 Poster: A snowHead
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Glencoe are currently running on a skeleton staff. The staff need / want a day off as they have been working a lot over the last weeks. So even if the boss wanted to open he cant as you cant magically bring in tempory staff with no training.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Everyone (management, staff, punters) can carry on doing exactly what they've always done - and they will get the same results. That is all. It is no big deal.
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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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Yep.
Do what you've always done the way you've always done it, and get get what you always got!! 
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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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ah yes everyone bow to the collective snowheads wisdom, ignore the reality, perpetuate the ignorance.
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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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Seems Glenshee are after making some cash while they have snow as they will be open on new years day from 10am - 3pm and for that they are only charging for a half day ticket. Nice to see they are taking an innovative approach to drumming up some extra business on what will be a quiet day.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think Glencoe are right to be closed on the 1st, it is a public holiday here in Scotland and it would probably be at a loss to the centre to open.
I for one would never dream of skiing on the 1st Jan unless I was in a resort abroad.
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moffatross, "an English lady's front bottom" - superb! 
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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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moffatross, I wasn't making any comparison between the 2, I made no mention of Glencoe. I merely stated that Glenshee will be open and its nice to see they are and that they are trying to attract custom with a decent price for their day pass on the 1st.
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Hornster, yes I thought it was a superb surprise too but it's not actually what I typed. 
skir67, OK, sorry I get you. In the context of the thread though, my observation might help the 99% of snowheads who won't understand the substantial differences between Glenshee and Glencoe.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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moffatross, And my comment was made so that people wouldn't assume that all the centres in scotland would be closed on new years day (in fact it looks like just Glencoe will be closed). And it was in context as although the thread was started relating to Glencoe specifically it moved on to discussing Scottish ski centres generally as well. Plus its good to see that Glenshee have realized they will probably be quiet and are saying "ok, lets try something to get some business in on that day", it may not work for them and they may decide not to do it again in future (when they have snow), but they will know.
Granted this isn't winterhighland or highlandinstinct, but I'd hope more than 1% of snowheads know something about scottish skiing (other than just the names of the centres of course  )
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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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There were British races planned for this week at a small resort in Austria. The lift company asked that the Super-G be held on the 1st as most of the locals would be in bed nursing their hangovers. It isn't just Scotland that will be quiet that day.
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rjs, Austrian resorts can generally rely on useable snow from December to March/April though. Scottish centres sadly do not have that luxury and nor do their skiing/boarding customers. Obviously though any centre opening on new years day has to meet all its costs, before it can make any profit. That is only a call that each individual centre can make as to if it is worth their while.
Obviously there are previous patterns of customer behaviour at particular times of year (though these would be difficult but not impossible to interpret fully and correctly owing to the unreliability/non regularity of snowfalls and having a useable base). You could say perhaps you just go with previous experience of low numbers and close for the day or you might say market it and see if it makes a difference to numbers (low cost marketing methods more than likely). However trying new stuff to see if it makes a difference to your business is risky and comes at a cost and if your business is particularly 'close to the bone' financially then that may not be an option.
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You know it makes sense.
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skir67,
| Quote: |
Obviously there are previous patterns of customer behaviour at particular times of year (though these would be difficult but not impossible to interpret fully and correctly owing to the unreliability/non regularity of snowfalls and having a useable base). You could say perhaps you just go with previous experience of low numbers and close for the day or you might say market it and see if it makes a difference to numbers (low cost marketing methods more than likely). However trying new stuff to see if it makes a difference to your business is risky and comes at a cost and if your business is particularly 'close to the bone' financially then that may not be an option.
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This where the "traditionally it's dead on New Years day" bit must be unreliable surely - usually the conditions are rubbish, and usually the ski centres are closed either due to lack of snow or bad weather. Also on the point about doing new stuff being risky - yes, but in Glencoe's case doing the same has been proven to fail. Interesting that Glenshee are doing 10-3 for half price, I'm planning on Nevis range who are open from 10-4, with no published price reduction - given how everyone says it will be dead that day I will be very disappointed if I have to queue for more than 20 seconds 
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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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RobinS - I suggest that you dry your eyes (and also check your facts).
If you really want to ski Glencoe then you will be able to do so on the 2nd and 3rd Jan.
Go do it - you might even have fun
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| yes, but in Glencoe's case doing the same has been proven to fail |
Simply not true. There has been a commercial ski centre on Meall A Bhuiridh since 1956.
And Glencoe Ski Cente has operated every single winter since then (over 50 years!). The resort was actually sold in October after protracted negotiation for a 'very significant' sum of money - and was at no point was it actually bankrupt.
I am actually very optimistic about the future of Glencoe. The new owner is a great guy - and he is working hard with HIE to look at summer investment for the other 8 months of the year (mountain biking etc). The winter ski operation has never actually run at a loss - however not many business can survive with no summer trade, and this issue is currently being addressed.
