How Not to Run an RV Park
On two occasions here in Alaska we have been witness to exactly how NOT to run an RV Park if you want it to prosper. Or even stay in business.
In the first in Anchorage the park was very close to downtown and had everything one needed.
As we stayed there almost a week we realized several things: They had more staff that most stadiums employ. Including a Full Time Manager and his wife that lives in town. (they are not workcampers) in addition TWO sets of workcampers were present. And in addition to this it seemed there were additional employees doing maintenance.
The hours of operation of the office were 10 am to 5 pm!
Now we watched many Rv's come after 5 pm stop at the door look at the place, drive thru and leave. One afternoon we watched at least 5 rigs do this.
Now my bet is if there were someone in that office to greet and answer questions most of those five would have stayed. This happened every day we were there.
In a Seasonal business this really can hurt you.
We are now in a park where we arrived on Sunday at close to lunch. Office was closed. I figured they just close on Sundays. There is no notice on the door of when they might return, office hours posted indicate they are supposed to be open from 9 to 5 on Sundays and 9 to 6 on Weekdays, and here we sit at 9:30 on Monday morning waiting for that office to open. Never opened at all on Sun.
There is NO option for leaving a payment in an envelope, getting the wiFi code or change for the laundry.
At least three Rv's that came in Sunday, waited for the office to open this morning but finally left in frustration.
Now in the first case the office hours are clearly crazy. Two workcamping couples and an on-site full time manager could man that office 24-7. But that is not necessary 7am to 7 or 8 pm would have captured virtually all of that missed business. And I still could have given them all days off and reasonable hours.
As for where we are now. This is really baffling. You have honest people who stay and want to pay but wont stay and wait indefinitely, and who can blame them, and they end up leaving.
I think too many RV Parks are run as "Hobby" businesses or are owned and managed by absentee owners/managers who have no idea what is going on.
As a guy who has owned several businesses including a resort hotel and grew up in a "Business" Family this strikes me as just incomprehensibly irresponsible.
In the first in Anchorage the park was very close to downtown and had everything one needed.
As we stayed there almost a week we realized several things: They had more staff that most stadiums employ. Including a Full Time Manager and his wife that lives in town. (they are not workcampers) in addition TWO sets of workcampers were present. And in addition to this it seemed there were additional employees doing maintenance.
The hours of operation of the office were 10 am to 5 pm!
Now we watched many Rv's come after 5 pm stop at the door look at the place, drive thru and leave. One afternoon we watched at least 5 rigs do this.
Now my bet is if there were someone in that office to greet and answer questions most of those five would have stayed. This happened every day we were there.
In a Seasonal business this really can hurt you.
We are now in a park where we arrived on Sunday at close to lunch. Office was closed. I figured they just close on Sundays. There is no notice on the door of when they might return, office hours posted indicate they are supposed to be open from 9 to 5 on Sundays and 9 to 6 on Weekdays, and here we sit at 9:30 on Monday morning waiting for that office to open. Never opened at all on Sun.
There is NO option for leaving a payment in an envelope, getting the wiFi code or change for the laundry.
At least three Rv's that came in Sunday, waited for the office to open this morning but finally left in frustration.
Now in the first case the office hours are clearly crazy. Two workcamping couples and an on-site full time manager could man that office 24-7. But that is not necessary 7am to 7 or 8 pm would have captured virtually all of that missed business. And I still could have given them all days off and reasonable hours.
As for where we are now. This is really baffling. You have honest people who stay and want to pay but wont stay and wait indefinitely, and who can blame them, and they end up leaving.
I think too many RV Parks are run as "Hobby" businesses or are owned and managed by absentee owners/managers who have no idea what is going on.
As a guy who has owned several businesses including a resort hotel and grew up in a "Business" Family this strikes me as just incomprehensibly irresponsible.
