Brighton KOA – Brighton KOA Blog

Rates and how they affect you.

This one is long but I please request that you read to the end.

This wasn’t an easy blog for me to write. I was fearful that by providing you with this information it may scare some of you away from choosing to camp with us next season. And, if I’m being honest with myself, it probably will. But none the less I feel you all deserve to have this information to make the best decisions for your family to make the best camping trips possible. Your money is valuable and your summer is short. I want you to have the best vacations at the best value. And now you can make the best decisions because you know what my plans are going forward. If that means you just call me right now and book to keep your rates lower or if that means you choose elsewhere, I totally understand and respect you for doing what’s right for your family.

I have always said that being transparent and honest with people is the best policy in life, and when it comes to money even more so. I wanted to include a blog about our rates and what factors affect them because I believe it’s one of the things that people take in to consideration when choosing a campground. I hope that we provide so much value at our KOA that it lessens what financial analysts call “price sensitivity”.

Price Sensitivity is the extent to which the price actually affects the purchase of a service or product. If someone sees extremely high value then they are less sensitive to the price. Apple is a good example of a company that has reduced Price Sensitivity to a large majority of the population that they are willing to spend more money on Apple products even if they are similar in quality to another brand. Now I personally believe they are higher in quality than all other companies and as such have probably almost no price sensitivity at all.

I’m bringing this up because ever since we purchased the KOA we have had a philosophy that our rates should increase every year to compensate for the fact that we are continuing to provide greater value/amenities each year. The year we stop putting our investments back in to the park then that’s the year we should stop raising prices. That’s probably also the year we should think about selling in my honest opinion, but that’s for another blog maybe. We are not even close to wanting to sell. Just to be clear and rumours don’t start flying around.

This year will be no different, rates will increase. Not only because we have so many plans for what we want to do with the campground, but for a number of other reasons as well. Hence why I’m writing this now – to help explain everything.

START HERE

First, let me talk about what I am so excited about. KOA Headoffice has been working for several years on a new software to manage reservations. It’s as archaic as a dinosaur but nowhere near as cool. This year I was given the honour of being asked to take a seat on the Franchise Advisory Committee. There are about 15-20 of us and we are split up in to three groups. The Operations, Marketing and IT groups. I took an empty seat at the IT table and was able to add my opinions to the already established discussions from the past few years. This new software was our only topic and I am excited to say it has now been released and has been rolled out to a few of the KOA’s in the US over the past few months with successful results. We should be transferred over to the new software here in Brighton within the next few months.

There are some big changes with this new amazing software. The most talked about of which is the new Rate Management feature with Dynamic Rates being automated shortly. Someone made a joke at the workshop I attended regarding rate management that if everyone on a plane was wearing a tag that shared the price of the ticket there would be pandemonium. Can you imagine if you were sitting next to someone who booked their ticket two months after you did and paid a few hundred dollars more? Or that one person who booked last minute, the day before the flight, and only paid half what you did? But, that is how rates work in most industries that sell tickets or take reservations. Air lines, Hotels, Concerts even. I even read an article yesterday that parking meters have “dynamic rates” in some parking lots.

I’m bringing this up because this is one of the features the new software will make easier. A rate adjustment tool that will automatically adjust rates based on when a reservation was taken and how many sites are left for that specific weekend at the time the reservation is taken. Many KOA owners are already adjusting rates based on capacity and how close to a date a reservation is taken but have been doing it manually which with the old software is extremely arduous. I have not bothered due, partly to not understanding how the science behind it worked, but mostly because I was busy. I was taking reservations and checking people in and managing whether garbage was being done and which cabins needed cleaning today and didn’t have time to go through each site type and weekend and rate plan and make adjustments based on how full we were already. With this new software, it will be done without me even having to think about it.

Why am I telling you this? Well, for one, because if you and your friend book at different times and end up paying different rates you will have this information well in advance and I am hoping to alleviate many of the calls and questions – but also to arm you all with the knowledge that the earlier you book the less you will pay. And since this is a system wide software feature this knowledge will benefit you whether you book with our KOA or any others. I want to save you money on your camping. So, my suggestion, plan earlier, call earlier, reserve earlier and if you do decide to make last minute plans, be ok with paying higher rates because you will have no one to blame but yourself.