New Years day has traditonally been a public holiday in Scotland, and for some people Hogmanay is a bigger event than xmas. So why not just respect that fact ? The staff have been working hard to make this winter happen and have earnt their day off ?
Glencoe is the smallest of the Scottish areas - and its only recently that it even opened midweek (yet alone new years day!)
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Poster: A snowHead
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RobinS, What I was trying to say - and possibly not too well - is that I don't condone doing nothing and sticking with the status quo, but that also it is very difficult I'm sure for the centres to work out what level of business they might get on new years day. It seems 4 of the centres figure its worth their while and one doesn't. I'm sure each centre has valid reasons for the decisions they have made.
If they keep records of previous custom on new years day (I'd hope they all do), they would also have to factor things in like - how much snow was there, what condition were the runs in, did new years day fall on or near a weekend (for those travelling some distance), what was the weather forecast, what was the actual weather on the day, was there snow on the ground before new years day (skiers/boarders therefore aware that centres might be open), plus probably a load of other factors too.
Theirs is a difficult business to be in, no doubt, and it must be a tough decision to decide to close a centre on a day where there 'may' be enough custom to make a profit and on the other hand they could just make a huge loss! Equally deciding to try something out to see if it works involves a financial risk which some of the centres may just not be able to afford despite what they may wish. Also owing to the factors I mentioned above and others, what works one year could very well fall flat the next.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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barry, You make a very good point about staffing, In seasonal industries in remote locations it is difficult even in the good times to maintain a good staffing level and like you say all the staff had just been layed off a few weeks previouslly so it is a credit to them that they have managed to get the whole lot up and running again with such enthusiasm.
Any facility needs a minimum core staff to operate safely so what is better? Say you will be closed ahead of time and then provide great skiing to the masses on the 2nd or attempt to open on the 1st and have to cancel once people have travelled up because you cant get staff? I dont know but if you look around Glencoe and Rannoch areas its hardly going to be a huge pool of people wanting to give up hogmanay to work as a lifty in the freezing cold for minimum wage....
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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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usually the conditions are rubbish, and usually the ski centres are closed either due to lack of snow or bad weather.
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really, where do you get these facts? your ars.e?
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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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| skir67 wrote: |
| However trying new stuff to see if it makes a difference to your business is risky. |
Yes, but that is business. The business that doesn't do this will not survive.
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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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geeo, I haven't been skiing, but apart from last year when we gave up and went to Paradiski instead I have spent the period from Christmas through to New Year on the West Coast for most out of the last ten years- and the weather in recent years has been terrible. Also others on here with much knowledge than have said that it is rare for Glencoe to be open by New Year - normally needing until at least mid January.
Some people here make sensible points (and the response from Glencoe was reasoned and understandable), others feel the need to resort to stupid insults - I know which responses I will respect.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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laundryman, Yep agreed, but they have to make difficult decisions none the less as to how to spend what little money they do have.
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RobinS,
only 2 of the ski centres are in the west, i bring no insults, my post about english tw4ts was in jest marked by the smiley, and only a retort to laundryman's insinuation that scottish people would rather get drunk than ski on new years day and how we should all shut up if they fail because of this, your last remarks (the bit i quoted previous) are IMO a load of rubbish.
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skir67, also agreed.
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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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geeo, my comment about hangovers immediately followed this:
| arv wrote: |
| RobinS, I was up with about 10 people at Nevis Range yesterday, I can tell you now that on New Years day every one of them would be risking their license by driving on NYs day. I'd imagine most of Scotland is the same. |
Presumably, you think arv is a Scottish tw4t (in a jesting kind of way). 
Anyway, I hope you have a terrific Hogmanay celebration (really).
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Hey chaps.
I deliberately didn't bring in the "Scottish Angel" because where someoen comes from has no bearing on me whatsoever. People are People. Simple as that.
But getting back to business. A business I was associated with (when it was profitable) went bust a few years after I left. The reason was................ council officials (amateurs in this case) re-evaluating the rental on one of the premises. This resulted in closing of that unit and a chain of events (turnover related discount on some goods that required 2 premises to generate the discount) that ended 15 people on the dole.
So the reason of a business making a profit is not always down to the turnover on a particular day.
Cheers
Bob
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I can imagine staffing the place after the biggest wee wee up of the year could have issues... however I know a few people who heard about the conditions & were prepared to head up from the south for a couple of days, me included. I gather it's likely to busy though when it does open on Saturday.
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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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Thank goodness Ne'er Day is not on the Sabbath this year. What would our friends furth of Scotland make of that?
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FAQ
can see the sense that it's best not to throw money away for the sake of a 'me too' statement.
