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Crystal reps are useless

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@moffatross, no, I dont. and I think its a very slim minority that do.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Shimmy Alcott wrote:
Quote:

I've never been a rep, don't work in the industry but keep it real folks. You go with a TO because they buy accommodation, flights and transfers in bulk allow you significant savings when it's all put together. You are not children on a school trip who need looking after.

IMO you are wrong here. Many people go with TO because they want the added security of being covered by ABTA and ATOL and have the added protection of it being a package holiday.


Added protection or convenience?

Going independent with your own good insurance covers most things.

I just think the title of this thread says more about the author of the title than holiday reps.
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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?
I dont agree with the thread title - he should have said "my Crystal Rep was useless".

Look how many post counts I have on here - we have had many discussions of TO re. DIY and my opinion, formed from those discussions, is that its down to the added protection. I think a seasoned traveller will find that DIY is actually more convenient as the holiday is tailored exactly to their needs. eg. I like booking my own ski rental from the UK, so I can choose the shop nearest to my accommodation. TO just do it with whoever they get the best deal with. I used to find it a pain passing half a dozen ski hire places to get to the one I wanted. No issue if it was just me but when you have two very young kids in tow and you need to carry all your kit back as well as theirs then getting your kit from the nearest shop makes for a much more relaxed start to the holiday.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Shimmy Alcott wrote:
I dont agree with the thread title - he should have said "my Crystal Rep was useless".

Look how many post counts I have on here - we have had many discussions of TO re. DIY and my opinion, formed from those discussions, is that its down to the added protection. I think a seasoned traveller will find that DIY is actually more convenient as the holiday is tailored exactly to their needs. eg. I like booking my own ski rental from the UK, so I can choose the shop nearest to my accommodation. TO just do it with whoever they get the best deal with. I used to find it a pain passing half a dozen ski hire places to get to the one I wanted. No issue if it was just me but when you have two very young kids in tow and you need to carry all your kit back as well as theirs then getting your kit from the nearest shop makes for a much more relaxed start to the holiday.


We did it with our little ones a few times. We left the hotel/apartment, wandered to the nearest ski shop, hired and walked back. No rep needed.

I got involved with this thread as, when I've been away on packages, I've often been amazed by the complaints about the reps in the visitors book where I couldn't see what the problem was. I think the best I ever read was complaining about the rep being drunk whilst on the guided bar crawl.
My mother in law runs a small holiday home business and tells me that about 1 in 20 people will go around looking for things to complain about whilst on holiday.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@cameronphillips2000, we do the same if going with a TO. Just book the holiday, worry about sk hire and lift pass later. The TO rarely changes the price so if you do decide you'll buy through them you can at any time. If not you can do your own thing.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Shimmy Alcott wrote:
I think a seasoned traveller will find that DIY is actually more convenient as the holiday is tailored exactly to their needs. eg. I like booking my own ski rental from the UK, so I can choose the shop nearest to my accommodation. TO just do it with whoever they get the best deal with. I used to find it a pain passing half a dozen ski hire places to get to the one I wanted. No issue if it was just me but when you have two very young kids in tow and you need to carry all your kit back as well as theirs then getting your kit from the nearest shop makes for a much more relaxed start to the holiday.


Well I've been going on various ski holidays for the best part of 20 years now, so I guess I fall into the seasoned traveler department. I certainly don't find DIY more convenient; via TO is way more convenient. I get to the airport and the rest is done for me; you can't get much more convenient than that.

Our group are off to Italy in February; far cheaper to go via a TO than the same holiday would have been by booking direct (and a lovely little 2 for 1 deal on lift passes too). Some of the group are hiring equipment and having lessons; they've booked it direct with the shop/ski school, all without the need of going throught the TO. Easy peasy.

TOs may fall down when things go wrong, but when things go as planned (which they do for the vast majority of trips) then the simplicity of it all is a great benefit. It's always nice to do a DIY trip and maybe do some driving, but the convenience of a TO trip is rather enticing to me.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Speaking as a former rep, some customers are utter phuckers, too, who will complain no matter what you do for them.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

when things go as planned (which they do for the vast majority of trips) then the simplicity of it all is a great benefit. It's always nice to do a DIY trip and maybe do some driving, but the convenience of a TO trip is rather enticing to me.

when things go as planned then DIY is easy anyway. But sure, when things go wrong, for example your car breaks down, then it's down to you to sort it out. But sometimes things can go wrong on TO trips too, then you're in their hands and if that leaves you stranded on a coach all night with nothing to eat or drink, tough.

One Snowhead recently had a DIY trip booked at Christmas to a place that turned out (like many others) to have very little snow. So he switched at the last minute, went to Tignes, and only forfeited the cost of a very cheap apartment. Last year going to Arabba for the Birthday Bash it was not possible to get there are all, except driving yourself. I had to take a very roundabout route to come in from the north and took a chance on the (officially closed) pass being accessible for a few hours.

