SAMPLE TIPS AND IDEAS FOR RV PARK SUCCESS!
The fact that any staff member asks for a raise is good news to me. I look at it as an attempt by that member to improve himself/herself. Although I may not be able to give them what they are asking for right away, it does provide a chance to couple the staff member’s effort and needs with the success of the park. As a former park manager, I wanted the entire staff to be involved in the success of the park. The better the park is doing, the more money there should be for everyone. Each staff member should have a vested interest in how many guests stay at the park. Set some benchmarks, and when they are reached, the entire staff receives a bonus. When everyone joins in to push the park forward to more camper nights, that synergism is a great path to follow. When a staff member develops an idea that makes the park money, he/she should receive a bonus. What more can each staff member do to help the park succeed?
COFFEE OR LUNCH?
Try to spend some one-on-one time with your guests.
This is not a sales meeting. Ask about family hobbies
or personal goals. Show guests you really care about
them on a personal level. Write notes when you're done.
IT'S NOT HOW MANY SITES
YOU HAVE, IT'S HOW MANY
ARE SOLD!
____________________
PARK MANAGEMENT IS
AN INSIDE JOB!
Share the Fun” Program
Our RVers Earl and Joan Regan have really enjoyed their stay during the last five seasons at your park. They plan to come again next season and have even made a reservation and requested their favorite space, #52! Now they are going home, headed west, and have made reservations at another park about 400 miles away. After they got settled at the new park, they are relaxing outside with a cool drink on the patio. Another RV couple is walking by and Earl invites them over for a visit. It’s not long before the conversation turns to RV parks that they like and dislike. The visiting couple notice that Earl is drinking out of a mug with your park name on it and asks about your park. Joan does not hesitate to tell them about your park and all the things that keep them coming back year after year. The visiting couple are impressed, are heading east, and now have a great recommendation to stay at your park. Because the Regans are sold on your park, they will repeat this experience over and over again, year after year. The effort that you put into pleasing Joan and Earl and their dog “Kush” can really pay off! Here’s a suggested twist to the above story. Suppose Earl, after seeing some interest from the visiting couple, went into his RV and got a brochure about your park and gave it to them. What if that brochure also offered them a discount on their first stay at your park!
That’s the “Share the Fun” program!
It’s a unique opportunity that can really get you closer to full! Here is how it works. Give one of your current or past guests a monetary reward each time they bring another guest to your park. Give the new guest a discount as well. You can adjust the amounts of the rewards to fit your price point, but you need to make it attractive. The beauty of the program lies with the rules (you can customize these) : The new guest cannot have stayed at the park before. The referral must be by someone who has been a guest and they get the reward as a credit for purchases within the park. The reward is not credited until the length of the stay is completed. Create an attractive professional brochure with a form to complete by both parties. Your current guest fills out their portion of the form so they receive credit and then they can hand out the brochure to people they meet while traveling. That form will then be submitted by the new guests when checking in or making reservations. Encourage your current guests to have several brochures with them
as they travel.
Let’s review. RVers love to visit with other RVers. They share with each other about the good and the bad parks they have visited. If you have made your guests happy about their time in your park, they will come back and they will tell others. Of course, if guests from your park have something with your name on it, it can help to get the conversation going. Encourage all your guests to “Share the Fun” and earn some money towards their next stay with you!
Just One to Start
Getting more guests to stay at your park is really not that hard! You just need at least one satisfied guest to start, and then build on
his/her enjoyment. When you concentrate on improving internal park promotions and give your guests a good reason to return, you are on your way to being full. Price is not the answer, it's value. If I (and my wife and dog) like your park, we will stay with you again and we will tell others about you. If we don't like your park, we won't be back,
and we will tell others about you. RVers have many park choices and will not tolerate poor value. Our approach to filling an RV park is
simple to understand, but it takes a lot of work to achieve. Just be good at everything you do! From the landscaping at the gate to the way you greet guests, everything matters. What can you do better
to entice me to come back again and even stay longer? To answer
that, you must understand what I (wife & dog included) want. If you give me what I want, you will have my patronage for a long time.
If you give me more than I was expecting, I'll be your salesman forever! Win me over, and I'll bring more of my friends to stay
with you!