We are also instituting a few new extra costs for next year. We have received so many requests for pets to be allowed in our cabins that we have changed our policy. If you have a dog and want to bring it camping, there will be a new charge of $20 for cleaning of the cabin upon checkout. We also require an up to date credit card on file so that any damage incurred as a result of the pet, like a chewed up mattress or scratches in the door, there will be an automatic charge once the damage is discovered as per the agreement upon check in.

Another one is the Pet Charge of $2. We began to charge this at the end of last year and first of all I need to make an apology. I created the new Pet Charge incorrectly and it started out charging people per pet per day so if someone had 3 dogs and stayed 4 nights they were charged $24. That was not my intention so I am sorry if any of you had this happen and didn’t mention it to me for me to correct. The intention is for $2 to be added to any reservation with a pet so that it can help cover some of the additional expenses we incur by offering the Camp K9 dog park and doggy bag stations all around the campground. I’d like to improve that Dog Park even more so if you have any other suggestions on toys and obstacles you know your pet would love, please let me know. Please remember we are providing these toys and obstacles for the use of everyone so please leave them there. They weren’t forgotten or left behind for you to take home.

And finally, the Site Guarantee Fee. This will probably get me the most complaints but let me explain before you freak out. Many people have a general area of the park they prefer to camp, like near the washrooms or by the playground etc. And some people have a specific site they want to camp in – A11 or B1 for example. We have had so many problems in the past with not being able to fully maximize every site we have on any given day because someone has requested a certain site and we truly want to accommodate. As such, if someone really feels that one specific site is going to make or break their camping trip, then there is a site guarantee fee of $30 that they can pay at the time of reservation to ensure they will not be moved. Even if it means I have one site sitting empty on a Friday night and one sitting empty on Saturday night because I couldn’t move that person to a different site. They’ve paid the fee. They don’t get moved. Unless of course when I called they agreed to move, in which case I would refund them the $30. Now, this doesn’t mean we won’t still take and do our best to accommodate requests. If someone really wants B1 and I need to move them to fill all my sites every day and they haven’t paid the fee then I will call and let them know they need to be moved so I can optimize our sites. If someone just wants to be by the playground we will still try our best to keep them by the playground. Whenever you reserve with us, or online, please let us know that you wish to guarantee a site – you can use the comments section when you book online and you will be charged an additional $33.90 including tax. By adding this feature it allows me to keep my rates lower instead of have to raise them an extravagant amount to compensate for some of my inventory sitting empty on peak nights.

Now speaking of rate increases, there is another factor that will be affecting rates for the 2018 season, and that is the increase in expenses. Wages is one large example of an increase in my expenses. As I am sure everyone knows by now, wages are increasing for 2018 and again for 2019. Electricity and Fuel prices are another increased expense. With more of our funds needing to cover the rising expenses I will have to increase rates to compensate or I will have to reduce the services we provide. I am not willing to go backwards in the quality of service and amenities we offer. I want to continue to provide the fun memorable camping trips to families who are looking for the experience we offer. And I don’t want to have to start charging for everything we do, like the inflatable obstacle course, or the Big Bouncer on weekends as I’ve heard happens elsewhere. As I said in the first paragraph, I can only hope that our value lessens price sensitivity for the majority of you.

Enjoy your Winter and I hope to see you all relaxing by a campfire in the coming season.

We’re back from Convention

I honestly can’t believe it’s the first week of December already. The way this winter is going it’s going to be Spring again before we know it. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking….. !

Jason and Sabrina and I had a great time at the KOA Convention. We got to spend time with other managers and owners which is always my favourite part about these large group gatherings. The seminars and workshops are educational but it’s the times we spend drinking and eating with other KOA peeps that really makes it worth it.

My favourite night out was spent with the staff from the Port Huron KOA who are all so fun and we went to this bar that had karaoke. This was karaoke unlike I’d ever seen. They had a live band so the person brave enough to get up and sign didn’t just sign alone in front of a screen, the actually became the lead singer of the band. I was so busy singing my brains out (from the back of the bar – not the stage) I forgot to take any photos or videos. But honestly, it was the coolest thing ever.

