I am sure it has occurred to more than a few of us Good Sam Club Members and Road Service members that GSE is squandering an opportunity here to address what are obviously ongoing systemic problems with both entities as evidenced by the complaints here on this site and on many review sites around the web.In addition to responding to a particular members problem why not take the opportunity for some real communication with the broader membership that posts here about the obvious problems we all see and experience.Take the opportunity to admit the problems, outline the company's efforts to resolve them and to give a peek into future efforts to avoid some of these problems that come up here all the time.Give your customers the hope that at least GSE understands the problems and is addressing them in some larger systemic way.Too often when someone from GSE has posted an answer or comment it is condescending and smells a bit of sarcasm and is too often just an exercise in "circling the wagons". I think the customers deserve better and I am sure someone who reads this agrees.I really think a true respectful dialog with your happy and unhappy customers here would go a long way to increase the confidence level of us all and result in fewer complaints and bad word of mouth.I am not sure GSE realizes the frustration that can occur when dealing with this huge corporation and it's often misleading and confused structure, offers and conflicting policies.I think many are like me, they like the IDEA of Good Sam and Camping World but the reality is a bit difficult to deal with at times.

fulltimedaniel wrote:I am sure it has occurred to more than a few of us Good Sam Club Members and Road Service members that GSE is squandering an opportunity here to address what are obviously ongoing systemic problems with both entities as evidenced by the complaints here on this site and on many review sites around the web.In addition to responding to a particular members problem why not take the opportunity for some real communication with the broader membership that posts here about the obvious problems we all see and experience.Take the opportunity to admit the problems, outline the company's efforts to resolve them and to give a peek into future efforts to avoid some of these problems that come up here all the time.Give your customers the hope that at least GSE understands the problems and is addressing them in some larger systemic way.Too often when someone from GSE has posted an answer or comment it is condescending and smells a bit of sarcasm and is too often just an exercise in "circling the wagons". I think the customers deserve better and I am sure someone who reads this agrees.I really think a true respectful dialog with your happy and unhappy customers here would go a long way to increase the confidence level of us all and result in fewer complaints and bad word of mouth.I am not sure GSE realizes the frustration that can occur when dealing with this huge corporation and it's often misleading and confused structure, offers and conflicting policies.I think many are like me, they like the IDEA of Good Sam and Camping World but the reality is a bit difficult to deal with at times.I do agree that it seems that no one is listening but they do respond to the OP and ask for a private call.This would be the only way to initially respond since an open discussion about the matter could be considered a breech of privacy. If the OP wishes to share the outcome and resolution then that would be their right to make it public but the company could not do that with out express consent from the OP especially when it involves financial information.Whenever you see in the news complaints about a company, their statement is always generic in nature because of privacy issues. It is always the individual who divulges the outcome unless an agreement to not disclose was part of the settlement.

I completely agree with delwhjr on the privacy issue. Companies have a responsibility to guard the privacy of their clientele. When contracts, money, and personal information are involved, there are specific legal factors that supersede way above and beyond just an inquiring mind.That's why companies like Good Sam publish periodicals, like Trailer Life and MotorHome Magazine, that is the place where the public information about specific mechanical or logistical issues are brought to the public's attention. (Of course, they also want you to pay for the subscription for that information too!)

I think they have a few more happy customers then complainers. Not all but some of the problems complained about are self inflicted. Not many companies have an open forum where you can speak up like this one.

I was not talking about GSE responding to INDIVIDUAL complaints on the open forum where privacy concerns are a real issue.I was talking about, and I think a careful reading of my post shows this, a dialog about the larger issues, the systemic ones and how the corporation is handling them and using the forum as a tool to address what seems to concern so many customers.Keep in mind that for every customer that posts here or another site with a problem there are probably hundreds that have the same problem that just give up and go away.I just feel they are missing a real opportunity to turn this to their advantage through some real interaction and dialog.KCharles wrote: "I think they have a few more happy customers then complainers. Not all but some of the problems complained about are self inflicted. Not many companies have an open forum where you can speak up like this one. As I have pointed out many times they have this site because it is in their best interests. It keeps these complaints "in the family" so to speak and off of the wider web where they would get much more attention. This forum is NOT some kind of great gift to the customers as some would think. It is GSE's way to get problems and kill them before they reach a wider audience.Other companies also don't have the overarching umbrella of the Good Sam Club, Camping World and RV.net. Lack of a forum by other companies in no way has anything to do with how well they handle their customers complaints.

