mpj
Mid-Missouri
Senior Member
Joined: 09/27/2004
View Profile
 Offline
|
Now to answer WTTCS "To the OP, why do you even bother to attempt to hire workampers? If you offer 30 hours per week at more than minimun wage, could you not hire a local person to do that job? What are the advantages of using workampers?"
Workampers are trustworthy, dependable and have the knowledge of RVing that my customers need. My customers like talking to them, finding out where they have been & worked. (Some customers even thought about becoming a workamper because of them.) They need someone they can ask RV type questions to and get a good answer/experience from. Many customers return just to talk to a workamper again. They often ask if they are returning for another season. Workampers are more friendly than locals who do not have the variety of experience that comes from travel. We want to give our customers a good experience so they will come back. A qualified staff helps.
A local person cannot help with an RV problem because they do not know about RV's. And they may not care. They just want the job. In addition, locals will move on to the next job once they tire of "whatever". There are so many jobs available in our tourist area that locals are NOT dependable. Been there, done that (hired locals and been burned multiple times).
Then, we were introduced to workampers, by a workamper, who seeing we needed help, asked if she could help, and explained how the program worked back then (17 years ago). We hired her and she was with us for 7 years - until her health prevented her from working any longer. She started working for site only then, as our business grew, we began to pay her. First at minimum wage, then gradually higher. We never have and never will take advantage of our workers. They work the scheduled hours; we pay respectively. We may have to ask for extra hours - but not on a regular basis. We ask them if they will work extra hours before we set the schedule. We respect them as long as they respect us. The Golden Rule has always been a part of our relationship with any worker - even the ones who wanted to take advantage of a situation.
I know that was long winded, but did it answer your question?
To everyone else - Thanks for listening.
mpj
|
WTTCS
freedom , U.S.A.
Senior Member
Joined: 07/28/2003
View Profile
|
Yep, sounds like you need workampers. Thanks for the answer.
1997 chev crew cab 454, 5 sp. 4.10
2000 Fleetwood Caribou 11.5
|
Bethers
Alabama
Senior Member
Joined: 09/12/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
As a former motel owner, and now a workamper in a small rv, I do understand the issues the owners have, and I also see things from the workers perspective. I'm workamping because it helps augment the traveling I want to do without touching a retirement account (that is quickly diminishing without me touching it) until such time when I should be using it (I'm in my mid-50's).
I have been blessed with some wonderful places in my decisions the last 3 years on workamping assignments. Have they all be perfect? No. Are there changes I would like to see? Yes.
I do not want to work a 40 hour week. If I'm going back to those kind of hours, I'll take the headaches that come with management and go back to work again. But I'm more than willing to work 40 hours on an occasional week to cover for others that need time off, etc - as I hope they'll do the same for me. And I did consider a position for this past summer that would have required 40 hours for the busiest weeks of the summer, but less before and after. They lost me because they waited too long to make a commitment (they wanted to do both the workamping shows in FL and AZ) and I like to have a commitment locked in and not be thinking about it anymore. By the time they called to offer me a position and send me a contract, I'd committed elsewhere - even though they had been my first choice and I had tried to wait (I waited 2 months before accepting something else.)
I start each job search based on the location of the employer. Where do I want to be. That comes first and foremost. Then I start contacting prospective employers. I try to ask all the questions that I think I need to know, but on each job something has surprised me. And we should all expect that to a small degree, because we don't ask everything. What would upset me truly, though, would be if the surprises were because things I asked weren't as told/promised. I will give everything I promise to the employer and expect the same back. Yep, the respect thing
Where I worked summer of 2007, I considered them to be way more than fair. Changes were made after I got onboard - to BOTH of our favors. Why? Because they actually look at what you do best and what you like to do, then try to change your job to accommodate you that way. I ended up with more variety in my job (which kept me more interested) and they got to take advantage of more of my experience in some areas. So, while I like the idea of contracts, I am more in favor of having some flexibility - brought about by each side having respect for the other.
For my 2008 summer, I can honestly say that the one question I didn't ask, probably would have been a deal breaker for me in advance - and that would have been knowing that I was starting work at 6 am (something I never intended to do again in my life). At this point in time, I have signed on to stay here through the winter season, so I'm glad I didn't find that out in advance. Some of the other reasons I like where I am overrode my desire to never need an alarm clock again.
Oh, and while I usually have worked office with my experience - here I worked in the cafe and in housekeeping for the summer, and am going into housekeeping only for the winter. Yep, cleaning bathrooms and cabins - and glad to be doing it. So there are those of us who won't find it demeaning. And like another stated, I don't know why some are so afraid of it. For me, it keeps me busy which means time goes faster, and I don't have any of the headaches that can come with the office and dealing with the public (which I do love, but a break from it is nice.)
I'm more than willing to pay something for my site. In fact, where I am now, I paid a discounted site rental and was paid for every hour worked. At the end of the season I received a $1/hour completion bonus (which they only have for their summer season). For each additional season you work here, even if not consecutive, your site rental goes down 25% until your 5th workamping season with them would be pay for all hours and no site rental (ah, but we do pay our own electric - which I've never had to pay elsewhere). I like the area, and do intend to travel summer of 2009, but am intending to come back here for either the winter 2009 or summer 2010 season - and that perk helps bring me.
With the first post being workampers who never responded after receiving the packet - I wonder did they really commit via phone? If so, I'm disappointed in my fellow workampers. That does not give you the respect you deserve. If they changed their minds, you should have been called. On the other hand, I've had cases where prospective employers have offered to send me information to look over before I decided. And I have in some of those cases decided it wasn't for me - and I did not contact them. Maybe I should have, but I did figure they would call me back and I'd tell them exactly why I hadn't responded. Again, I would never have not responded at all if I had agreed already.
MPJ - if I ever am looking in the MO area, I'll contact you for a season - and see if we can work anything out. That, of course, will depend on if you accept single workampers, of course.
Good luck to you - I didn't see anything that sent up red flags to me about what you offer. You offer better than some, not as good as some - and never will it all be equal.
And if I was back in management at even motels/hotels - I'd rather have most of the workampers I've worked with than the local help I'd be able to employ. So while this isn't perfect, it sure beats a lot of what you can get today locally (unfortunately).
Loving the rv lifestyle!
Beth
|
NH_Snowbirds
Port St. Lucie, FL
Full Member
Joined: 09/13/2004
View Profile
|
We are only in our mid-40s and can only accept positions that pay for all hours worked ...have bills to pay. We know exactly what rate of pay we need to maintain, as well as how many hours we need to work. It's kind of a tightrope walk, but we really haven't had any problems finding what we need.
One thing to remember is that there is a growing community of Workampers, like ourselves, who have to adhere to our own strict guidelines, ie; no matter how much we like your CG/Resort, we absolutely cannot take a position that will require us to cut back on groceries or other necessities.
Hope our input helps.
Jeff and Tracy
* This post was
edited 10/08/08 06:55pm by NH_Snowbirds *
2005 Four Winds Chateau 31P
E450 Super Duty Triton V-10
Toad: 1999 Mazda 626
Demco Kar Kaddy 3 Tow Dolly
|
|
|
|
