Well.
First off, was a couple that had called last night about renting long term. Sure thing! They showed up this morning, without a camper - paid the monthly rent and that was that. They'll be back this coming week, they have family just across state lines and they are from Louisiana - but they hate that state. I won't go into the details of why they think that state is bad, especially Shreveport, enough to say that woke people would go ballistic.
Then, about an hour ago. A call from a Michigan number. I'm like, who is calling me from that number at this time of night? I thought, I wonder if this is about the park? Well, I get a lot of spam calls but lately I've been answering everything. I do not have a separate phone for the park and I don't want to get one, it's too much more money and I have no interest in it - not yet anyway.
It was an older gentleman, you could tell from his voice. Not that I'm a spring chicken, but there was desperation in his voice. Is this Nature's Design RV Park? Yes it is, how may I help you? He went into this story about his truck - a late model Chevy Silverado, long bed, 4 full doors - coming on with engine light, at minimal power. He is screwed. He went to the "big" competitor here with the horrific reputation - a pair of RV parks on the same road owned by the same people. The sites are small, the driveway and the entire place is run down. They went in anyway and couldn't find "their" lot but further, determined that their rig wasn't going to fit in there.
Do you have anything available tonight? Didn't skip a beat, yes I do! Well, we're at such and such a place. Ok, just put this address into your GPS, I'll meet you over there. I'm sitting there waiting a while, I texted them: I can come get you if you can't find my place. At that point I just started driving up the street - maybe 200 feet before I saw them coming.
A huge 5th wheel, this thing is 45 feet long plus the truck. They pulled in behind me and I led them into the park. It's not normal to take in guests at night, most parks have a rule against it. But me? I'm getting anyone in there I can. Not out of desperation, but out of a desire to hopefully get some good reviews going. I need those reviews, my future with this industry depends on it. And I like helping people, it's not just selfish motives. I really do like helping people and they were at their wit's end. The sigh of relief over their faces when they realized I had several lots big enough to fit their RV and handle the electrical demands - they are 50 amp set up of course. Most if not all the newer, large rigs are all 50 amp. Some of them are 50 amp and 30 amp with 2 connectors to be able to power everything.
We talked for a while, but they had had a very long day, it had worn on them. "We're going to have a drink, make dinner and go to bed". I cautioned them only one thing: It's New Year's Eve and I can't possibly guarantee a quiet night, not at least until after midnight. Sure enough, fireworks started going off down the street. A pretty nice show actually! They didn't flinch, they were parked, they had leveled the trailer, they had plugged the electric in, they were good to go.
I gave them 2 of the most respected private repair places in town - I have serious doubts they are going to get that truck into the local Chevy dealer and get it fixed anytime soon. The dealers here are booked up weeks in advance. Even the private places are booked up but I feel like they will have far better luck with them than the dealer. I felt they should have a good running start on places to take their vehicle. If they go in and give a sob story who knows. They aren't broke, that's a fact. 100 plus k trailer, top of the line and an 80k pickup truck, they are retired and loaded.
Then the guy asked about a local sports bar, but before I could say anything nope, we are going in that trailer, I'm going to make you an awesome dinner and a drink and we are done for the day! Momma always gets the final say lol.
One thing I will need to rectify, it is very dark in that place at night. These rigs have their own outdoor lighting so it's not a huge deal, but I think some of those solar lights you put along driveways would at least be good to put in. And I need to light up the signs out front - again with a solar style lighting that I have seen on other signs where lights hang out over the top of the sign and it's all operated out of solar/battery packs. I think the lights on the signs are going to get up to the high priority level, even with the rather large sign that simply says "RV PARK" with an arrow, in bright yellow and red, it's har to see at night.
BUT, as I said, most parks do not do night time operations. They might accommodate them, they might not. The other park did not. They just told them to come in, gave them the lot number and left them to fend for themselves. I don't really think a night time arrival should be met with a flesh and blood person. I don't know, maybe they've been in the business too long and they just don't care or have become apathetic, but this is the hospitality industry and what sticks with people longer than anything else is how they were treated.
My intention is to take care of people with a warm greeting and a handshake if they do handshakes anymore (remember, lord Fauci told us we are never supposed to shake hands again during the pandemic), do whatever it takes to get them feeling comfortable, wanted and fully taken care of and hope they will spread the word. I'm good with hospitality, folks. I might not come off as such on here but remember this is a blog and I just write out my mind sometimes and sometimes? That doesn't sound so good. I tend to adjust my thinking, actually, when I read what I'm thinking and say, gee, that's not really all that great lol.
Anyway, I'm feeling better. Sitting here wondering if any kind of guests will come through and now I have one full timer and these folks saying they will probably be here several days - however long it's going to take them to get their truck fixed. You can't drive a vehicle like that down the interstate on reduced power. Well, you can, but you aren't going to get anywhere and you will have to get it fixed.
My goal, if I could make such a thing come to pass, is to get enough traffic in this coming month to at the very minimum pay the bills. The mortgage note, the loan note, the note on the shed and of course pay the ensuing electric and water bills plus the taxes. I'm going to have to set up an account just to put the taxes in, I think. I don't need to get caught up in IRS crosshairs for evasion of taxes or something. I will pay my "fair" share just because it's the ethical thing to do and of course, if you get caught you are screwed. Obviously, I would rather get enough traffic in to make a nice profit, but let's just start off with small goals, shall we? Considering it's winter I'll take whatever I can get. If these people stay a week that'd be great!
I know I said this already, but I feel better. Not physically, I"m still coughing tho not near as much as the last few weeks, but I feel good about getting this thing started in the middle of winter and at least getting something going here. It will greatly motivate me to get back to work on everything and try to get it all done in short time so I can go back to work. I have someone I can hopefully use to take my place with such things as what occurred tonight. Or just greeting people coming in.
Further, I can take pics of this giant rig parked there and show how nicely it fits onto one of my lots. I will also find out, at least at that outlet, if the 50 amp outlets are working. If one works, they should all work. He said he probably wasn't going to plug it in, didn't really need it, but I really encouraged him to do so, I really need to find out that everything is in working order here. Ok, he said, I might do it. Ok, lol, I can't force him to do anything but it's just a matter of pulling out the line and plugging it in. I left here bidding them a good evening and please call if there are any problems.
And finally - its' really been a ride for me tonight, I know it doesn't sound like much but I was pretty jacked up with joyfulness that something is actually happening. They said they did a search for "rv parks near me" after leaving that hell-hole place and mine didn't show up. Then they ended up doing a "suggested search" that popped up for "rv resorts near me". I do not have the place listed as a resort lmao. It's far from resort status, but whatever! It worked. The funny thing? I got out my iphone and did the "rv parks near me" and mine definitely showed up. ??? this seems to happen a lot. You input rv parks near me and it shows up one day, the next it's gone. I have no idea. The postcard came and I input that code right away, that's not the issue and I keep asking my web designer to come up with answers.
He doesn't have any. Google has so many variables in how they do their search results and how any given place will show up, he can't predict what will happen. He can just try to get it up there on the results and do the things he has been doing for a long time now in doing what he does best on his end and telling me what to do on my end - which is to list the park in endless registries.
Well, I just wanted to write this while it's fresh in my mind.
Happy New Year!