I agree with delwhjr also. Depending on how the problem is resolved, there could be potential litigation also - so not posting on here is prudent.I have not seen any condescending responses from team members, they just address the OP and take it offline.And, from Personnel experience, there is no "gag order" put on people to not come back and respond. Most folks with complaints are one-time posters who only came here because of their situation. I think most regular members who had have problems, come back and provide closure (I know I did).With all that, i'd like to see an announcement here if/when a posted problem results in a policy change by CW. It would be nice to see that there is a greater effect to providing this forum in the way the company does business - maybe others would follow suit.As it stands now, we never hear of any company policy changes. So, either they've never happened or the company doesn't share them.

Closing posts vs Addressing the Problems | Good Sam Community

Good_Sam_Care_T
Explorer
May 01, 2017
To All,

Thank you for your time and participation within this thread. At this time this thread will be closed. Have a great week and travel safe always.

Thank you,

Mark
Good Sam Care Team
toedtoes
Explorer III
May 01, 2017
DutchmenSport wrote:
toedtoes wrote:
DutchmenSport wrote:
Walaby wrote:
...I suspect the CW/GS employees that are monitoring this site ...

... Educate their own employees what their own company has to offer, and what folks are saying about the place they work for. ...

Unless GS is providing on-the-clock time for employees to "check out" this forum, why would they?

Honestly, the folks in the stores have jobs, not careers. ...

I suppose you are absolutely correct there. There is quite a difference between simply having a "job" and having a "career." When you are pursuing a "career" you WANT to learn absolutely everything about it, are willing to invest personal time, and even personal resources and money to become better educated, informed, and experienced in that field of choice.

I suppose it really is very rare to find someone in a customer service situation who realizes that, the current position they hold could be used as a stepping stone to something much larger. But, so many these days are looking for the big glorified jobs without putting in the effort to get there. They end up settling for the "job" and fail to see the "career" they could have!

Next time I go to Camping World, I suppose I won't have such high expectations of their employees. That is also a logical explanation of why RV salesmen are clueless too. It takes a little effort to become educated and informed. And you don't always get paid to get that either.

Having worked retail for quite a few years and having seen what the supervisors had to do in order to get to "something much larger", I gotta say, it's not worth it. The pay difference between a clerk and a floor supervisor is usually only a single step raise or two. With that increase in pay, you have to work nights and weekends, you are short-staffed (because the manager always makes sure his/her day shift is covered, but could care less if the nights and weekends are understaffed), and you work every holiday (as most stores are open on those days now). If you're "lucky", you get promoted to a store manager, which at that point, you get transferred to one of the least profitable stores in one of the worst locations (usually a store on the brink of closure or just opening, so there's more risk), often having to move your family.

Then, once you're a store manager, you get transferred around from location to location every few years. If you're lucky, the company's profits don't take a nosedive and you finally get to "seniority" and are placed in a stable and profitable store where you can spend your days until you retire. If you're not lucky, the company's profits tank, they close stores, and you get let go with nothing to show for all that work.

In addition, times have changed and many companies don't "promote from within" anymore. You can't come in as a janitor and hope to learn the business and promote into something better. George Lucas said it about his company "if I hire a janitor, I want a janitor not a graphic artist". Employees don't have loyalty to their employers anymore, but employers don't have loyalty to their employees anymore either. It just doesn't work like it used to work.
toedtoes
Explorer III
May 01, 2017
fulltimedaniel wrote:
toedtoes wrote:

You indicate that you are just "posing a rhetorical question and an idea". Why bother? If they are just rhetorical and not in need of any responses or feedback, then why post them on a forum? It seems you end up with a lot of frustration having to defend these questions and ideas that you don't want answers to anyway.

Why is it wrong to pose a question? Why is it wrong to have an idea and share it?

What is wrong with a dialog about that idea?

And when did you become the arbiter of what can, should or should not be posted on this forum?

I experience a lot of laughter and some head shaking moments when I read some of the responses and how they completely miss the point. I also have moments of incredulity at how worked up you and a few others get every time I post something.

But of all the emotions this activity brings frustrations is seldom one of them...unless I am using the spell checker which is about on a 5th grade level.:)

A rhetorical question is one in which you don't want or ask for a response. My point is that if you were asking a RHETORICAL question as you state, then why bother. That is not opening up a dialogue, it's talking at people. And when you talk AT people on a forum, you usually end up not liking the results.

If you mean you were posing a THEORETICAL question then that is different.

