Great Start To The Weekend - (Chester, CA)

It was pretty warm here today - mid 80s.  But not nearly as warm as the 100 - 110 degree heat much of the lower elevations in California have been experiencing.  Many of our campers are finding relief upon arrival.

I started at 11:00.  Randy and I knocked out the bathrooms and then we had move the docks out.  PG & E started taking water out of the lake July 1, so now the water level is slowly going down.

After that, I got changed into some more respectable and cooler clothes and helped around the office with check-ins.  It wasn't too bad.  A lot of what I did was greet people as they arrived and headed off the ones that didn't have reservations.

Even though we have a "Campground Full" sign out by the road, there were still several that drove in anyway.  Some were hoping for cancellations and some just wanted to check the place out for the future.

Some people just wanted to launch boats from our ramp.  Some wanted to dock their boats without camping here.  As with last weekend, some were looking for people that just aren't here.  By handling all of those folks without reservations and keeping them out of the office, it freed up the ladies inside to handle check-ins and phone calls.

At one point, I had to leave my post.  An older couple came in with a pretty large fifth wheel.  I wasn't sure they could get their rig into their reserved site, and they admitted they weren't very good at backing.

They were tired from a very long drive and the fact their site might not work frustrated them.  I could tell they were exasperated, so I took them to their site for a look and then showed them an alternative site that we hold just for such situations.  They decided they wanted the site that was reserved for them.

I had them follow me around the campground so they could get in the best position to back in.  Unfortunately, backing in required backing uphill on gravel, and they just didn't have enough truck to make it.  They didn't have any choice but to take the other site.  That didn't help their frustration.

The new site was a much easier site to get into, but he struggled.  I'm sure I'm absolutely not supposed to do this, but I offered to back it in for them.  They jumped at the offer, so I put their trailer exactly where they wanted it.

Holy cow!  Now I'm offering to back in trailers, and I have all the confidence in the world I can put them just where I want them?  That's a heckuva a long way from a frustrating two hours in the rain in a movie theater parking lot trying to learn how to back up when we picked up our rig way back in April 2005.  On that day, I thought we would have to have pull-through sites the rest of our lives.  :)

With my folks in their site and feeling better, I at least had them smiling.  I think they would have paid me to do their set-up, but I had to get back to my duties.  :)

It really wasn't a bad day at all.  Linda and Katrina handled the afternoon check-ins and we had very few, if any, people with attitudes.  I did my thing as the "greeting guy" out in front of the office.  Des toured the campground.  And Randy managed trash and assisted folks in the campground upon request.

Randy is making a real effort to be more friendly toward the guests.  It's not that he isn't friendly - the seasonals that have time to get to know him love him.  It's just that he is pretty matter-of-fact and schmoozing isn't his forte.  But I'm starting to rub off on him, and he his starting to be conscious of how he speaks to the customers that are here for a short period and don't have the luxury of time to get to know him.  :)

He has seen how I interact with the campers and some of the little things I do for them.  I keep telling him it pays to be nice, and he is beginning to ask me how to handle certain situations or if he should've handled them differently.

Today, some of the folks I turned away came back later and bought supplies at our store.  I'd like to think that was because I handled them kindly.  :)

And Randy was practicing.  Rather than telling someone in a truck camper they would need to go to the office to get a loaner adapter for their electrical hook-up, he delivered the adapter to them ... and he got a tip.  :)

It was only a dollar tip, but Randy had to grin.  He hated to admit it, but that dang Howard was right, it does pay to be nice.  :)

Randy has taught me a lot, so it feels good that he is trying to learn from some of my strengths. 

With really good teamwork today, things went very smoothly.  We have about the same amount of check-ins tomorrow as today, so we hope it goes as well.

I worked until about 8:45 and Linda came home about a half hour later.  I did my quiet hours run at 10:00 and had to remind a few groups about the time.

I assisted a late arriving RV getting to their spot and made one last round to see if folks got the hint from my "reminder" of the time.  Apparently they did as they had toned things down and some groups had even broken up for the evening.  :)

People tend to stay up later on the night of their arrival, so this group should be quieter tomorrow.  Tomorrow's arrivals will be the ones we need to check on tomorrow night.  Fortunately, I don't have to do the Friday night round - Vicki is scheduled for that one.  :)

So, we're hoping our great start to the weekend will carry over for a few days.  And maybe I will have an opportunity to get a few photos as requested.  :)  

 

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Comments

[andree foucault]

This is so nice of you Howard! You backing up these folks fifth wheel, you are just great! You must have made more than their day! Keep up the good work!

[Max]

Another campground host mentioned they could not park rigs due to insurance/liability issues. Does your umbrella policy protect you & the campground from frivolous charges/lawsuits?

[Susan Anderson]

Howard you've come a LONG way baby since April 2005......encouraging to ALL of us!