CAMPSPOT CUSTOMER STORY
Learn from Silver Creek Campground, a First Nations-owned property located in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada—a one-of-a-kind destination carved into the heart of the Canadian prairies.
We talked with manager Dixie Simpson to hear how she and her team transformed a run-down campground into a thriving destination, and how Campspot has helped them get there.
Dixie Simpson didn’t plan to come out of retirement, but when she and her husband were asked to take a look at a run-down campground on 140 acres of land that Gambler First Nation had purchased just outside Brandon, Manitoba, they couldn’t say no..
“This piece of property that we’re on is 140 acres. It’s an oasis in the middle of the prairie—it pops right up in the middle of nowhere. It’s unique to Manitoba itself. It’s owned by Gambler First Nation, and we are privileged to be able to manage this piece of ground for them. There are very few First Nations that own campgrounds.
“We came in and had a look at it. We went, ‘Wow—I think this would be a whole lot of fun.’ We work with Chief LaDoux and Gambler Tribe, and they’re really awesome to work with. They have a lot of big dreams. I have a lot of big dreams and visions, and we’re gonna try and make them happen.”
59
RV Sites
6
Tent Sites
1
Destination Unit
140
Acres
Surrounded by flat prairie farmland, Silver Creek’s lush oak forest and five-kilometer trail make it a genuinely unexpected find, and it’s just the beginning of what sets the campground apart.
“You could probably watch your dog run away for three days out on the prairie. But here, we have beautiful ancient old oak trees. It’s an oasis that pops out of nowhere….You’ll go through farmers’ fields and into oak valleys, and you will then come by a beautiful creek. We have a lot of wildlife through here, which is unusual and unique to Manitoba.”
For guests who want to experience camping without owning an RV, Silver Creek also offers a fully equipped destination unit.
“I have everything there for them. All they have to do is pack their groceries and clothes. Dishes, cleaning supplies—you name it, it’s all there. If you’re only going to use an RV for two weeks out of a year, come on out here, rent this up, and everything’s in it.”
Before Campspot, Silver Creek was managing reservations on a basic spreadsheet, and the cracks showed quickly.
“With that spreadsheet, you’d get double bookings. That was the number-one thing. Some things weren’t even put in there at all because you’d get sidetracked and forget to put the customer in. Errors with timings and dates…it was a lot.”
Dixie didn’t take the switch to a reservation software lightly. She researched thoroughly before landing on Campspot.
“After going down the rabbit hole and checking out all the resources, we decided Campspot is the best out there to go with. I looked at Campspot’s support program. I was reading a lot of the different testimonials. I had talked to other people that used Campspot at their campgrounds, and it seemed like a no-brainer to go with Campspot for what they offer.”
“I’ve used a lot of software, and this software is absolutely amazing. Campspot is the most reliable and efficient campground software on the market. It’s user-friendly. It’s top for support with built-in training features. All in one package—where can you get that?”
“There are very few software companies out there that will put in that much effort for their customers. Campspot is number-one for that.”
The transition itself turned out to be far easier than Dixie expected.
“Set-up was just a matter of giving the correct information in the proper chronological order. The communication was really good back and forth. Everything just kinda went ‘bloop’ into the program, and we’re on our way. Simple as that.”
For Dixie, the biggest day-to-day shift since switching to Campspot has been getting back out from behind the desk and back with her guests, which is where she wants to be.
“I’m very much a people person. When people arrive, I need to greet them. I get in my golf cart, they follow me, I take them to their site, I show them where their services are, and make sure they’re getting all comfy at home, so to speak.
“Before, I’d be on the phone and I didn’t have the time to do that. But that’s really important to me, and it’s a big part of our customer service here at Silver Creek. Now, I don’t have to sit there and listen to a husband and wife deciding, ‘Do we want site 37, or would you like site 42?’ They can have that conversation over the computer and book it. Meanwhile, the customer coming in gets my full attention. It frees up a lot of time.”
“Plus, a lot of people like the convenience of going on the computer and not having to deal with telephones. They can go on there at any time and book their site. Before, if the line was busy, they’d go, ‘I’m just going to move on to the next place.’ Now, you grab all those customers.”
“I would say that it increases bookings by about 55% or better.”
Beyond the time savings, Dixie has found Campspot’s editing and reporting tools to be some of the most valuable features in her day-to-day operations.
“One of my favorite features is how quickly you can edit. If you need to change the dates or change the site, it’s so simple—just a couple of clicks.
“The reporting I get from Campspot is also excellent. I can get any type of reports I want: traffic, finance, points of sale, all of it. The ease of putting in inventory for your shop is also very easy.”
“Campspot is the most reliable and efficient campground software on the market. It’s user-friendly. It’s top for support with built-in training features. All in one package—where can you get that?”
Dixie Simpson, Manager
Silver Creek is in the middle of a major expansion, and for Dixie, having more time away from the phone means more time overseeing the development she cares most about: bringing an authentic indigenous experience to life on the property.
“Right now, I’m having six authentic tepees made, Ojibwe-style. We’re going to have tepees in our valley area so people can have a real experience. We also have some rustic cabins we’re putting in, and we’re probably expanding to another 60 sites eventually, a bit at a time. Huge developments are going to be going on here. Campspot allows me to loosen up that time to be more involved in the development of the campground.'”
“I’m excited about allowing people to have that indigenous experience. The Ojibwe are a very unique tribe, and I think sharing that culture—culture that has been in Canada since day one—is almost like you’re bringing up the history and sharing it into the future. My vision is to have this be the destination campground in North America. We have huge dreams and visions, and we’ve got the ambition.”
“It’s worth going with Campspot. It’s going to make them money, and save them money. It is the best software out there. If they go with any other, they’ll be highly disappointed—but they won’t be disappointed with Campspot. It will make their life so much easier, and they’ll be able to do more hands-on work at their campground as opposed to being stuck in the office all the time. It’s economical too. Everything costs in doing business, and I think the pricing is very, very fair. It’s well worth their while to go with Campspot. Absolutely.”
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