 Poster: A snowHead
|
@Lizzard,
Put it this way, all of the TO's changing over over this w/end knew that delays were highly probable. A couple of packs of water slung in luggage hold would've been gold dust in terms of keeping punters sweet. Your 'F'k you. they're your kids' approach would be extremely harmful re. customer satisfaction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| Quote: |
See if I had young kids I'd consider drinks and snacks for them my job rather than that of the TO.
|
true, but if theres a huge delay then the TO should be stepping in to help, and they should have the experience and forethought to have some "comfort" rations. Is this not the reason why we go with TO? So we are not left high and dry? |
Should they really? If I paid a TO a fortune for "ultimate luxury in opulent surroundings" I might agree, but when there is obviously going to be delays, as in this weekend, why don't travellers carry water and food themselves. Just in case. We always do. Whats the worst than can happen? we chuck some sarnies in the bin.
I have no idea why you won't go with a TO?
We always do, and in 28 trips have had one truly awful experience.
With Crystal!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Quote: |
Your 'F'k you. they're your kids' approach
|
its her attitude to any situation IMO...seems to forget that customers have paid for a service. Given the advance warning of the weather then the TO should have had tried to make the situation more comfortable for their customers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
 tradition dictates that a/the Crystal rep/CEO should appear on here soon to give "their version of the truth"
Or has that already happened?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
[quote="Shimmy Alcott"]
| Quote: |
should have had tried to make the situation more comfortable for their customers. |
Many do, some don't. You pays ya money............ 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@thecramps, they are being paid to get their customers to their destination - if they have advance warning of really bad weather conditions (they did) then it would make sense to have contingency plans for huge delays. I dont think some water and basic snacks are much of an ask in this kind of situation. It would make basic commercial sense.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not sure that a few water bottles would do anything more than create more trouble, unless there was enough for everyone on the coach, which of course takes up space. If in the hold probably inaccessible for most of the time, and not sure where it could be on the bus itself without removing seating options. 10 bottles on a 70 seater would be worse than none IMHO.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[quote="Mollerski"]
| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| Quote: |
should have had tried to make the situation more comfortable for their customers. |
Many do, some don't. You pays ya money............ |
indeed. Hence not using them since years. More fools them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
@Randomsabreur, fine in the hold, easily accessible in the case of hours and hours of delays
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gosh that escalated quickly....
I am certainly not blaming Crystal for the snow or the traffic. It is their communication that could be improved upon and their knowledge of resorts and how to get there. We are in Les arcs and I asked if the funicular was running, one of the reps hadn't even heard of it.
We spoke to a local taxi driver who had just driven down the mountain, we jumped in and he took us straight up the hill. Crystal were saying the no traffic was moving. We still haven't heard from anyone from Crystal. We were the lucky ones yesterday and I appreciate some people had much worse journeys.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I don't think they do double decker transfer coaches  .
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
@k1orange, reps will be new to the resorts, but should have been more clued up. It may have been that coaches weren't being allowed up or down.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Randomsabreur wrote: |
| Not sure that a few water bottles would do anything more than create more trouble, unless there was enough for everyone on the coach, which of course takes up space. If in the hold probably inaccessible for most of the time, and not sure where it could be on the bus itself without removing seating options. 10 bottles on a 70 seater would be worse than none IMHO. |
Mr. Pedantic.
Chuck on enough and shove 'em where ever. You could lose 55x500ml bottles in a luggage bay and guess what? Delays occur 'coz the bus is not moving!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
"We have taken 8 hours to get from Albertville to Moutiers. You will probably have to spend the night in a church hall. people going back will not be moving till Monday, but never mind. I have a bottle of water for you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Or, "we're sorry for the time it has taken so far but we have a fleet of Chinooks waiting in the supermarket car park to whisk you all up to your hotel/chalet/apartment. Don't forget to collect your water and pretzels as you get off the bus".
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Mollerski wrote: |
| Randomsabreur wrote: |
| Not sure that a few water bottles would do anything more than create more trouble, unless there was enough for everyone on the coach, which of course takes up space. If in the hold probably inaccessible for most of the time, and not sure where it could be on the bus itself without removing seating options. 10 bottles on a 70 seater would be worse than none IMHO. |
Mr. Pedantic.
Chuck on enough and shove 'em where ever. You could lose 55x500ml bottles in a luggage bay and guess what? Delays occur 'coz the bus is not moving! |
Generally when I've been stuck on the road going nowhere, it's been moving a little bit, enough that groping around the depths of a coach hold would not be appropriate... Not like the water would be at the front, but would blatently be behind 12 suitcases etc, and the traffic in front would start moving just as the driver got out.
Better to have decent stocks (or better still hot drink facilities) at the depot locations to be handed out when changing bus or waiting for a while. A crawling Autoroute/snowy road isn't a place to be getting off the bus!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| @thecramps, they are being paid to get their customers to their destination - if they have advance warning of really bad weather conditions (they did) then it would make sense to have contingency plans for huge delays. I dont think some water and basic snacks are much of an ask in this kind of situation. It would make basic commercial sense. |
Quite true, but difference is I realise that when I am paying budget prices I expect budget service. If I paid top notch I would whinge, but most Crystal holidays are budget, so rule 5 applies.
We've been praying for snow for weeks, and now we get some, people are complaining.
Man up or write to the Daily Mail.