This year was a little different than the first couple we’ve attended. For one, we opted to leave the kids at home with my parents and just the two of us met Sabrina and her boyfriend in Phoenix. The second major change was that the day before we were set to fly out I somehow managed to sprain my ankle really badly so it was either stay home or rent a scooter for the five days to get me around. I couldn’t walk at all on my foot for the first two days but luckily by opting for resting it instead of pushing myself it began to improve quickly. Here’s a photo so you can all laugh at me riding around like everyone else at the convention did. Guesses on how many times people asked for a lift????

It was an honour again this year to be recognized for the Presidents and Founders Awards. Both of these awards are available for every KOA to receive if they meet the criteria. The first criteria is to score high enough on the quality review report. If you reach above one score you qualify for Presidents award and if you score even higher then you qualify for both Presidents and Founders awards.

The second criteria is our Review Scores from the Rate Your Stay Surveys that are sent out after you check out each and every time you camp at any KOA. When you get those surveys this is how the scoring works. When you choose 9 or 10 on the section that asks if you would recommend this KOA to others, it increases our overall score. If you choose 7 or 8 it is treated as neutral and we don’t increase or decrease in score. And if you choose 6 or lower it brings our score down. The other part is the 1-5 star section of the Rate your Stay. All the scores are added together and averaged to give us a score for that section. If our total score of the first section and second sections added together is over 90 then we qualify for Presidents Award and if we are over 124 then we qualify for Founders as well as Presidents award.

The reason I’m explaining all of this is because the quality review portion of qualifying for these awards is all our responsibility. The better shape we keep the park in and the more money we continue to invest in the campground, the better our score will be. The second criteria is dependent on our campers and your responses to those surveys. Without you all taking the time to give us your valuable feedback we couldn’t qualify for those awards. I am grateful for the comments as it gives me a gauge for what improvements are the biggest priority but I am so very grateful simply that you are taking the time to complete the survey’s at all. Those scores matter so THANK YOU.

My next blog post will talk about the new software that KOA has been designing to help make taking and managing reservations easier as well as discuss the rates management feature of said software. Important news for all those wanting to be aware of what they are spending on camping and why.

I can’t believe the season is over in three more weeks!!!!

I haven’t written a blog post in a while because…. well, quite frankly, we’ve been busy. It’s been one strange season so far. And all I can say is how grateful I am for the fact that rain or shine, we have been blessed.

2016 was incredible camping weather. Hot, dry and sunny every day. I think I can count on my hands the number of times it rained. It was so dry that we had to enforce a fire ban for a few weeks of the summer. We were packed for 21 out of 26 weekends and I honestly thought that it was due to the heat and amazing weather.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2017. It started off with a major flood at the campground and then it felt like just as the ground was drying from the last rainfall, it would end up raining for another few days straight. I honestly was shocked at how drastic the weather had changed from one year to the next.

Here are a few photos of the flooding and storms we experienced:

The pirate ship might actual start to float!

Bouncer washing out makes for unsafe jumping conditions.

The nature trail looks ready for Halloween already – and it was only May.

Sky right before a storm was about to hit.

This is where my eyes start to tear up at the amazingness of our campers because despite the horrible camping weather this year, we have been more full this year than last year. Rain or shine, hot or cold, you’ve still come camping. Excuse me while I sound like a cheesy black and white film – you’re the best campers a girl could ever ask for!!!!

I’m taking bets on what kind of weather we think is going to hit us next year!!!!

And while we’re being grateful for the amazing summer weather even at the end of September here in Ontario – let’s all remember to keep praying for those south of us who are experiencing the after effects of the hurricanes and earthquakes and all those forest fires.

Winter blues….

Hi all. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is sick of all this snow and having a touch of the winter blues. The grey skies and overcast days are really bringing me down. Despite how beautiful the blanket of snow is over all our property.

The few gorgeous days with sun are so few and far between I’m really wondering how much more of this I can take. And yet, we took advantage of one of those bright and glorious days just recently.

The whole family went out – which honestly took some convincing of my eldest and of myself to slog through putting on all the snow stuff. I actually hate winter because of all the millions of layers we have to adorn just to stay warm enough to enjoy a brief amount of time. It doesn’t seem worth it sometimes.

And yet…… something nudged me from the inside telling me to do it. Convince Caleb and yourself and go out and play as a family. All four of us.

Well, that’s just what we did. We all packed in to our snow gear. Donned our mitts, and hats, and boots, and pants and scarves and coats and it felt like it went on forever getting us all dressed. With at least one of us falling over trying to search for an article of clothing every minute or so. Except of course Jason. If you know Jason at all, he knows exactly where all his belongings are located.

Ahhhh the perfection in opposites attracting….. or, NOT! LOL Luckily we did finally get outside or there might have been a less than pleasant remainder of the day.

And once I walked outside in to that dazzling sunshine and saw the shimmering snow I was so pumped. I grabbed the toboggans from off the porch and stuck both kids in and drug them as far as I could before they just wanted to get out and play in the snow mounds Jason has been developing with his snow plow.

We managed to get in a ton of great slides because the newly fallen snow made for amazing sledding conditions. And while we don’t have huge hills here, they are perfect for our little guys. Maybe one day when they’re bigger they’ll brave a GT snow racer down the walking trail!!! Actually, if I’m thinking correctly it will probably be more like a snowmobile and I will be riding on the back – Oh YEAH!

We’ve had our great snow day now, the season can shift into Spring….. who’s with me????

I truly am looking forward to a new season. The 2017 season is proving to be as busy and exciting as 2016. We have more than 200 more reservations this year than we did on the same day in 2016. I can’t say for sure what’s packing in the campers so early in the season but what I can say with certainty is that if you want to camp at the Brighton KOA at all during 2017 you better book soon.

Waiting may prove only to disappoint.

I look forward to seeing your names in the computer as you begin making online reservations or having a chance to catch up with you if you call me to book.

I hope the winter is keeping you all well!

Multi-generations having fun!

When I saw the photos of this next camper experience contest submission it got me thinking. I’ve always sort of thought of our campground as being “tailored” more for younger children. Having two boys under 5 when we first purchased the campground I was thinking more of activities and entertainment that would keep them and other kids of that age group happily engaged all summer long.

I’m realizing now that families are so diverse that they don’t just have kids of similar ages. They might have some young ones and some older ones. Or there might just be teenagers and because of our proximity to the beaches parents still may want to camp at our KOA. Therefore I can’t just focus on what would keep the under 10 crowd entertained. I need to make sure that I am constantly thinking of all ages and what they would desire in a camping experience.

While I know I tend to still focus on keeping little ones happy and occupied so that parents can get lots of relaxation time in, it’s important for me to remember that everyone wants to have fun while they are camping – the young, the young at heart and everyone in between.

I am always open for suggestions. I may not always have those suggestions in the budget, but the more requests I get for the same items, the more likely I am to create a budget for them. Keep those requests coming my friends!!!

I really want to thank the lady who submitted these photos and her story. She shared with me that it was their first weekend in the trailer and have two daughters – a 23 year old and a 6 year old. Now that is diversity!!!

It looks like they had a fantastic time with each other on the Big Bouncer! And doesn’t she look adorable with her face paint on?

New addition coming to Brighton KOA……. Disc Golf

I am so stoked to announce the newest addition to our recreational activities available at the Brighton KOA. Drum Roll please………

DISC GOLF or what used to be lovingly referred to as Frolf.

I am saving as much money as possible this year to be able to, God willing, purchase some new cabins for our 2018 season. But, I didn’t want to go a whole season without adding something new and exciting for our campers.

We’ve just signed the deal for a course designer to come and help us set up a truly unique and somewhat challenging 9-hold Disc Golf course along our walking trail.

If you haven’t played, I’ve been told it can be quite addicting and fun for all ages. For you dads out there, grab your beer (cans please around the campground) and some discs and head out for an hour of fun and competition.

Or grab the family and all head out to get some exercise and fun while chucking frisbies at baskets to see if anyone can get a “hole-in-one”.

We’ve decided not to charge green fees for anyone to play. If you need to rent discs there will be a rental charge and deposit (the deposit being returned once the discs are safely back in our care) or you can purchase your own discs in the store and continue to play all summer at no extra charge. If you want a score card there will be a very small charge for those and the pencil just to cover the expense.

We really wanted to add value to the camping experience without it being a major expense to families – especially if you have a large family.

I hope this new addition will continue to make the Brighton KOA a great camping family experience.

You won’t hear Mommy I’m Bored at this campground!

One of the reasons I love owning a campground is getting to know the repeat campers better. We are so lucky to have such loyal campers that come back so often throughout the season that it really gives us a chance to develop more of a friendship. I look forward to seeing their kids grow up over the years.

This next camper experience was shared by one of these families I’d say was developing into a friendship. They camped with us 6 times in the 2016 season and I am really looking forward to seeing them again in 2017.

One of the weekends they camped was a long weekend so you can see them having sparklers at their site in the main photo. I LOVE the long weekends because of the fireworks. Hearing everyone clap at the end of the show always makes the cost and effort worth it.

The mom, who sent me the email, and her husband have two small children and one of the things they love about our campground is that everything is fairly close and the kids know the campground so well that her and hubby can get a bit of down time together while the kids go and play. It’s nice to see them all riding together on the wagon!

Here are some photos of them enjoying the pool. I know this is a favourite place for my kids too. We keep it heated to 84 so that the parents can enjoy getting in with the kids!

They happen to live very close by so she also mentioned in her email how great it is to pack up at home and within a very short period of time they are all set up and camping. They never hear “are we there yet?” In fact, they truly make their site a home away from home.

And then she made a comment that made my heart swell because it truly is my biggest desire that we create a campground that entertains children so that parents can take a much needed break. She said that she never hears “mommy I’m bored” at our KOA. It makes me so happy to hear that.

Brave Grandmother tries camping for the first time!

I am truly enjoying spending time reading all the emails I’ve received with stories of your camping experiences at the Brighton KOA along with seeing all the photos you’ve included. So thank you for sending them along. KOA gift cards are being given out for each entry I use in my blog. They can be picked up at your next camping trip with us.

This weeks entry is from a wonderful grandmother of 2, a four year old and a two year old!

It was inspiring to read her story because she admits in the first line that she hadn’t ever been camping before and “wasn’t that keen on it” but agreed to go because her granddaughter wanted her to go. Their mother suffers from a gout like condition and wouldn’t be able to enjoy all the activities. So, on the September long weekend, right before school started for the eldest, this brave grandmother went on a camping adventure – tent and all!

She shared with me in her email that she was reluctant at first because she didn’t want to sleep on the ground or experience mosquitoes and especially was worried about missing out on her luxuries like a bath or a stove to make her tea. Well, with a little preparation she said that she was actually quite warm in the tent under some extra blankets. And she wasn’t bothered by a single mosquito while enjoying the campfire!

She also was glad she didn’t have to give up her tea because we had it available at the store anytime she wanted one.

She told me her granddaughter was excited to collect stickers in her Passport to Fun and wanted to do all the different activities we have available – from the Big Bouncer, to swimming in the pool, playing on the riders in front of the store, watching fireworks, going on the wagon ride and eating Ice Cream at the Social.

In her words, “I will remember this time with my grandchildren forever and by the way sleeping in a tent wasn’t a big deal after all.”

From the sounds of it, this family packed their weekend with all that we have to offer and enjoyed every minute of it. I’m impressed that a grandmother would take on the challenge of her first camping trip at 65 years old and I am so glad that we were able to make it so great.

Project Updates: Chip Trailer has a new home

Well, if you’ve been living under a rock or on a deserted island for the past few months you won’t have heard that Sabrina, the manager at our Brighton KOA, has purchased herself a Chip Trailer for the purpose of feeding our absolutely amazing campers and venturing out as an Entrepreneur. Don’t worry….. she’s still going to be the incredible manager she has always been, but now she will spend much of her free time supervising her own staff and developing yummy menu items. I’ve already joined a gym now to hopefully get myself in the habit so that I don’t gain a million pounds eating all that pulled pork poutine once we open next season.

The purchase and transfer of title of the trailer was fairly smooth and uneventful. It wasn’t until the day of moving the trailer to the KOA that the fun began. You see, the trailer is used and has been parked for a while so she was concerned with towing it directly behind a truck. So instead, she arranged a friend of her fathers to bring his big trailer to the parking lot where it was parked and using a winch they planned to pull the chip trailer up and then tow it on top of his trailer.

According to Sabrina the day ended up being a total cluster *&$(*^* (you know what). And if you don’t know, good for you – you don’t have a potty mouth!

