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Klean Sweep
Shady trees. An inviting pool. Sparkling restrooms. You spot such details as soon as you pull into a KOA Kampground. Yet you may not notice all the other things that distinguish KOA—a well-lit laundry area, 24-hour accessible public phones and the campground store’s popular supply of graham crackers and chocolate. But KOA’s Quality Assurance inspectors sure do! They are sticklers for detail, checking on everything from a shady bench at the playground to sewer hookups in the RV sites. It’s part of a 675-point inspection conducted yearly at every KOA.
Inspectors Tell It Like It Is
Inspectors and campground owners work together to make sure every KOA Kampground meets KOA’s stringent standards for quality and cleanliness. No one else in the campground business conducts such a thorough review. KOA has been doing it for more than 40 years! And the inspectors’ sleuthing emphasizes the high standards that every KOA must live up to.
Details Add Up
These super sleuths take a close look at the extra amenities and features that KOAs are known for. Inspectors make sure there’s plenty of entertainment for the kids, from indoor board games to outdoor basketball courts. They also double-check to see if the KOA campground store is well-supplied, especially with essential items like toothpaste, motor oil, tent stakes and soda pop. Inspectors are trusted advisers to campground owners. “We share good ideas that other KOA owners have—for entertainment, food service and so on,” says Karen Rose, who teams with her husband, Bill, to inspect KOAs across North America. “We’ve picked up lots of great landscaping ideas that we pass along to campground owners along our route,” she adds. And the inspectors love to visit with KOA campers. “Oh, the campers are great—they’ll tell you exactly what they like,” Karen says. Many times, campers’ suggestions translate into new amenities. For instance, as more travelers wanted access to their email while on the road, KOAs responded by adding modems in laundry rooms, rec rooms and other areas.
Only at KOA
Considering a competitor’s campground?
Check to see if it has the conveniences you can always find at a KOA:
- Clean restrooms
- Private showers
- Campground store
And with the inspectors on the job, KOA confidently offers a money-back guarantee.
KOA Guarantee
If within one hour after check-in at any KOA Kampground you’re not completely satisfied with the services or facilities, your registration fees will be gladly refunded.
The Invisible Team
“We work with the campground owners like partners,” explains Karen Rose, who annually inspects 60 campgrounds with her husband, Bill. “When you own a campground, you see it every day, so certain details almost become invisible. We act like a second set of eyes and ears—pointing out where owners could make improvements or try new things.” The Roses are one of six teams of KOA inspectors across North America. As former owners of a KOA Kampground, the Roses know what it takes to live up to the KOA name. Like other inspector teams, they trained at KOA University in Billings, Montana, where they learned how to work with campground owners and evaluate every item on KOA’s 18-page inspection checklist.
Each spring, the Roses trade their home in Rapid City, South Dakota, for their KOA fifth wheel and embark on their annual KOA inspection route. From late May to early September, they travel and camp at every KOA along their route. Armed with clipboards, they examine each item on the KOA inspection report, which addresses nearly 700 key elements related to camper satisfaction. “Top priorities are safety and cleanliness,” Karen explains. “Is there appropriate fencing around the swimming pool, and does it have proper depth markers? Is the hot water in the restrooms at the proper temperature?” As for cleanliness, Karen says KOA’s standards exceed the obvious. “It’s not enough for a shower simply to be clean. We make sure it’s free of soap buildup, that vents are clear and that there are ample hooks for towels or clothing.” In other words, they check on all the little things that campers appreciate—and lots of things campers might not think about. Campers might not notice that the entrance drive is free of low-hanging branches—but Bill and Karen Rose sure will!
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By the numbers
How picky are KOA inspectors? The numbers tell the story!
- 2,378 showers Declared KOA Klean
- 4,286 toilets Flushed by inspectors
- 13,922 sites Offer cable TV service
- 5,384 sinks Provided plenty of hot water in a spotless performance for inspectors
- 675 details Scrutinized at each campground
- 8,157 mattresses Bounce with KOA quality in Kamping Kabins
- 26,395 full hookup sites Received a “thumbs up” from inspectors
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