the various campgrounds on specific items. I remember Gouldings at Monument Valley got the Laundry "Sparkle Award" the first time we went there. It was spotless - even with all that red dirt in the area! I think the GS Parks tend to be larger and have more amenities.
Campgrounds pay to have an entry in the TL Campground Directory, as well as in Woodall's. Have you ever had them ask as you were checking in where you learned about their campground? Your answers tell campground owners and managers where they should advertise based on their guests. A couple of years ago, just as we were entering this current recession, we had several owners ask and then talk with us at length about our reasons for using TL or Woodalls. They told us that both had increased their rates so much that they needed to cut advertising in one of them and they needed help determining which directory was used the most. By contrast, it pays to stop at state visitor centers because they often have information on campgrounds that are so small they can't afford to advertise in the big directories, but they may have an entry in their state directory. The one at Circle MT is a good example.
A lot of people don't like Good Sam because of all the junk mail, but we think the campground discounts make membership in it worthwhile - but then we're not paying to have all the junk mail forwarded like some of the fulltimers.
ArdraF
