I can usually tell in the first 30 seconds of a phone conversation whether the campground is family-run, or run by an absentee landlord. Whether the person who answers the phone is committed to her work, or is merely a bureaucrat, a hireling dealing. The former are friendly and express a desire to serve; the latter are more concerned with whether they (or you) are doing things by the book.
As we were going through Iowa I had narrowed it down to two campgrounds. I called both of them. At the first one I got a bureaucrat. At the other I got a friendly welcome with a personal introduction (i.e. not just "Sleepy hollow Campground," but "Hi, this is Beth!"). I chose Beth's campground--no brainer. Sure enough, Beth was part of the family who had taken over the campground some years ago, and was committed to its well-being.
It is, I think, a matter of calling. I don't know that I would be good at answering phones at a campground--but Beth was, because the campground was her calling. She was not merely a "hireling." I fear that far too many people--and all too often I with them--are merely doing a job, not pursuing a calling. We are all worse off for it.
