Customer Spotlight: Klondike RV Park - A Trusted Alaska Retreat with a Modern Touch

Nestled in the heart of Soldotna, Alaska, Klondike RV Park & Cottages is a seasonal haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Owned by Al Belknap, this small but bustling campground is perfectly situated near the world-famous Kenai River, drawing anglers from around the globe for unparalleled salmon fishing. With 35 RV sites and three cozy cottages, the park operates at near full capacity throughout the summer.

In a recent interview, Al shared how transitioning to Firefly Reservations revolutionized his campground operations. Initially hesitant to switch from his previous system, he quickly realized the benefits—seamless online reservations, automated booking management, and a system intuitive enough for staff to learn quickly. "I was always under the impression online wouldn’t work for me, but with Firefly, I trust the system to do the work," he said.

With more online bookings than ever and reduced phone inquiries, Klondike RV Park is thriving. Al’s advice to other campground owners? Embrace the right technology—it might just make all the difference!

Scott with Firefly:   Thank you Al for doing this and taking the time out of your schedule. We do appreciate it very much.

Al Belknap:   Yeah, absolutely.

Scott with Firefly:   Can you tell us how you got started in the in the camping industry?

Al Belknap:   Well, sure. So I had some friends of the family that actually had some RV parks. They were involved with KOA campgrounds, and I was kind of interested. I thought it would be kind of neat. So I talked to my buddy and he said, “Let’s save some money and we’ll buy a park.” So that is kind of how it started, and a couple of years later he called and told me about a guy who actually owns some KOA’s and needed a Manager. So I started managing some KOA campgrounds back in 2010. I did that for four or five years and then finally ended up here in Alaska, where I bought my own park.

Scott with Firefly:   I know you've been a long-time customer of ours, but I'm sure there's going to be some things that we do not know about you. Can you also tell us a little about your Campground and what makes it unique?

Al Belknap:   Our park is a seasonal Park. We're open to May 1st of September 10th, so it's a fairly short season, but we're typically full. We have the Kenai River that goes through Soldotna, where I am here and it's the world famous Kenai River. It's very good salmon fishing and we have people come from all over the world to fish. We’re usually very full June, July, and most of the August with 35 sites and three cottages. So, it’s not a real big Park, but it’s pretty busy.

Scott with Firefly:   That‘s great to hear, especially the location. Definitely unique. So before you adopted Firefly, were there needs or technology that weren't being met by your previous software?

Al Belknap:   Yeah, I was using Campground Manager. I'm not a computer guy and I do not like learning new things, I actually didn't want anything to do with changing from the old Systems just because I didn't want to learn it. I thought it was working fine, but sometimes you have to get forced into something. So I did it, and now I see that there's a better way. I didn't know that was going to happen until after I made the change.

Scott with Firefly:   That is great to hear. You are not alone regarding this. Most people are afraid of change.

Al Belknap:   I was pleasantly surprised with some things. Reservations being hooked right onto my credit card machine was a huge one. I've always had independent systems, and it made it challenging.

Scott with Firefly:   Right. Trying to manage separate processes makes reconciling more difficult than it needs to be.

Al Belknap:   I can go somewhere else and take reservations in the winter time, and I had to figure out how I was going to plug in a credit card machine and everything. So with the new system, it's helped me out a lot with that. That's the biggest a bonus that I got out of it.

Scott with Firefly:   What were some of the things that you were worried about, having to migrate from the previous software?

Al Belknap:   Just learning something new. I’m a slow learner on the computer; I don't like to figure out anything that I don't have to. But with Firefly, I knew how to do it. I was comfortable. I got it. I just pulled out of my comfort zone, I think. But once they got it all set up, I can see the benefits of the new system. It's doing some more things for me than the other one did for sure.

Scott with Firefly:   Let’s talk about your experience with the setup of Firefly itself, and having to implement it at the campground?

Al Belknap:   Everything went smooth for me. Yeah, it was good. There were a few bumps in the road, but everybody over there worked hard to get it figured out. That's for sure. So I mean, it was good that everybody's always really good about helping out when you call in with questions.

Scott with Firefly:   Well, that's what we want to hear. Can you describe any features of Firefly that have been particularly beneficial to your business?

Al Belknap:   The online reservation system has upped my reservations. I've always kind of micromanaged my grid because I am 100% full for a lot of the summer. There is zero room for error, so you have to be really careful you don't double book, or get a rig into the wrong site and you just can't wiggle out of it.

