Auto-Booking Campsites Is a Bad Idea

Working on a product like Campnab is curious at times. First off, I started my career as a painter (the artist type). At no point did I think that one day my work would revolve around campsite cancellations. But here I am, and this is seemingly what I do.

Product development is sort of weird

Another eye-opening aspect of product development is in seeing first-hand how it evolves. You can come to inaccurate conclusions when you look at a product from the outside. You probably find yourself wondering why a product doesn’t implement a seemingly obvious feature. Being this close to the process is different, though.

Many designers say they listen well. I consider this a good interview claim, but I’m doubtful. The average designer gets an earful from their boss or client. That said, they’re typically an arm’s length (or more) from those who actually use their products.

Sure, customer research and user interviews totally happen—but they’re a drag. This makes it tempting to glaze over such tasks. Moreover, these processes are unnatural, leading folks to say things they don’t always mean.

When the designer is the customer support “team”

I’m a mediocre listener, but I do respond to both volume and frequency. Additionally, I’m the support person at Campnab, so, there’s no filter between me and our customers. This means that I hear what people think in unvarnished terms. The repeated nature of some requests also helps certain ideas stick.

If you’re reading this and don’t know what Campnab is, here’s the deal: Campnab is a campsite availability checker. Campers use our service to scan sold-out parks (in Canada and the U.S.) for new cancellations. When our system spots an opening, it sends the interested camper a text message and they can try to book it. Here’s a video about Campnab.

So, back to that customer feedback I was writing about. I hear a lot of ideas. One of the most common requests is for us to automatically book the available campsite for that member. I get it. You might get an alert and be doing something else. Or, someone might beat you to that opening. Fair enough, but we will not automatically book a campsite reservation for you. Here’s why:

Auto-booking campsites is ethically fraught

What Campnab does is reasonably simple. We monitor publicly available park data and send alerts about status changes (i.e., from Reserved to Available). That’s it. You can do this manually on your own; a service like ours just saves you some hassle.

Auto-booking campsites is dicier, though. Some have tried to do this in the past but were shut down. Having an app book a campsite on your behalf is typically a no-no, and is the sort of activity booking software providers work to prevent.

Sure, you could have a third-party work like a travel agent and book sites on your behalf. This too feels dubious. Many parks prevent the transfer of reservations. Plus, human agents can only work so quickly. So, they’d offer little benefit over a camper who’s ready to act when an opening appears.

Want to have the worst campsite auto-booked?

Camping is highly personal. Every camper has a set of requirements based on how they camp. Some need room for a 40' Class A. Others need a level surface for their tent. Heck, there are even a few weirdos who need space for their sauna. (Sheesh!)

Beyond those spatial concerns are some of the deal-breaker requirements. Again, these are unique to the individual, but we all hold some combination of them. Me? I’d rather avoid any campsite beside a toilet. I also want some distance from the entrance or highway. Truth be told, the closer my arrival date is, the more likely I am to take even a crappy campsite.

Sure, an available campsite might match your vehicle/camping criteria. But, if it’s a bad campsite, you might wonder why you even bothered.

Campers like to be in control

For the most part, my wife leaves campsite booking to me. (Go figure.) She often mentions a park that she’d like to visit. I then do most of the research on which campgrounds and campsites will work for us. This is a chore, given some of our requirements.

If there are waterfront campsites, I prefer those. Like I noted earlier, I have that sauna and it’s nice to dip in cold water. However, if the beach doesn’t allow dogs, it’s off the list. Our black lab will wail uncontrollably if she sees water but isn’t allowed to swim in it. (This is not a great way to make friends at a campground.)

If we’re camping with another family, I need to look at the available site and get a sense of whether we’ll fit. Sometimes we can squeeze into a single campsite. At other parks, we need to book a double site.

I pull up Google Maps’ satellite view to try to see the space between campsites. I scrub campground tour videos and freeze-frame on certain sites. I’ve even run image searches for specific campsites. This last approach rarely ever works, but I’m a dreamer. 😉

My point here is that booking a campsite isn’t as simple as booking a hotel room. Campers like you and me want to see the available campsite, determine if it works, and then book. If the site isn’t suitable, auto-booking would mean getting stuck with a reservation you’ll end up canceling. This will leave you stuck paying the associated cancellation fees. Boo!

If you found this post informative, you might also like our video on why you probably shouldn’t worry about campsite bots:

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