As for getting worked up, no one gets any more worked up than you do. The idea that everyone else is worked up, but you are just shaking your head in disbelief is condescending. It's been over a day since anyone had posted on this, but you had to respond after the conversation had moved on? Yet, we're the ones who are worked up?
DutchmenSport
Explorer
May 01, 2017
toedtoes wrote:
DutchmenSport wrote:
Walaby wrote:
...I suspect the CW/GS employees that are monitoring this site ...

... Educate their own employees what their own company has to offer, and what folks are saying about the place they work for. ...

Unless GS is providing on-the-clock time for employees to "check out" this forum, why would they?

Honestly, the folks in the stores have jobs, not careers. ...

I suppose you are absolutely correct there. There is quite a difference between simply having a "job" and having a "career." When you are pursuing a "career" you WANT to learn absolutely everything about it, are willing to invest personal time, and even personal resources and money to become better educated, informed, and experienced in that field of choice.

I suppose it really is very rare to find someone in a customer service situation who realizes that, the current position they hold could be used as a stepping stone to something much larger. But, so many these days are looking for the big glorified jobs without putting in the effort to get there. They end up settling for the "job" and fail to see the "career" they could have!

Next time I go to Camping World, I suppose I won't have such high expectations of their employees. That is also a logical explanation of why RV salesmen are clueless too. It takes a little effort to become educated and informed. And you don't always get paid to get that either.
fulltimedaniel
Explorer
May 01, 2017
toedtoes wrote:

You indicate that you are just "posing a rhetorical question and an idea". Why bother? If they are just rhetorical and not in need of any responses or feedback, then why post them on a forum? It seems you end up with a lot of frustration having to defend these questions and ideas that you don't want answers to anyway.

Why is it wrong to pose a question? Why is it wrong to have an idea and share it?

What is wrong with a dialog about that idea?

And when did you become the arbiter of what can, should or should not be posted on this forum?

I experience a lot of laughter and some head shaking moments when I read some of the responses and how they completely miss the point. I also have moments of incredulity at how worked up you and a few others get every time I post something.

But of all the emotions this activity brings frustrations is seldom one of them...unless I am using the spell checker which is about on a 5th grade level.:)
happycamper002
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
Can you show me the changes?
delwhjr
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
happycamper002 wrote:
How did you know he/she posted it on Facebook. That could have been posted in multiple social media.

Read that link I posted.

The article is over 5 years old, much has changed in that time.
There are many ways to profit from social media(mostly ad clicks) but the item in question is payment of royalty for use of IP(Intellectual Property). Every one of the social media services has basically the same terms of service, worded almost the same as I posted about Facebook. It doesn't matter where they were posted first, last or whatever they will not receive a royalty for the picture or video. They might make some money on through clicks to ads or someone may pay for a subscription to something you do but that is another subject.
happycamper002
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
How did you know he/she posted it on Facebook. That could have been posted in multiple social media.

Read that link I posted.
delwhjr
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
happycamper002 wrote:
delwhjr wrote:

. . . the poster gets nothing but an acknowledgement. That same terms of use applies to everything posted on this forum.

Not really.

The concept you mentioned was proposed by Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks. But because of strong opposition from users...it didn't pan out.

In many cases it infringe their right to privacy. Some would not want their life story on the web.

The strongest voice came from the European Community.

No one can stop anyone from keeping a copy of a comment (which most users do) that they've made before posting it. Should there be any need to clear up to settle conflicts in case a person gets offended.

Read this report from Forbes:

www.jeffbullas.com/2012/05/24/5-ways-to-money-with-your-twitter-account

Directly from Facebook Terms of Use

You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition:

For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.

As you can see they may still own it but they give up their right to profit from it. Since it will be shared to the community and the news organizations have Facebook accounts it is free.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Apr 30, 2017
happycamper002 wrote:

I bet you every time you see the clip on TV the video owner gets his royalty, he won't even know who to start with. . .while tagging along a sack of moola on his way to the bank.

Actually, no one makes any money off those videos. First, there's the issue of getting releases from everyone one the video. You can't sell the video for profit without their releases.

Second, once you post the photo, video, etc., to FB, you grant them perpetual, non-revokable rights to that photo, video, etc., to use it in any way they wish. So, rather than going to YOU for the rights on the photo, the news services just go to FB instead.

Third, there are exceptions to copyrights for purposes of education, etc. News services know exactly how to utilize that to their advantage thereby not having to pay for the photo, video.

Fourth, most people happily sign away their rights to their photos, videos, etc., for their 5 seconds of fame. Very few non-professional photographers or videographers ever bring up the idea of financial compensation - they are just excited to see their photo, video on TV and/or the internet - and so they just give the news services their photo, video.