You take extra stuff, and I agree that maybe TO's should plan better sometimes, but you get what you pay for, so expecting them too provide is too much IMV. The better ones will, but others won't. My point is, if you pay budget, don't expect 1st class.
Complaining about stuff when you have arrived, whether you did it yourself or your TO got you there seems a bit desperate to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
@Shimmy Alcott, and being someone who "would never use a TO", why bother in this thread anyway?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| thecramps wrote: |
| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| @thecramps, they are being paid to get their customers to their destination - if they have advance warning of really bad weather conditions (they did) then it would make sense to have contingency plans for huge delays. I dont think some water and basic snacks are much of an ask in this kind of situation. It would make basic commercial sense. |
Quite true, but difference is I realise that when I am paying budget prices I expect budget service. If I paid top notch I would whinge, but most Crystal holidays are budget, so rule 5 applies.
We've been praying for snow for weeks, and now we get some, people are complaining.
Man up or write to the Daily Mail.
You take extra stuff, and I agree that maybe TO's should plan better sometimes, but you get what you pay for, so expecting them too provide is too much IMV. The better ones will, but others won't. My point is, if you pay budget, don't expect 1st class.
Complaining about stuff when you have arrived, whether you did it yourself or your TO got you there seems a bit desperate to me. |
+1
One point to remember is that the major TO's are working on c.4% nett profit - i.e. for every £1000 they take in selling xmas holidays they keep just £40. Whilst you might want more communications / over night stays in hotels / water and food provided on the buses, more experienced reps, then unless we're all prepared to pay more we're not going to get it. How is a naive 19 year old who's only done 3 airport runs which went without a hitch gonna understand what to do when the white stuff hits the roads?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@Mollerski, I get what you say, but basically all TO's are the budget end, a lot offer more, including Crystal. But a ski holiday with flights and transfers, all accom and food for under a grand a head is budget. Fact.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mollerski wrote: |
@thecramps, I'm not sure how happy Crystal marketing would be with the 'budget' tag that you've awarded them? Cost wise, Crystal are in there with the rest of the big operators, no dearer no cheaper.
|
That hasn't been my experience.
Occasionally Nielson are close, Inghams very rarely close, and nobody else is anywhere near.
Crystal are certainly a budget operator.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@davidof,
That's a one and half decker.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
@davidof, Those mirrors on those coaches are known amongst coach drivers as "P45's". They are hideously expensive to replace. (typically £4k apiece for heated adjustable, and if you bend the support post, the sky is the limit), so if your driver is cautious, cut him some slack.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
@Mollerski, It is really, you are obviously working class like me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| sequoiaboard wrote: |
Wow, always use Crystal/Skiworld/Inghams. never seen anything like this.
|
Crystal used one from Ailleurs coaches until it caught fire. No idea if they still contract one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| sequoiaboard wrote: |
Wow, always use Crystal/Skiworld/Inghams. never seen anything like this. |
Me neither! But then even if they did use them, (yes, they look soooo posh from the outside), I bet:
the toilet is locked
the drinks machine is inoperable
the movie screen is off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@bertie bassett, +1. From experience, it's difficult to beat the TO price for any hotel in any resort they offer. I accept that for the price paid, I may experience some difficulties - but I also believe that if the TO is suffering, then I, as an independent traveller, would probably suffer too. End of story is that I like going skiing for <£1k all in. At least, it creates the illusion of another ski trip later 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
A grand a head is budget
|
For New Year? Yes it is. VIP's guests (for example) will have paid over twice that for this week. They get bottled water on the bus as well, if you think it's worth the extra £1500.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
It's not very often I feel sorry for people working for Crystal, but in this case, I do. Those 'on the ground' in the coaches trying to find out info, probably from an office in the UK, or where information is very, very hard to come by - because I forgot Crystal keep people standing by the road at each bend to give a play by play ( add healthy dose of sarcasm) .... this situation was clearly outside of normal operations and I think some people REALLY need to look at how they themselves plan things before they whinge at the TOs just because they're angry. It's not right to blame 1 person on your coach because some other guy 5 miles up to the mountain stopped in the middle of the road to put chains on, causing all traffic behind to stop, then accidents swiftly ensued by some who weren't properly equipped (chains/tyres etc) stopping the plows from getting through, causing gridlock... if you blame 1 person on your coach for this I think that says far more (in a very bad way) about you than the Rep. And as for giving out water, snacks etc. I again think it's unfair to blame the reps - since when were you, as a human being, unable to take care of yourself and buy some snacks of your own! I never travel without water and food - basics for anyone with half a brain in the land of common sense. I heard a story of someone who bought snow chains and didn't even check to see if they fitted their car, then having to drive back down the mountain and sleep in the car because the hotels were full, before attempting again in the morning... I suppose all of that hassle is the responsibility of the person who sold them the chains? pull the other one, take responsibility for yourself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Insiders,
Tis the age old problem and downside of having to deal with the general public.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
everything is always 'someone else's problem'
Global warming.... someone else's problem
Bins get collected.... someone else's problem
Taking responsibility for yourself, your family and your needs.... someone else's problem
At what point did humans become so useless!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One reason why some people may feel more aggrieved with Crystal than other TOs is that their reps don't normally travel on the transfer coach. When something goes wrong, like now, it's just down to the driver to try to sort out/liaise with Crystal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
