Interesting clouds in the sky west of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Cancun, Mexico on November 1st.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Campground complaints

Fortunately, we haven't received too many complaints. Thinking about it from a camper or customer point of view, I'm trying to think if there is anything that would be a common complaint about a campground.

Most complaints I can think of would be something general about the campground itself. Like maybe the sites are too close together. Or a common one we hear and read about regarding "RV Park" type campgrounds is the lack of decent internet.

So I went to our monthly Board meeting last night to bring up any issues and discuss any problems. And, I heard about three complaints.

We have one seasonal camper who pretty much lives here during the summer. Most of the other people who have booked sites for the season only come on weekends. But this guy and his wife are here all the time. He's the one who made a complaint about the noise on the May long weekend. And he's become a bit of a thorn in my side.

Thanks for the photo Paula!

Our official "quiet hours" are 11pm to 7am. The problem with that is that it only gets dark here at 10pm. And a lot of people only arrive here between 6pm and 9pm on Friday evenings and it takes them a bit to get set up and then they want to have a campfire and a few refreshments. 

And sound really travels here as well. A little chatter around a campfire can be heard 200 feet away, easily. I usually give people an extra 15 minutes or half hour before I wander around and tell the noisier ones that they have to keep it down. But that one thorn in my side camper wants the place to be dead quiet with everyone indoors at 11pm. Well, that would mean we would have one happy camper and at least a dozen unhappy ones. 

After a busy night, I walk around in the morning asking quite a few of the campers if everything is okay and if they slept all right. Yep, everybody's happy. Except this one guy.

And so that was one of the issues brought up last night. There was a "noise" complaint, but not many details on where or when or who the complaint came from. Also, nobody ever came and knocked on my door to ask me to do something about it at the time. If we're sleeping, we wouldn't likely know there was a problem would we?

Anyhow, complaint number two. Our fish cleaning shack. I go in and empty the fish cleaning shack once a day, and check it twice a day when it's busy. Sometimes I need to hose things down. I haven't noticed the smell being bothersome yet...but it does smell fishy! Anyhow, there was a complaint about the cleanliness of the fish cleaning shack. Now, it wouldn't be co-incidence that the thorn in my side camper has picked the site right beside the fish cleaning shack, would it?? Hmm.

And complaint number three. There is a rut at the bottom of the children's slide. You know, where their little feet land when they come down to the bottom of the slide. That was the complaint...there is a rut. Okay, I could take some sand and put it in the rut. Isn't there a rut at the bottom of every slide in every playground in the world? What will happen after the next three kids slide down? There will be a rut again! I don't think this complaint was made by the thorn in my side camper. He's too old for slides!

Anyhow, if that's our only complaints, I guess we're doing okay. We receive an awfully lot more compliments than we do complaints, and we know that you can never keep everybody happy.





31 comments:

  1. If that is the extent of the complaints, I'd say your campground is doing better than most! I would love to hear what kind of compliments you get? What do people seem to like most about the campground?

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    1. As with most things you hear more about the complaints that you do about the compliments. The campers have been pretty good and the most common compliment is that the campground and bathrooms are really clean. Unfortunately we don't hear a whole lot from the board of directors but it sounds like we are doing a good job.

      I think many people like that the campground is in a really pretty area, they love the lake and that things are clean.

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  2. De nada, amigos! Hope you have a "complaint free" day!

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    1. Thanks Paula and Jerry, we did have a nice day but it wasn't a complaint free day, unfortunately.

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  3. Kill him with kindness! Cookies work well!

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    1. Nope don't think that will work, and I don't want to waste my precious cookies on him.

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  4. If that doesn't work - and it certainly may not with this guy, tell him to "Get a grip!"

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    1. I think it is best just to ignore someone like that.

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  5. Does 'thorn in your side' relise that quiet doesn't mean silent?

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  6. Noise is always an issue, and you are right, sound travels! When we had the tent, tent trailer and hybrid, I knew I needed to get something more hard-walled just for the peace and quiet cause I'm a very light sleeper. I usually complained straight to the people making the noise (yes, had some problems with that, but that's another story for another day...) but they usually turned it down once I complained to them directly.
    I have even moved sites because of the noise. But I don't usually bother the camp hosts, I deal with it like an adult (unless they are really drunk sounding, then it's dangerous).
    Now that we have the Motorhome I don't notice the noise unless it's a generator. I really like the hard-walls!
    Glad to hear there's some great people camping around you, except those few. But given the amount of people that have been through the campground that's pretty good!

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    1. We don't mind if people are out around the campfire talking just try to keep voices down a bit but it is hard when they start drinking because they tend to get loud. So if people are out after the 11pm quiet time then just stay quieter and no music and normally no one has a problem with that.

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  7. Here's some food for thought: A while back, you wrote that you told a group of younger campers that they were "welcome back any time."

    If I were them, I might have filed a valid complaint. Why? Because it was THEIR park, not yours. Did they really need the permission of some new caretaker in order to return? I think not. Basically, caretakers have the unenviable job of having to boss around their bosses!

    So it's not too surprising that complaints just come with the territory.

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    1. Nope it isn't "THEIR" park, it is a public park therefore it belongs to everyone and everyone needs to repect it and those around them and we are put in charge to make sure that everyone does. We have the athority to kick people out if necessary. Luckily we haven't had to deal with an issue like that. When working with the public there will always be complaints.

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  8. I found the slide complaint to be particularly notable, because it was a complaint actually leveled at The Board itself---not you---pointing out a design defect in the playground.

    But instead of just allocating the $35 for a rubber horse stall mat at the bottom of the slide, The Board thought it was far wiser to suggest that you should be standing guard there at all times---shovel in hand.

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    1. Lol, don't think that will be happening! I just wonder how we all survived as kids!

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  9. Three complaints??? I think that's amazing considering how fussy some folks can be. Usually campground noise doesn't really bother me. Drunks - that's a whole different ball game. Keep up the great job.

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    1. Yep, we think it is pretty good too! the problem is some of the noise is made by drunks or at least on their way to being drunk.

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  10. Love, love, love the moon over the water header photo - so pretty! Keep on keeping on what you're doing - we think it's awesome!

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  11. I'm sure the board is extremely happy with you. I know we would be. And Paula, I love the pic too!

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  12. After several distressing shifts as a paramedic with snoring partners, I discovered the miracle of earplugs - which I still find useful in my married life. Thankfully for my wife, I myself don't snore (she has made spurious claims that I do, but I dismiss that as an impossible assertion, because I've never heard it).

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    1. Are the ear plugs for us, so that we don't hear the complaints or for the campers complaining about the noise? Lol!

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    2. Their utility is universally applicable.

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  13. As everone has said there is one in every crowd, some people like that feeling of 'power' they have. apparently never had any in real life themselves so now they have some. working in a restaurant you see these types all time, you could tap dance juggle and sing a song and they still would be grumpy and whiny. you cant fix him so ignore him

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    1. I think that there are just some people that no matter what you do, they will never be happy. Like the saying goes "You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time"

      You are correct Donna, we'll just ignore him.

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