Another feature that I'd like to see would be a link between the mobile apps and the website when it comes to the consumer ratings component. I think you will get the best results and largest quantity of consumer reviews if you let the mobile apps be the "starting point" for the consumer reviews in the field while the customer is at the campground on their mobile phone.
A significant drawback of RVParkReviews.com is that for all practical purposes I have to do the reviews when I get home, unless I am traveling with a laptop and have WIFI. Often, when I get home, I get on with my life and other things take priority.
If the mobile app and the website use the same customer login, there should be a quick and easy way for the mobile app to use the GPS feature to determine your location, show the campground you are currently located based on your location and in a simple one screen presentation, allow you to numerically rate the campground and submit it. When the customer submits the mobile app review, the customer also could get an email at their email address that provides them with a summary of their review and allows them to edit it and add free flow comments. This would combine the quick response ability that only a mobile app can provide, along with the more complete experience at a personal computer later on to add to the review with personal comments. If the customer blows off further comment at a computer later, at least you've captured the numeric scoring from the consumer in the field while they are at the campground and are using their mobile device.
A clever programmer could even develop a mobile app that periodically searches your current location (with consumer opt-in of course) against the TL database and proactively notifies you in your phone's notification bar with a statement like "Are you currently at the XYZ Campground? Would you like to rate it now?"
Note I spent about 30 years with computers, often creating customer custom programs, so I am not completely ignorant with them. Got savy enough that R&D hired me to vet new pre-release software. But to me a vacation includes very little computer activity, and I'm sure never going to use one while driving. A GPS is ok, but even it gets ignored a lot. My navigator does not do computers at all, but she is fine with paper. Please don't eliminate the paper Trailer Life, because that would mean we would use the last edition we had, forever.
Chuck
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I am with you Chuck&Gail. Though I'm computer enabled, I need paper :-) What I usually do is before I get going, I use their DVD navigator program to plan my trip, because it's easier to search for parks and visualize them on my route, roughly break down the trip, etc. than using the big, heavy book. That gives me a good starting point. I then create my itinerary and print it and that's my basis. Sure, I may occasionally fire up the 'puter to adjust the trip along the way, but my printed "general" itinerary and my "Semi-trusted" small GPS is pretty much what I use.
I have been honored to have been a part of the GS Advisory Council meeting in Dallas 4/23-25 as 1 of 12 camp operators fairly representing a cross section of camps and members, with leading officers in the T/l GS system.
Discussion was wide reaching , uninhibited, no topic taboo. Listening and learning from both views was key, value to members the ultimate goal.
A primary discussion dealt with ratings used by T/l account reps. and changes therein. As i see it the 10/10/10 rating system is to be relaxed but not weakened. Components of the old Woodalls system are woven in. This move allows camps previously 'below the bar' to affiliate. No harm in this idea I see if 'you' are educated in the rating method. At the same time it will show travellers more opportunities seeking affiliated camps.
An online consumer comment/ rating plan is in the works. I am certain it will become the Gold Standard of reviews and trusted commentary regarding rated camps.
Max
edit--- do you have a question?
* This post was
edited 04/26/12 10:39pm by SDcampowneroperator *
SDcampowneroperator wrote: I have been honored to have been a part of the GS Advisory Council meeting in Dallas 4/23-25 as 1 of 12 camp operators fairly representing a cross section of camps and members, with leading officers in the T/l GS system.
Discussion was wide reaching , uninhibited, no topic taboo. Listening and learning from both views was key, value to members the ultimate goal.
A primary discussion dealt with ratings used by T/l account reps. and changes therein. As i see it the 10/10/10 rating system is to be relaxed but not weakened. Components of the old Woodalls system are woven in. This move allows camps previously 'below the bar' to affiliate. No harm in this idea I see if 'you' are educated in the rating method. At the same time it will show travellers more opportunities seeking affiliated camps.
An online consumer comment/ rating plan is in the works. I am certain it will become the Gold Standard of reviews and trusted commentary regarding rated camps.
Max
edit--- do you have a question?
Frankly I see much harm in "lowering the bar". It is already difficult to determine what the reality of a park might be until you actually arrive; and of course if you have made a reservation and then find out the park isn’t up to standards you may be out your deposit. I see no benefit to travelers who rely on the ratings to ”allow camps previously below the bar" to affiliate. My feeling is the standards should remain high and those who want to “become affiliated” should improve their parks to meet the standard. IMO the “relaxing” of standards leads eventually to no standard. I for one will not be purchasing a guide which requires me to glean what is really being indicated by a given rating. As it stands now I will not even consider a park with a rating below a 7 in any category.
I am definitely in favor of an online customer comment card….assuming of course it is not heavily censored. Otherwise neither it nor the rating guide will attain “Gold Standard”.
I think the comment above, that you would not consider a park below seven is the exact example of why lowering the bar might be a good thing.
If consumers like yoursef can only consider parks that are seven, eight, nine or 10, what is the purpose of having a scale that goes from one through 10? Might as well have a one through four scale at that point and in my personal opinion those kinds of scales are not very helpful.
If a ten is the best park you've ever seen and a one is the worst park you've ever seen, there is a lot of room in there for parks that are perfectly acceptable based on your individual circumstances and desires.
I may want a very high-scoring park as a destination park but at the same time a park with a rating of four maybe perfectly acceptable for an overnight stay. If this is what they have in mind then lowering the bar and spreading out the parks in the rating system is perfectly fine with me.
* This post was
edited 04/27/12 03:36pm by jeffcarp *
jeffcarp, right on. I'm a traveler, or sightseer. I want a good place to sleep and use as a home base. I rarely want a "resort", nor do I want to pay for a "resort" when I don't use all the resort goodies. There must be a way to differentiate between a crummy park and one that just doesn't have all the goodies.
Class C, 2004/5 Four Winds Dutchman Express 28A, Chevy chassis
2010 Subaru Impreza Sedan
Camped in 45 states, 7 Provinces and 1 Territory
IMO ratings are just as important for overnights if not more so than destination parks. When I overnight I will be using the parks facilities...the really important ones such as the bathrooms and showers. I don't know about you but if a park can't get a 7 or better on those types of things I wouldn't want to stay there even if it was free. Overnights I'm not looking for swimming pools and rec centers just a clean well run park. I don't see a 7 rating as a resort. I see it as a park whose owner is conscientious about maintaining a clean,sanitary, well run park.
It is all relative. A 7 on bathroom cleanliness and a 2 on amenities might be fine for an overnight. All it requires is for 1) TL to be very specific about its scale, 2) accurate in its ratings, 3) accept consumer ratings for the same scale and 4) ensure the ratings include a quality judgement and not just the existence of a feature.
You can see bad examples of this with TripAdvisor where the Ritz Carlton in downtown LA has the same star rating as the La Quinta at the airport and the Cheesecake Factory is the #1 rated restaurant in Vegas. I mean, really?
We enjoy natural beauty and views. AAA has a easy to see ranking for that how about including nature in the reviews? Too many campgrounds are parking lots with services. I check PA, TL then AAA before I choose it would be nice to have it all in one book. Natural beauty and views should not be lumped into signage and condition of buildings.
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