RVer unfriendly campgrounds

[Ned]

The sad fact is that some campground owners treat their customers as adversaries rather than an asset to be cultivated.  This attitude carries over into the rest of their life, and they see WM as an enemy too.

Of course, as for WM alienating local small business, they have driven many of those local small businesses out of business, so I don't see that as a corporate consideration.

 

[Tom]

The sad fact is that some campground owners treat their customers as adversaries rather than an asset to be cultivated.

Fortunately, they're in the minority, but I fail to understand why they think they're doing their paying customers a big favor. I got a first hand look at an adversarial CG at Dick's RV in Great Falls, MT last year. By far the worst attitude towards customers of any park we've stayed at in 20 years of RVing. The owner/manager is downright rude to customers. Some folks have a chip on their shoulder, but this guy has a chip on both shoulders. I know several RVers, including me and folks I'd never met before, who will never stay at that park again because of the way we were treated by this guy. In my case, it was more than one instance on the same visit.

 

[Ned]

We're planning on staying at Dick's RV tonight.  We were discussing your experience just last night.  I'll let you know how we're treated.

 

[Tom]

We're planning on staying at Dick's RV tonight. We were discussing your experience just last night. I'll let you know how we're treated.

Why anyone would stay there is beyond me. Don't bother filing a report.  If he's nice to you it might be because he's having an off day. They're permanently on my no-go list and that of others.

 

[Jeff]

Why anyone would stay there is beyond me. Don't bother filing a report.? If he's nice to you it might be because he's having an off day. They're permanently on my no-go list and that of others.

Tom:

There goes your easy going, get-along reputation.
;D ;D

 

[Tom]

Jeff, sorry about shattering my reputation, although nothing changed as far as me being an easy-going, get-along kinda guy.

The owner of that CG (more correctly, I'm told he's joint owner with his brother) is an in-your-face guy who made me feel like a kid and a crook when he repeatedly yelled at me in front of an office full of startled guests. I apologized, although he was telling me an outright lie to justify his behavior. I bit my tongue although I really wanted to let him have it.

The following morning I was disturbed by a lot of shouting outside another rig. There was Mr personality yelling at another customer in the CG. Afterwards the camper told me "I come here 4 or 5 times a year, but I won't be back after that treatment.

I tried talking to the owner about as diplomatically as I know how about his treatment of me the prior day. I even explained that I was considering writing up a nice description of his campground here in the forum. He told me quite sternly "I've been doing this for 18 years". He got in his truck, leaned out the window and yelled "you're the problem".

I spent 30 years dealing with customers around the world and, even if I thought they were at fault, I never told them so and certainly never yelled at someone who was essentially paying my salary.

 

[Jeff]

Some people have a hard time understanding who is going to lose an argument or confrontation with a customer.

 

[Ned]

I won't tell you how pleasant the office people were when we checked in

 

[Tom]

Ned, that must have been his wife (who checked us in) &/or his brother/SIL. He doesn't know how to be pleasant.

Following our experience, Ron tried numerous times to call the guy & leave messages, but AFAIK he never returned Ron's phone calls.

 

[Ron]

I talked to his wife, his brother and his SIL i believe.  Dumb Dumb wouldn't talk or return a call.  I was upset since I had recommended them based on our good experience in the past.  It was either his wife or SIL that admitted he was on a rampage of some sort.

 

[Ned]

If I see an angry looking guy coming our way, I'll keep out of site.  And I didn't use you as a reference, Tom.

 

[Tom]

It was either his wife or SIL that admitted he was on a rampage of some sort.

Ah, hadn't heard that Ron. Glad to hear someone close to him recognized it. We also observed him yelling at his employees. Kinda like a schoolyard bully, in everyone's face.

IIRC your prior experience was with his father, who I understand what a real nice guy.

 

[Tom]

If I see an angry looking guy coming our way, I'll keep out of site.

LOL for sure don't cross him. Even if you can't see him, you'll hear him bellowing at someone or other.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Hi Ned:

Not sure where this thread started -- is it one of those split threads?

The sad fact is that some campground owners treat their customers as adversaries rather than an asset to be cultivated.

Was having a conversation with a park employee just the other day on this subject. ?As you know, my business is working with park owners and managers about reservation software -- and, am also a full time Rver myself.

I work with some owners and managers that treat customers extremely well - and with those that have an adversarial view of every rig driver that pulls up. OTOH, I know RVers' that think the same way in reverse. I suppose the reason is partly the experiences they have had in both ways -- plus, as you say, life experience has a lot to do with it. I guess some should not own parks and some should not drive RV's if they intend to stay in a park.

Sometimes I sit in the chair of the registration desk person in order to see how my software rubber meets the road of a live situation. Ned and Tom -- I can't believe (you would not believe) how obnoxious some RVers are from the time they enter the park until they thankfully leave. ? ?I could go on and on about situations that I have encountered. None from the RV forum, of course ?. ?Anyway, some should be banned vs. cultivated.

By the same token, could give several examples of owners that also don't realize that the bad folk don't represent the total population of either group. Am thinking of one that really sticks in my mind that used my software. From the time I met him until several years later when he sold the park, I never heard a good word about an RVer come from his lips -- his customers were the "enemy".

But again, my point is, it works both ways.

 

[Ned]

Bob,

You are correct, it cuts both ways.  I have seen some very rude and obnoxious RVers as well as rude campground managers.  But then I've seen the same in a lot of businesses.  And, yes, some people shouldn't be RVing and some shouldn't be managing campgrounds.  I just ignore the bad ones and enjoy the good ones, fortunately there are more of the latter.

 

[Ron]

Yes I knew his mother and father both were just real neat folks.  I have delt with the younger brother too and he seemed like an ok guy.  Guess you were the one that was unlucky enough to run into the dumb dumb. ;D ;D

 

[Tom]

Not sure where this thread started -- is it one of those split threads?

Yes Bob, I split off several messages into their own topics.

Understand your comments Bob and there's no excuse for any RVer having a bad attitude towards a friendly park owner. I'm not sure how I'd react to such a person if I were the park manager, but I sure wouldn't go out of my way to offend a paying customer.

For the most part I can't say I've come across park owners who outwardly viewed customers as the enemy, just this one. Others I've found to be very friendly and appear to understand who the customer is in the equation. Anyone who doesn't understand it should do something else for a living.

 

[John From Detroit]

Bob,

You are correct, it cuts both ways.  I have seen some very rude and obnoxious RVers as well as rude campground managers.  But then I've seen the same in a lot of businesses.  And, yes, some people shouldn't be RVing and some shouldn't be managing campgrounds.  I just ignore the bad ones and enjoy the good ones, fortunately there are more of the latter.

You know though,,,, Sometimes hostility on one side of the counter (RVer/Park Manager) may be nothing more than a reflection

I know I tend to meet hostility in kind,  I try to control that, but tis hard to do