Campground Management Isn’t Always A Walk in the Park
There’s a lot involved in being a campground manager. From grounds maintenance to making sure your guests are having a good, safe time, you can find yourself run off your feet. Taking care of a campground does mean a lot of walking, but it also means a lot of office work!
When you’re maintaining a site, you have to keep several elements in mind. First, you have to keep on top of grounds maintenance. Second, you have to make a smooth experience for your guests. And third, you have to convince people to come back next year—or visit your site for the first time!
Fortunately, there are some easy tips you can follow to make your campground an inviting and well-run place to be.
Maintaining the Grounds
“Management by walking around” (also called the Gemba Walk) has been a buzzword since the 70s, but at a campsite, it’s a necessity. Make time to tour your own campground at least once a day to ensure everything is running smoothly. Keep a notebook with you, or use an app that lets you make voice notes on your smartphone. A running list of maintenance issues and trouble sites can keep you organized.
When you take the time to walk around your campsite, you can also see your employees (if you have them) working in their daily routine. You can evaluate their work and be a friendly presence in their lives, instead of a remote manager hiding in the office.
Create a schedule for routine maintenance, such as painting outbuildings, refreshing signage, landscaping, and fire pit cleaning. Set up reminders on a calendar, time management software, or even your smartphone. When you have a plan in place for maintaining your site, then you’ll never fall behind.
Smooth Guest Experience
Providing a safe and comfortable guest experience gives you the satisfaction of having a well-run campground, as well as netting you good reviews. Plus, when you create a good guest experience, you increase the odds of return business. Happy guests also tell their friends and family about their great experience!
The first step in creating a good guest experience is creating an easy and intuitive check-in process. With campground management software such as Guest Tracker, your guests can reserve sites, add extras like full hookups or marina slips, and even book activities online. Plus, Guest Tracker allows you to attach incidentals and rental fees to a guest’s final bill, allowing for smooth checkout.
The second step is maintaining your safe, clean, and welcoming site. Campers in Canada report some of their top campground peeves as dog messes, noisy parties, and poorly kept outhouses. By keeping tabs on your guests and making sure your site is operating smoothly, you can enhance your guest’s experience. That’s how to keep them coming back!
The third step in offering a great guest experience is to have a fun site with plenty of activities. Allowing your guests to book activities online, as with Guest Tracker’s software, makes it easy for them. You can also maintain your activity calendar in an easy-to-read format. Even if you only offer walking trails and a nearby beach, your guests will appreciate having all the information in one accessible place.
See You Next Year!
In 2018, 46% of campers aged 34-51 planned to spend more nights camping than they did the previous year. That’s a lot of potential repeat business! With campground management software like Guest Tracker, you can market directly to your return customers. Your easy booking system, ability to make group reservations, emailed receipts, and activity booking will make a good impression. When your guests remember how easy and fun it was to stay at your campsite, you can bet they’ll be back.
You can also encourage guests to leave a review on any popular review site. Good reviews are a leading factor in how people select a campsite. Happy Camper Wives recommend always checking reviews before booking a site. In addition, you can register on most review sites and reply to reviewers. Thank people who post positive reviews, and also see what you can do to rectify the negative ones.
Finally, consider putting a gallery of images on your website. Guests appreciate being able to see what the site looks like before they book. Plus, photos of activities and amenities can encourage guests to book and book again.
The Right Software Helps
Quality campground management software, backed by a support team of experts and professionals, helps your business succeed. That’s why we recommend contacting us for a free demo. We can also create a custom price quote for you based on your needs. With Guest Tracker, managing your campground actually can be a walk in the park!