It all depends. Sometimes TOs are unbeatable, especially some of the last minute offers. But sometimes the sheer flexibility of DIY is also good, if you are prepared to deal with the unexpected (e.g. the clutch going on a roundabout outside the steelworks in Aosta - that was a right pain). I quite like independent travel. I once flew into Harare airport when, for a variety of reasons, nobody else in the world knew where I was (I phoned my OH and told him about my last minute change of plan once I checked into my hotel). I really relished that feeling!
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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.
Have done packages for years and still do, did my own for the family in Solden once and lost out on transfer and exchange rate... Prefer TO to stand all those problems.
By the way.. liz in champoluc is superb, great support and some good info re off piste etc.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I generally find independent is cheaper with a group as you can pool car hire and accommodation. Most resorts offer for a fair few lift passes and many do an accommodation/lift pass combi.

I did my last TO with Inghams to St Christoph and it was faultless. Even then, some managed to complain. I think the more switched on companies offer something strong on arrival (when everyone's a bit stressed) and enough free wine to keep everyone happy.

I think my biggest problem when independent was the brand new Honda breaking down at Risoul when we were about to come home. Fortunately, my wife and kids piled in a freind's car hire and I hitched across the southern Alps and got the Cuneo airport just in time ( the held the gate open longer) The car hire company - a major brand, didn't want to know or give me anther car as it was half term and they were all out. There was no point complaining or ranting on forums. Cars break down now and again. The day hitching was stunning, blue sky, over the Col du Lars and Larche, friendly people, mad drivers, scary 'women of a certain age' wanting to take me home for coffee...
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@cameronphillips2000, Laughing I pick up hitch hikers in the mountains but have never invited one home for coffee.

One enormous, inestimable, advantage of DIY is the far greater choice of resort and accommodation. There are hundreds of wonderful ski resorts across the Alps. The British TOs go to just a handful.
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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.
DIY all the way for over ten years ...... with the internet you can get a lot better deal , meet local hotel or chalet owners who DO CARE about customer care etc .

I know as I book a lot of people and look after a lot of people , customer care = returning customers , returning customers tell others and it snow balls

One bad word can put ten new people off, where as a good word may get you just a few

SO paramount to impress and go that extra mile
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I'm not a complainer. Booked one hol with Crystal for my family of four. We turned up in our room and there were three single beds shoved up against each other against one wall with not one inch between them and then there was a one foot gap before the cot that was wedged up against the opposite wall. So one foot of clearance between four beds. We weren't bothered though, ski hols aren't for spending time in the bedroom. When we entered the hotel during the day we frequently I erupted the crystal club staff reps shouting and swearing across the hotel giving detail of their nights out. This is with our young children in tow. We asked if there was some Parmesan for the pasta one night and the waiter looked very confused. He didn't know what Parmesan was. I didn't raise a quibble. Had a fab holiday. But a TO who takes from Saturdsy to Tuesday to get their guest to their rightful accommodation/home has some serious issues that need addressing.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Hence why if u book and e mail a local hotel or chalet owner, agree terms , so genuine pics of room etc, u have 100% better chance of getting what you booked .

ALL TO tell u what u wanna here, the bigger the firm the worse they are

If ppl google customer care Crystal ..... pages after pages of poor feed back
But do peop,le do this , no they just book as its easier

NOT AIMED AT U SHIMMY
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
winterfunman wrote:
Hence why if u book and e mail a local hotel or chalet owner, agree terms , so genuine pics of room etc, u have 100% better chance of getting what you booked .

ALL TO tell u what u wanna here, the bigger the firm the worse they are

If ppl google customer care Crystal ..... pages after pages of poor feed back
But do peop,le do this , no they just book as its easier

NOT AIMED AT U SHIMMY



And if you goggle "vw gearbox issues" or "audi bad customer service" or anything else negative you will see lots. People don't shout out the good stuff on the internet, just the bad stuff.

I am not saying the TO's don't have issues, because i think they do. Three weeks from now we will be on our first TO (edit - with the TO mentioned in the title) trip since 2005..... time will tell.


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Mon 26-01-15 9:52; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Dav wrote:
Well I've been going on various ski holidays for the best part of 20 years now, so I guess I fall into the seasoned traveler department. I certainly don't find DIY more convenient; via TO is way more convenient. I get to the airport and the rest is done for me; you can't get much more convenient than that..


Main problem is that 99% of operators will only do 7-day trips and that's Sat-Sat or Sun-Sun. If you want another duration very few TO are at all interested - and if you want to take one week in one resort followed by a second in a different resort (and so on) they look at you as if you have two heads! Much easier to self-book and spend how long you want where you want. I'm just back from about a month in various resorts around the French/Swiss/Italian borders and was welcomed everywhere, but if I tried this with a tour operator they would have told me it was impossible.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@winterfunman, I'm sure it's not aimed at me, thanks...as I now consider Crystal as Public Enemy No.1 - long since spent my money elsewhere
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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?
@ansta1, in this thread the last time someone (Queen Bodecia) said folks don't spread the good news I showed her exactly how I could prove her wrong by reference to a post I'd made earlier that day regarding good service (we are friends on FB). This morning I also posted a very positive post on FB about a restaurant my girls and I visited yesterday. I share the good news and I will share the bad if the company show zero interest in the customers experience.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@RobW nail and head

We bend over backwards TO ACCOMODATE LONG WEEKENDS , 9 NIGHTS ETC

@ansta ppl do rave about good service ..... its called trip advisor , more positive feed back on there , but also good negative , constructive feed back too
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