Scott with Firefly:   That is a common concern with most parks I would think.

Al Belknap:   I was always under the impression that online wouldn't work because of that and somehow, they would end up on a site that wouldn't fit them.
And so it took a lot to trust that. I've always had online reservation systems, but I've never been confident. I had to hide sites and block them off so there was no way someone could book them. But with Firefly, you can tweak it in a way that you can eliminate a type of recreational vehicle. You can also setup a fee for certain RV’s. I didn't have any faith in the old system, now I feel like I can. You can let the system actually work for you.

Scott with Firefly:   Well, we do appreciate your honesty, and glad that you can concentrate on other things besides making sure customers are properly suited for the sites they are selecting.

Al Belknap:   Well, I didn't really realize that before. It made opportunities for me and not have to answer the phone as much.

Scott with Firefly:   I was going to ask you, how is the software improved your day-to-day operations and customer service? Are there other ways that Firefly helps with your operations or servicing your guests?

Al Belknap:   I think it's a good system. It is fairly easy to run. I had some helpers that are able to figure it out fairly easy. It’s friendly to figure out. I think that it definitely increased my online reservations. I've never had nearly this many people that I wake up and there's online reservations that are made. I always use to get those calls, and for some reason, they're more comfortable doing these reservations online with the new system.

Scott with Firefly:   Servicing customers while you are sleeping is a great thing.

Al Belknap:   Yes, I wake up and it's already on there, you know?

Scott with Firefly:   Can you talk about the impact on the business success or standout moments. Have you noticed any changes?

Al Belknap:   I think that the new system is actually capturing more reservations for me because a lot of people like to make online reservations. I've never really liked having them make their own reservations because I tried to manage too many aspects of the process. I can't have a rig on the wrong side or the wrong dates or anything, so I've always kind of been right in the middle of that.

Scott with Firefly:   It can be hard to put your trust into something that manages such an important process in your business, I get it.

Al Belknap:   But I think that when they're getting on to this newer online booking system, that they're making online reservations quicker. It kind of just leads them into the right direction. My online reservations have definitely gone up.

Scott with Firefly:   Great to hear that.

Al Belknap:   I’ve had a good year.

Scott with Firefly:   Have you actually had any feedback from any of the campers about their experiences with making the reservation online on your portal?

Al Belknap:   I've actually talked to some different people that have been staying with me for years and they said that it was pretty smooth. I've had people text me and we message back and forth for different things, and people mention that they really like the new system. They too had to learn it after staying with me for many years. I heard good things from people.

Scott with Firefly:   So looking ahead, are there any features or tools in Firefly that you are hoping to use more of?

Al Belknap:   I'm a slow learner on computers, and you know it's taken me a while to learn what I know and I don't think I'm even close to knowing everything that's on this. I'm a fairly small park but I can see that Firefly is set up for a lot of different applications. You can see where you can manage everything, there's a lot in this program. I don't think I'll get into half of it. For what I need to do, but I like the fact that there's more there than I need.

Scott with Firefly:   That is a good way to think about it. Better to be prepared for the future than not.

Al Belknap:   It's better than not having enough.

Scott with Firefly:   That's what we try to tell potential customers, to never just buy for your needs today. Make sure your software suits your potential needs going forward as well. So if you were recommending Firefly reservations to another Campground owner, what would you say to them?

Al Belknap:   I like it. I've used four or five different systems. And yeah, this one is good. It covers a lot of the things you need. And I think it’s easy to learn and teach someone, especially the seasonal parks. I've constantly got someone new, so that's pretty huge to be able to show someone and get them to actually be able to help you and get them trained and ready to roll.

Scott with Firefly:   Right.

Al Belknap:   So I think that it's pretty user friendly.

Scott with Firefly:   Last question for you Al, is there anything else you'd like to share about your experience with the software, anything at all?

Al Belknap:   I think I kind of covered our things. I was a little bit hard to work with. I didn't want to change. But once I got into it for a while and everything was done, it really wasn't until the middle of the summer where I was like man, this is actually pretty nice. You know, I finally admitted that so there you go.

Scott with Firefly:   I appreciate you taking time to talk with me. You’ve been with us for so long. We're thrilled that we can continue being business partners going forward.

Al Belknap:   Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you guys.

Scott with Firefly:   All that's great, Al. Well, I'll let you go. I know you're busy, but thanks very much.

Al Belknap:   Alright, take care Scott. Thanks.