 Poster: A snowHead
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Swadster, All of which illustrates why you should choose a smaller operator without multiple layers of useless managers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Somewhat overwhelmed by all the responses, which I've only just found cos the notification went into my Junk folder. I never had any intention of being an interfering parent, I guess posting on here was my way of getting it out of my system!
I did suspect that their experiences were pretty par for the course, but it does make you wonder that these companies don't manage/look after their staff better. They knew it was going to be hard work, they are just demoralised by the lack of support from the company and recognition of how hard everyone works.
Crockery etc - there was an inventory at the start of the season, their chalet was better equipped than some, but I don't think the deficiencies were sorted. They did take a lot of kitchen stuff out themselves, especially knives, but not a mixer. They now have one courtesy of parents and Amazon.fr. - that was something we could do for them.
Uniform - they were supposed to get 3 shirts and a jacket each, not be sharing one girl's 3 shirts between 3 of them. Not sure they'd have wanted to go round in a jacket with Inghams on it anyway?
Flooding at head office - I know all about that, the GF's family live walking distance from the office, we were all without power for Christmas, but I don't think the river is close enough to the offices for them to have actually been flooded. So no excuses there!
Unfortunately the reason we've not heard much in the last week is because the GF hurt her neck skiing on Wednesday and has been off work in a neck brace and on pain killers and sleeping tablets, so son has been working even harder, although he has had someone else helping him.
Like everyone has said, and we keep telling them, it's the January blues, it'll get better. Son has commented that the thought of quitting and setting up his ski filming business (and yes, he is quite good at it) is looking more and more attractive. We've just pointed out that he's got to make an awful lot of films to cover accommodation, food, lift pass, and the pocket money they get paid, so stick with the chalet.
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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?
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karin, For what's it worth your post didn't strike me as one of an interfering parent at all - just a parent who suspects that this sort of thing is par for the course but wants to find out for sure from those with experience. If they start cutting back their service and restricting menus and so on, it's they who have to deal face to face with grumpy guests, and I can't imagine that being any fun. Those in the know have said that the dishwasher situation is completely unacceptable so I hope that has already been sorted too?
I have no idea how old your son and his girlfriend are but, even in my 30s, I still expect parents to be on my side and let me have a whinge about things in a supportive way (for a limited period only; I would expect some tough love if I kept banging on about something forever and did nothing to change it of course)! Well done on giving them a practical helping hand by getting them a mixer too. I hope his girlfriend feels better soon and that you can update this thread later in the season saying they're having a whale of a time!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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karin, really great thing about the mixer. That will help no end. He's a very lucky lad to have such caring parents.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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karin, start the filming business whilst he's out there on his limited time off too see if there is sufficient demand, and more importantly income to make it viable  if it is and can be scaled up look at doing it next season, but I would suggest that it's not his only source of income.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| miranda wrote: |
| karin, For what's it worth your post didn't strike me as one of an interfering parent at all - just a parent who suspects that this sort of thing is par for the course but wants to find out for sure from those with experience... |
They were my thoughts too.
Hope it all works out for them.
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really great thing about the mixer. That will help no end. He's a very lucky lad to have such caring parents.
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I cant believe Inghams dont supply this in the first place; but hopefully, now they have it (at your expense) they might benefit from happier guests and maybe some good tips. Inghams look a bit/lot incompetent not supplying the very limited uniform required.
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karin, my daughters chalet was new to Esprit this season and was both filthy and under equipped, they worked really hard getting it ready apart from getting kitchen equipment, the chef arrived to an empty kitchen but apparently is amazing! He soon had it all sorted, it is hard work and I'm sure the company could do more in some cases but i just put it down to character building  As long as they are having a good time best not to worry about them too much.
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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.
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Shimmy Alcott, nobody anywhere gets a food mixer unless they bring their own. They cost a lot and the little dears would break them.
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Dishwasher is fixed, now the freezer has gone. Mixer was a hand held 2 beater job for £18 - hardly broke our bank, but it would have been helpful for them to have been told that sort of thing beforehand. Oh, it would also have been useful if they'd been told they had to wear black trousers and shoes as uniform before they got out there, 2 pairs of trousers and a pair of shoes was an expensive parcel to have to send out! I'd forgotten that extra bit of Inghams incompetence. Apparently it's because they got the job without a proper interview, and you get told that at interview. Not anywhere in the paperwork though.
I've just discovered that there has been a lot of dithering this week because the GF was signed off work for 10 days, and company policy is they allow you 8 days and if it's more than that they send you home. However, the RM wanted to keep them, and it's been escalated to AM, with no-one making a decision. Yesterday they finally said she could stay.
My son managed to make a demo type film one week with some guests they got on with very well, but I suspect he's got other things on his mind at the moment. Sadly a second season isn't on the cards because university calls - they are 18 and 19.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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karin, All the details re black trousers etc was on the workaseason website on the staff room bit, they also had newsletters emailed which had lots of useful info. Daughter super organised, who had lists of lists knew all she needed to know as she found out, Son didn't look for anything and relied on his sister to find it all out for him!  needless to say he went fully packed not forgetting anything, she forgot a couple of things!
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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.
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feefee,Strange. Son's girlfriend is the most organised person on the planet, she will have read everything she had, and she didn't find it. However, for some reason they did have great difficulty in getting into the website staffroom bit (I know, I watched son trying), so if that's where it was, they probably didn't get to see it. Their recruitment process was a bit strange, though. They went on the cookery course run by workaseason, which guaranteed them a job of some sort at the end provided they weren't completely useless. So I don't think they actually filled in application forms and I know they didn't have interviews, and I didn't see any evidence of emailed newsletters.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 22-01-14 18:46; edited 1 time in total
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karin, the website doesn't work on iPad they had to use internet explorer on the laptop?
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You know it makes sense.
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Edit as I can't distinguish between a food mixer and food processor!
But, when I managed 5 chalets in 2011-12 season, all chalets bar one had a food processor, we got a new processor for the other chalet. And I know at least a couple of the chalets had electric mixers with bowls, quite decent units too. So its not completely out of the ordinary. Worst case they had electric whisks.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Wed 22-01-14 21:46; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Yep, our kitchens get processors / mixers.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Seems a bit odd that simple food mixers may not be provided because the TO would expect the staff to break them. But TO trusts same staff to dole up food that won't give the guests a dose of food poisoning.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A lot of chalets I've worked in/been in did not have food processors, but did have electric hand whisks and stick blenders. Even when I did work in a chalet with a food processor I rarely used it, yes it may make mixing things together a little quicker, but it took longer to take the thing apart and clean it. Does depend on who you are working for and the chalet owner to an extent as to what is provided.
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