Current ARVC Chairman Discusses Importance Of Engagement & Personal Connection With Guests
Understanding the ins and out of an industry on an administrative level but also being able to connect with visitors on the ground is an essential part of any great business. Tim Deputy is the General Manager of Sun N Fun Resort in Sarasota Florida but also the Chairman of both the Florida and National Chapters of the ARVC [Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds]. In addition he is also a VP of Carefree Communities which is currently being acquired by Sun Communities for close to 1.8 Billion Dollars. Tim sat down to talk to The Buzz at the FARVC Conference in Orlando about the consumer experience, establishing identity as a campground and finding the balance of independence especially with corporate backing.
The Buzz: Can you speak about the importance of the “consumer experience” from your point of view?
Tim Deputy: We’re big on…if you know anything about Sun N’ Fun…our whole business model is based on lifestyle…giving [our guests] something to do. We say that we provide an active winter lifestyle [as well as] summer family fun…which in the state of Florida is highly unusual. There are only a few campgrounds that do a winter and summer business and we’ve created that basically from nothing.
The Buzz: Do you have to change your thinking completely in terms of operation?
TD: Yes. Because even your team members have to have a different focus. [For] people in the winter, that’s their 4 ½ or 5 month home. They treat that entirely different than somebody coming on the weekend, just to let loose and enjoy themselves so to speak with their families. We want the kids to get excited because we have a 200,000 gallon pool and a water slide. [But] we had to go from say winter style activities…card games, wood working, water aerobics…to kiddie family games where…it’s always amazing to me…families do things when they are on a campground resort vacation that they couldn’t do at home but they could. [For example] Father’s Day…Dad lets them paint their faces at the campground. Would he let them do it at home? Probably not.
The Buzz: But it is a lot more work on your part as far as curation and implementation to provide this diversity.
TD: You learn as you go. I always say communication is the root of all evil because [there’s] either too much gossip and wrong stuff or we don’t get enough of what we really need and then we don’t spread that out. A lot of people do the right things but they don’t tell people. You do an event but then you don’t tell your potential guests. We’ve learned over the years… we’ve listened to the feedback and we do the things they [the guests] want to do. [They’ll say] “That’s great fun”. Scavenger hunts and pool games are easy. Take a roll of quarters and throw them in the bottom of the pool. Watch the energy level [explode]. Just go for it. Pie-eating contests… just simple fun things. People don’t do that anymore.
The Buzz: Why is that?
TD: We have too many other sources of entertainment (i.e. cell phones, portable video). [But those are] not creating a lot of memories. We want to create memorable experiences. That’s Carefree’s mission statement as it would be but it has always been ours [at Sun N’ Fun]. We want people to know that they enjoyed every moment. I always tell the team “We can give them back their money but we can never give them back their time.” I was in the restaurant business 25 years…that was all about instant gratification. Realistically…I always use the fish philosophy…be present…choose your attitude…have fun…make their day. Simple. 4 simple principles. [Especially] make their day [and] be present. Be with those people. Get them involved in the fun and have fun yourself. Because we’re all on a journey.
The Buzz: How important is people coming together at a conference at something like ARVC?
TD: That is the single best thing about conferences. I always look at it this way: if there are 100 people here in the campground industry… that, in reality, is about 1200 years of experience. [There are answers to every question]. Let me ask you about x, y and z? Let me ask you about what you do for the wi-fi? How did you handle a saltwater pool or a strictly chlorine pool? What’s the best water features to have? I’m having trouble with my lift station?
The Buzz: How do you as GM of a campground resort do that?
TD: I have to go digging and see what I can find out. And that’s the beauty of our industry. You can ask [the owner] what profession they were in before they went into this industry. You will find marketing managers, lawyers, doctors, plumbers... You’ll find retired military people. [And, as I said] I’m an ex-restaurant guy.
The Buzz: But how does that change when you have to look at it both from the perspective of the campground owner but also an executive of Carefree Communities. Is it a separate approach to maintain identity?
TD: There are many different campgrounds as you can ever imagine that they can focus in…whether it be family friendly…rustic…how many amenities…do you want long stays…seasonal. Or is it short stays…two weeks and out you go. You have to find a balance in the business you want to cater to and what fits in with your particular business model. As the corporations take on more and more, they’re learning very quickly that they can provide services that are hard for the individual to afford: a tax accountant…or a lawyer. You’ve got to have a lawyer in Florida…to protect yourself from the other lawyers in Florida. (laughing) So you get that economy of scale. But they are very good in that they want the successful operations that are known to their loyal fans and return guests, to maintain their identity.
The Buzz: Even with the merger going on?
TD: Yes. They’ve learned over the years [that you] don’t go in and rip all the signs down and say “This is Carefree!” Because one Carefree park [versus] another Carefree park? Totally different animal. It’s that kind of deal. We, as an industry, we’re like everyone…if I can’t fit your needs or if you don’t fit my majority then yes…I want you to go somewhere else and have a good time. We truly want people to enjoy themselves. Whether I want water slides and they want card games. Me…I want to do it all. We do 160 different activities a week [at Sun N’ Fun] during the winter. Some of those activities run 5 days a week. But all 160 [activities] are different from wood-turning to stained glass to bocce to dance classes to yoga to tai-chi. But if somebody brings it up to me…and we can help them do it, we’re going to help facilitate it.