Forum Discussion

RICK-ards_Red's avatar
Apr 08, 2021

Park Reviews

Not sure if this is the right forum for this but... how often are campgrounds reviewed by Good Sam? One place I was looking at was rated 10/10/10 and most reviews were good but I like to look at the bad ones too to get a feel for the place and the bad ones all mentioned the manager was mean, rude etc. Yes everyone has a bad day and some guests can bring out the worst in people but the dates spanned a couple of months, most recent was Feb 2021.

Just thinking - should I consider this park still or move on?
  • bukhrn's avatar
    bukhrn
    Explorer III
    2g's wrote:
    We like http://www.campgroundreviews.com/ much better. The public rates them; not an organization. You do have to sort them out though. What one person may not like may not bother you, such as weak wifi. Most people carry their own wifi nowadays and don't use the park's. Someone may dislike the weather, bugs, lack of pavement, etc.
    X-2 100%, i'd rather take the opinions of my fellow campers, but as pointed out, you need to take some with a grain of salt, like the one that gave a low rating because of all the leafs... in a fully forested CG. :R
  • Bob806's avatar
    Bob806
    Explorer III
    I agree with most of what everybody has commented on here. When I'm planning my trip I use a few sites to help me out...campendium.com, thedyrt.com, & I will peek at Good Sam ratings only if I'm looking at a private park. We tend to go to state parks/ COE parks.

    Funny thing to me is how many folks mention wifi, and the good/bad of it. Lots of folks must be working remotely in their RV nowadays.
  • We like http://www.campgroundreviews.com/ much better. The public rates them; not an organization. You do have to sort them out though. What one person may not like may not bother you, such as weak wifi. Most people carry their own wifi nowadays and don't use the park's. Someone may dislike the weather, bugs, lack of pavement, etc.
  • I have barely paid attention to the park personnel I have encountered, good, bad, or indifferent. I typically interface with that person for only a few minutes checking in. Or maybe if I have some question. Not going to let a person with attitude problems ruin my day. Or my stay. It is the park itself that determines whether I would return if not. Not the person behind the desk.
  • Good Sam account representatives visit every Good Sam park every year. They do not 'review', they ' rate' based upon the 10/10/10 point system which is divided into 3 sections, that evaluate camp amenity, facility and sites.
    Usually when they arrive in camp its unannounced, except for an email up to a week before that they will come soon. They drive and walk the camp and rate based upon their observations. When this is done they sit down with management, present their rating, proceed to listing and advertising.
    In our 19 years, there was no discussion allowed on their rating. It cant be bought or altered.
    One year after we had done extensive upgrades to all 3 categories our rating jumped 6 aggregate points. Within a week Ed and Jan Thierfelder, Good Sams Quality Assurance team checked in unannounced rated the camp, to verify our 9.5/10/9.5 .
    Reviews about the camp on the GS link are from guests.

    Ratings amd Reviews are apples and oranges apart. Opinions about rudeness or some other slight may be construed differently. Some want to be led by the hand, some are offended if help is extended. The customer is not always right, its why businesses have the right to refuse service.
    Consider the region. being a extensively well traveled westerner, I would not call the New Yorker rude for being what is percieved for NYC. A New Yorker might be put off by the graciousness in the south, thinking it, intrusive.
  • We did run into one office worker who could be classified as a stitch. My wife refuses to return to that location. It was based on more than one occasion.
  • Grain of salt situation. For me, if it has the location I want and most visitor submitted reviews are positive I would go. If the grounds are kept up and the sites are adequate then why not? I have never encountered a "rude" manager. I stop at the office, pay them and am on my way with usually no other contact with management. What does it take for a person to say the manager was rude? What kind of interaction took place is what I wonder. It's usually people who can't be pleased no matter what you do for them that post things like that. Go and enjoy yourselves.
  • I didn't know GS reviewed Campgrounds.
    Why not tell us the name of the CG you are considering? Maybe someone can furnish recent info.
  • I’ll overnight almost anywhere. Give it a try. Then write a review.

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