Coronavirus (COVID-19): Campground Operating Protocols.
As we promised in our last post, we will continue to produce and share content that we typically reserve for our owned properties and our clients. We believe that in difficult times, we as a community must come together and support one another. As such, as we consider the impact of COVID-19 on our industry, our top priority is to ensure the safety of our team, our guests, and by extension, yours as well. For your reference, below is a summary of the operational adjustments that we are implementing within our campgrounds.
For our campgrounds that are currently open:
Safety-First RegistrationTM: All guests are now required to register at our night registration booth, regardless of the time of their check-in, removing any undesired human contact on-site. When possible, we continue to escort guests to their sites while maintaining appropriate distances.
Store and office hours: We have either significantly reduced the daily hours of operation or closed our stores. Because we want to continue to provide exceptional hospitality, we are taking orders over the phone and delivering items to guests at their sites during these limited hours.
Phone calls: We have asked our front desk team members to take phone calls from separate locations. One in the office and one at the front desk so that we can ensure to answer all incoming inquiries but also maintain the six feet of recommended separation.
Payment processing: We are eliminating all cash transactions and taking payment over the phone using credit cards.
No-fee cancellation policy: We have amended our cancelation policies for Coronavirus-related cancelations through the end of April, allowing guests to cancel without penalty. We do not want to add an additional financial burden to our guests during these difficult times.
Team member training: We are temporarily limiting any new hire orientations and avoiding all face to face training sessions. While we want to have the best trained team in the industry, we can wait a few weeks to get new team members up to speed.
Revenue management: We are actively managing our rates in response to changes in demand. We are working closely with our Revenue Manager to set prices and to ensure that we are selling the right site to the right camper at the right time.
We have seen less impact for campgrounds opening in April and May. As these locations are currently closed, many of the above mentioned policies are not relevant. We will be addressing new hire onboarding as we get closer to the opening dates and are considering conducting orientations via video chat so that we can share our company culture and operating philosophy with our new team members while minimizing group time. If the spread of the Coronavirus continues to impact the country as these properties open, we will either delay our opening or prudently implement the above mentioned processes to ensure that our team and guests remain safe.
We've got your back.
1. Need advice?
We will be putting out free content - typically reserved for our in-house team and clients - that we think you'll find valuable in navigating the course ahead. We will publish this to our blog and LinkedIn pages which you can find here and here. If there are specific topics you would like us to write about, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.
2. Need an operating partner?
If there ever was a time to partner with a professional management company, now is that time. You can find our thoughts on the need for professional management in the campground industry here.
For any campground that starts working with us before June 1, 2020, we are offering short-term minimum contract commitments. That means you can try working with us for just three months without any longer-term obligations. Interested? Please reach out here to discuss further.
3. Need cash?
We appreciate that liquidity is important to you during this time. If you'd like to discuss selling your campground, we are in a position to help. Please reach out here to discuss further.
Stay safe and in good spirits. If you need us, we're here to help you.
Interested in selling your campground? Let's connect.
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