Good Sam Advance Notice on Rating Inspection

[tigersharkjd]

We are currently staying at a CG and for the second year, they took reservations for the Good Sam Ratings folks. What good is it to inspect a CG for a fair rating with advance notice? Should not the rating reflect what we as consumers experience when we just show up? If this Good Sam advance notice is the protocol Good Sam uses, then their rating system is worthless. Does anyone know if this is how it is supposed to work or is this just a fluke?

[DBTulsa]

That is disturbing.

[demoon]

Think about it. What can a campground with poor utilities, bad roads, unlevel sights, poor entry roads, bad location and lousy view do about those kinds of things with a little notice? Sure, they can clean the dark, outdated and tiny restrooms, mow the lawn, and make sure the crabby desk clerk has the day off, but will that change anything? Also, GS gives a lot of poor ratings, even to their member parks.
Do I agree with their ratings all the time? Absolutely not. Do I agree with RVPark Reviews all the time? Absolutely not.

[tigersharkjd]

Originally Posted by demoon

Think about it. What can a campground with poor utilities, bad roads, unlevel sights, poor entry roads, bad location and lousy view do about those kinds of things with a little notice? Sure, they can clean the dark, outdated and tiny restrooms, mow the lawn, and make sure the crabby desk clerk has the day off, but will that change anything? Also, GS gives a lot of poor ratings, even to their member parks.
Do I agree with their ratings all the time? Absolutely not. Do I agree with RVPark Reviews all the time? Absolutely not.

If you had a point it was missed!


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[nctox]

I got his point. He's saying that it makes very little difference whether the cg owner knows if Good Sam Ratings people are coming to visit or not. About the only thing they can do will be temporary clean-ups, or giving the grouchy check-in clerk the day off, and these things vary from day to day or month to month anyway.

[wa8yxm]

I do not speak for Good Sam's or any other rating origination but if I were such an outfit I would send in two teams of inspectors.

One makes reservations 3 months in advance
one shows up at the gate without warning, 4 months before the other one.

Possible even a 3rd team that visits (Unannounced) a month after the announced visit.

THEN you compare notes, and if there is evidence of an attempt to "Upgrade the rating" (IE: hiring of additional staff for only the time the inspectors are present, that is the OPEN inspectors) The rating gets...... Flushed.

Side note: IF you find a GS park where your expierence does not fit the rating.... Feel free to mail, or E-mail at least, GS with your findings.

[demoon]

Originally Posted by tigersharkjd

If you had a point it was missed!


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

Perhaps that is why you don't understand the reason that announced or unannounced inspections make no real difference.
Check nctox's response - he simplified the point.

[traveler of california]

I actually find the reviews on campgroundreviews.com are more accurate based upon my experiences.

Nick

[tigersharkjd]

[QUOTE=demoon;2140862]Perhaps that is why you don't understand the reason that announced or unannounced inspections make no real difference.

Check nctox's response - he simplified the point.

Unannounced inspections are a standard in nearly every industry for safety and performance standards and if you can't grab the concept you probably enter the park backwards.


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[palehorse89]

As a Good Sam member, we have stayed at a lot of their rated parks, most of them need a "Surprise inspection" and do not deserve the rating they hold. It is easy to list "Big Rig Friendly" and a couple of times.......had a super hard time in the campground navigating and getting into the site. In ending, a couple of campgrounds should not of even been part of their program. So now , after bad experience's, I really study up on the Good Sam parks before I make a reservation.

[Fred1609]

Never used GS for finding parks......I'd rather read what other RVers have to say about a park....folks like you have more sway with me then any business organization.....and that's why I exclusively use rvparkreviews.......

[tigersharkjd]

Do the Good Sam inspectors of CG also sell the Good Sams advertising for the their directories? That is something I just heard. If, so the conflict of interest would seem to be obvious and would make the Good Sam CG ratings laughable. Does a full page adv get you a better rating? I would like to see Good Sam respond and provide a legitimate reason why they should be trusted by RV'ers and it's not just a self serving con. If not it would seem to be Bad Sams. What about Woodalls? Is it the same?


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[Triker56]

What about Woodalls? Is it the same?

Woodalls is owned by Good Sam. So probably have the same inspectors.

[tigersharkjd]

Good Sam/Woodalls: why should any RV'er trust your ratings, if your inspectors also sell advertising?





Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum