Starke FL KOA-DON'T GO THERE!!

» buychevys - warning

This is the letter I wrote to KOA national after staying at the local KOA. I don't believe I met the over 80 category and I had kids which was taboo.
I want to take a minute to give you my comments on the Starke KOA. I have NEVER been treated with customer NO SERVICE like I was treated there. I own the chevrolet dealership in Starke and I advertise on the KOA board there for the last 4 or 5 years. I called on Friday, June 7, 2002. I spoke to Lee and I told her I wanted to do everything I needed to do in order to register. She went through the information and gave me a site, number 70. I thought I would be getting in a little late on Sunday as I had taken the kids to busch gardens for the weekend. She said I could just come in Monday morning and give my credit card. I arrived at approximately 6:00 p.m on Sunday and proceeded to my spot. I was met their by a grumpy man that said that I didnt stop at the front and that I was suppose to. I told him that I had done everything with Lee on friday. He called on the radio and I was made to go with him immediately to the office as if I was a criminal. I went there and when I got there I was told I busted through their gate and that I wasnt suppose to. I apologized and said I thought I had done everything on friday and that was the purpose of my call. I went back to my site and a man by the name of Guy came over and berated me again.....(this is getting old) I again apologized said the same things to him. I had my 7,9 and 18 mo old with me. He pointed to the baby and asked if he was potty trained. My wife said no but we had little swimmers for the pool. He said didnt matter couldnt go in the pool. Now I have a hook up at the office, but my whole reason for going there was the pool for the kids. I was not exactly happy at this point. I dealt with it. Guy then told my daughter she couldnt ride her bike across the rocks. Now the rocks were a vacant camp site. I getting hotter. About 30 minutes later Matt comes over and goes over the same things. I m about to leave but he is nice about it. He says they have a baby pool we can fill up and dump out explains about 3 children dying in atlanta from something at a water park etc.. I asked if it was ok to put a baby pool on the site. He said yes. This appeases me. We stay. He then comes over monday and asks my wife to tell me to keep my speed down that I was going too fast. The speed limit is 7.5 miles per hour. My truck idles at 12. I am watching my speed. I have three small kids. Do you really think that I would be unsafe. He says they have older people that may get in the way. Again, flustered but we stay. Wednesday, the "owner" who NEVER introduced himself comes over and says,"I leave for a few days and the camp ground goes to hell, I hear you busted through the gate on sunday, what's that about?" I say,"excuse me?" He says,"EXCUSE ME?WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?" I get HOT!!! He says,"you have that ugly thing on the patio,(baby pool)" I say,"I talked to matt about that" He say,"Yeah, I KNOW.. He shouldnt ve let you have it" I said take it up with him. We left!!! I told him off every way that I know how. I was the customer.. I WAS NEVER APOLOGIZED TO, all i ever got was yelled at for something that I thought I had handled on the phone. I have camped in 50 plus locations and never had a theme of HOSTILITY and RUDENESS run through a campground like this. I have sent a LOT of customers down there. I will never send another one. I will send them to Kingsley lake instead. After I packed up I went over to Matt (his son) and apologized to him.. the father ran over to see what I was saying. He said you don't have to apologize to anyone. I said,"I m apologizing to him(matt) I would NEVER apologize to you nor will I ever put another dime in your pocket. " CUSTOMER NO SERVICE!!! THAT"S WHAT I GOT!!
Sincerely

Todd Strawn

-- posted by buychevys

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» mjstef - Re: warning

In response to message posted by buychevys:

Todd,
This all started when i saw Bob leading a camper in and another (yours)was coming in on there own. My workampers are instructed by ME to escort everyone to there site and to investigate ANY unregistered vehicles. You did not e-mail a picture so when you rolled in we had no idea who you were! When i saw you taking yourself in i radioed and Guy caught up to you. He is never rude but sometimes comes across that way as he is a retired Navy Chief. You also never registered when you came in. Just because you call and make a reservation doesn't mean you drive in and go to your site. You must register and SIGN a registration. Same as any campground i have ever been to and i have camped for 14 years. We escort all units because we know the best way in without damage to YOUR RIG or our property.

As far as the pool, i gave you the articles from the centers for disease control. I have a 3 and 5 year old and would not even think about them in a public pool before they were potty trained. usually around the time they are potty trained they know how not to swallow water. My childs healt comes 1st in my book. My sister in law knew one of the families who lost a child in the Atlanta water park 2 years ago. Maybe that is why i stand strongly behind that rule.

I had many complaints about your speed form overnighters and full timers alike. My granmother lives at the front of the property. I rarely here from her in the daytime but she called me 3 different times on a speeding white chevy. I have 80 snowbirds that spend the winter here and they have no problem keeping around 5-10 mph but there was a few times you went by the office at over 20 mph!! If a little kid ran out the office door toward the street you wouldn't have a chance in hell of not hitting him! The golf carts ALL go between 10 and 11 mph per my GPS. I checked them before i posted.

Sorry you had such a bad time but we have had 80,000 camper nights since we purchased this place 3 years ago and yours is only the 3rd complaint. I myself have 5 customer service awards and we are one of the top 10 KOA's in the USA. I have over 1000 surveys stating we were the best campground they have ever stayed at. Gotta play by the rules!
Matt Steffen
Manager
Starke Koa

And a reply from another customer:

I just now joined this site but, WOW, can't disagree more about the Starke KOA. We stayed there in Feb. of this year, just an overnighter. We have done the same several times before. Always have had superior service from the super friendly staff. We had a minor technical problem with a brand new 5er. I went to the office, late in the evening, to ask for help in locating a repair shop. One of the staff, John Sr., came to my site, located the problem and fixed it on the spot. It took at least a half hour of his personal time but he could not have been more cordial, courteous and helpful. We have always had a nice pull-thru site and very clean restrooms. Everyone in the affice has always been helpful and polite. (We are not anywhere near 80).

MikeinNC

AND THE ENTIRE TOPIC ON ANOTHER BOARD:::
http://www.rvusa.com/forum/main/topic.as...

-- posted by mjstef

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» Vista350 - Re: warning

In response to message posted by buychevys:

I agree with Buychevys completely. We were there for a week in October of 2002 and the Steffens run that place like the Gezzstoppo. If you have small children your scorned from the get go. They cater to the older crowd and act like your excrement if you have small kids. Old man John Steffen ( A real A Hole) has the I am Holier then thou attitude and lets you know it when ever he see's you. I never met more unfriendly people then the ones who own that place. We will never again go there and will let everyone that does want to stay in Florida not to use that campground unless your an old retired person who hates kids. In that case you will probably love the place. If you look at some of the replies on the other site about this most of them are made by the same people with different log in names so it is like they are just trying to cover their behinds and seem like it is a nice place to stay but it isn't. There are alot of better places that treat you like you should be as the customer is always right not the owners. Rules are one thing but treating you like you have the plague because you have small children is a real no no. Stay clear of this KOA in Starke, Florida if you have children under 18 years old.

Vista350

-- posted by Vista350

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