They arrived and began to get the chip trailer ready to winch up onto the tow trailer and the winch wouldn’t work. They just couldn’t get it started. So, they developed a new plan, which was to hitch it to the truck and use the truck to pull it up onto the trailer.

This plan was working…. until, they got it halfway up and realized it wasn’t going to fit because of the fenders on the side of the tow trailer and the chip trailer being just a bit too wide to fit in between the fenders. Here’s a picture of the trailer and fenders so you can see what I mean.

Anyway, they came up with a third plan and another friend was called in. They were going to attempt to get the chip trailer up onto the tow trailer on blocks so that it would sit higher than the fenders on the tow trailer. Well that plan just wasn’t panning out and by this point everyone was tired, and hungry, and getting more frustrated by the minute. The sun was starting to set so they tried one final attempt by calling CAA since Sabrina had a membership for her car. Apparently the trailer itself wasn’t covered on her plan so they wouldn’t send a tow truck out for it. As you can imagine, everyone was starting to feel disappointed.

Well, before they all left, Sabrina’s Dad – some of you know him lovingly as Marty – decides he’s going to be a hero and just tow the chip trailer to his friends house which was very close by. So, they hitched it up to Marty’s vehicle and they all drove off in a convoy. Once they were on the road, Marty, with Sabrina fully in agreement, just declares “we’re just going to go straight to the KOA”.

So, after hours of attempting to tow the trailer in the safest way possible, they just decided to throw caution to the wind and get that puppy home using only side roads of course. A short drive that should have taken ten minutes took them almost double, but eventually Sabrina was proud to say that her new Chip Trailer, named Fryday, is now residing at its new home at the Brighton KOA.

Stay tuned for more news of all the renovations and upgrades Sabrina has planned for Fryday before opening weekend on April 28-30, 2017. It’s a great weekend to come camping with us – Camp Friday and for only a minimum $10 donation to Care Camps Saturday is included. We’d love to see you supporting two worthy causes – Care Camps and Sabrina’s new business. Call us to book your weekend now 613-475-2186 or book online.

I know 2016 isn’t even over yet and we are so close to the Christmas holidays that people may not be thinking about Camping at all. Especially after that amazing snow fall we had this week. It’s almost up to my knees around here!!!! But, we’ve had a ton of reservations come in since November, so, if you want to camp with us opening weekend, don’t put it off too long to make your reservations.

Thanks for reading!

It’s finally ready!!!!!!

Okay seriously I have butterflies jumping around I feel so excited. We have finally put the finishing touches on the calendar of events and sent it to KOA head office to be uploaded to our www.brightonkoa.com site. It should be online in no less than 24 hours.

This is seriously the most exciting Calendar of Events yet!

And yes, I know it’s only been 3 years, but we dropped the activities that seemed to get barely any attendance and we’ve added some new ones. And changed a few of the themes to ones that just felt funner somehow.

Pause. I’m waiting for all you grammar freaks and teachers to tell me it should have been more fun! But…. funner is just funner to say. Ha

Anyway. I’m also feeling a little nervous. And I didn’t realize until just tonight why I’ve delayed and procrastinated at preparing it. I really REALLY want you all to be as excited about it as me.

What if no one shows up? What if no one likes these ideas?

But as I sit here feeling excited AND nervous I’m telling myself that in my heart I know that you will. You will LOVE these ideas. We have debated and planned and X-Nayed (Is that how you spell that?) so many ideas that as a team we truly believe this is going to be an extremely fun and exciting and memory making season. We worked our butts off last year to make everyone happy and it’s going to be another busy season in 2017 but oh so worth it!

This is going to be our third season as the owners and staff of the Brighton KOA. And Third Times a Charm Right?

And just a quick note to let everyone know that during the main season, all of July and August, we do daily activities. Not just weekend ones. Even though the main events happen on the weekends we have other great activities and games and fun stuff planned for every single day so we can keep the fun happening all week long.

It’s always funny when strange fears pop up. I like to poke them in the eye. So here’s to a good poke. Enjoy the calendar of events and call me at 613-475-2186 to make your reservations or as always go online to www.brightonkoa.com because Value Kard holders get bonus points for booking online.

With so much love to my campers and my staff.

Jackie.