westernrvparkowner
montana
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SDcampowneroperator wrote:Thanks Wilford,
for opening the topic so properly in response to my request.
Everyone here is familiar with rvparkreviews.com, and how to read between the lines there. There are other less known less used wannabe sites such as rvbuddy.
How many of you have used GuestRated.com,on the opposite end of the anonymous sites mentioned above?
TripAdvisor is another well known though less applicable site to our chosen mode of travel.
Each has appeal to a segment of travelers, none address our particular interest in camps public or private specific to those listed in and rated by TL/Woodalls account Reps
To me the whole concept is to cherry pick from these other well meaning sites.
Imagine a not anonymous consumer rating or link that is specific to GS/Woodalls listed camps, public or private with 1-10 ratings by members only on issues of other concern not covered in account representative rating. Response by the camp operator or other knowledgeble person, through a moderator to delete incorrect/unfounded/flaming comments. The same as is here.
Like GuestRated but more flexible, like rvparkreviews but more accountable,like tripadvisor but specific to outdoor hospitality, limiting operator comments through a moderator . Above all specific to members, park and guest, equals.
How about it?
Max Going to be a very tough row to hoe. Rvparkreviews.com has what, 10 plus years of data accumulation? Yet, many parks only have two or three reviews. To get people to use a site that has no reviews to start with will be slow going. I still think the first posters will be those with axes to grind, they post everywhere. Some guy tried to start a review site for workamping positions a couple of years ago. Never really got off the ground, but the reviews were probably 50/50 negative to positive and surely 50% of the people workamping don't hate their employers. Are they going to moderated by the same moderator standards of these forums? If so, no responses to bad posts from park owners would probably not be allowed, since they would border on personal attacks. I mean, if I had a bad review from someone I had to kick out, wouldn't going over the circumstances be an attack on them personally? I am just not sure what the purpose of a new review site would be and where do you draw the lines? You said it would be for more than just the park, to include things like the surrounding area. Should the park's rating be dropped because a nearby restaurant served a bad hamburger to a guest? Should the rating drop because the local roads have potholes? Do you drop the park's rating because the town cop gave you a speeding ticket? All of this could happen if one of the rating questions was "1-10 rate the surrounding area".
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Charolaisbreeders
Alabama
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Max - glad to do it and I hope we get some good ideas to help.
westernrvparkowner - I see your side of this but believe with moderators it could be handled. As to the comments on the roads, in the current listings you get when you search for a CG on the GS web site, it lists under Amenities the condition and surface of exterior roads. They are already using the roads leading to the park as part of the criteria and if a bad winter has caused pot holes after the inspection this is something I would appreciate another GS member telling me. I do believe a fair and workable system can be arrived at that gives campers a more complete picture then just a once a year inspection.
Question for park owners - are you given advance notice to the arrival of inspectors from GS/Woodalls?
Wilford
1998 F150 4WD, Heavy Tow package - rated for over 7,700 pounds
2009 F150 4WD STX Tow Package - rated for 10500 pounds
2012 Jayco Jay Flight Swift
Honz our German Shepherd rules with Novak the Doberman terror puppy!!
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westernrvparkowner
montana
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SDcampowneroperator wrote:We recieve a postcard that they are coming soon. They have arrived the next day, or not for 10.
Usually we don't know they are in the camp until they come to the office with their results.
Max Same here in Montana, except we do know when they get there since they honor our "All guests must register at the office before entering" If the implication of the question was the park can prepare for them, that is a pretty long stretch. If you look at the ratings guidelines many are things like "are the interior roads paved? Is there a pool? Is there a campstore? etc. " Pretty hard to get those items to be there only when the reviewers are there. They send the card to let us know their approximate visit date because after they rate the park their other job is to sell us advertising for that year. They go over all the changes/options. NEVER and I will repeat NEVER have we been approached with any quid pro quo to get the ratings changed. They don't go up or down dependent upon whether we advertise, beg, threaten or bribe (I have tried them all  .)
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rockhillmanor
On the Road
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After hearing about rvparkreveiws on this forum I went to their site to post a good review about an obscure CG that I thought was spectacular and wanted to share my good find, only to find out you have to post several reviews BEFORE your reviews are posted? 
Needless to say I was not about to spend my time making X amount reviews of CG's to be able to post a tip on how nice this one CG was. 
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us".
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SDcampowneroperator
South Dakota
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We recieve a postcard that they are coming soon. They have arrived the next day, or not for 10.
Usually we don't know they are in the camp until they come to the office with their results.
Max
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wannavolunteerFT
South Georgia
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I think the ratings in the directory should be standardized. But maybe there should be some sub-categories added to provide more detailed info. So if you are just looking for a stop over, you can look at the overall rating, but if you were going to be there for a week in summer, you could find out if they had a pool and if it were maintained. One rating I would like to see is the % of permanent/long-term residents. (I can't remember if any of the ratings already show this). It may or may not matter depending on why I am staying, but I would like to know.
I think you need to be very careful allowing random comments, because I have see some that were really off the charts.. For example, a state park in FL that is a very rural section of the state got a bad rating because there were ticks in the summer.. REALLY??? Don't they know there are ticks in the woods in the summer everywhere in the south??
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rockhillmanor
On the Road
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wannavolunteerFT wrote:.... One rating I would like to see is the % of permanent/long-term residents. (I can't remember if any of the ratings already show this).....
Woodalls on line CG search denotes how many of what they refer to as 'extended stay' sites are at each CG.
I'm looking for CG for a month right now down south and I took this as meaning more sites and amenities for 'extended stay Snow Birds'.
But all the ones I drove out to look at before committing, the 'extended stay' number of sites referred to WAS permanent residents.
So for me if they 40 extended sites and 8 regular sites I know upfront if I want to think about reserving there.
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SDcampowneroperator
South Dakota
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rockhillmanor,
Good point about the ratio of long term to short term residents.
It is a factor I consider, it does have implications that the place is residential rather than recreational . A more appropriate approach to Long term/Short term may be to list the % of sites for each, or only to rate short term sites with mention of park nature if it has a long term/seasonal clientele.
You have me thinking again.
Max
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PackerBacker
Montreal (Qc) Adirondacks (NY) Myrtle Beach (SC)
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rockhillmanor wrote:After hearing about rvparkreveiws on this forum I went to their site to post a good review about an obscure CG that I thought was spectacular and wanted to share my good find, only to find out you have to post several reviews BEFORE your reviews are posted?
Needless to say I was not about to spend my time making X amount reviews of CG's to be able to post a tip on how nice this one CG was.
I had the same experience with rvparkreveiws and it just turned me right off. I've also suspect that some reviews are planted; this is purely my own opinion.
I used Trailer Life for years and now I use Woodalls almost exclusively.
Eric
2009 Holiday Rambler Admiral 33SFS (34' 3")
2008 Jeep Liberty - North Edition (4x4 auto)
FQCC/Camping Quebec, KOA, Good Sam, Coach-Net
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rockhillmanor
On the Road
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SDcampowneroperator wrote:rockhillmanor,
Good point about the ratio of long term to short term residents.
It is a factor I consider, it does have implications that the place is residential rather than recreational. A more appropriate approach to Long term/Short term may be to list the % of sites for each, or only to rate short term sites with mention of park nature if it has a long term/seasonal clientele.You have me thinking again.Max
Don't think the CG's would benefit from putting them in a box as only long term/seasonal. It's been my experience that all CG's have several pull thru's to accommodate travelers. It makes them extra money and I'm glad that they do when I need a place to pull into for the night!
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