Crystal Ski & customer service

A snowHead

Just back from Les Carroz with Crystal Ski & not impressed with their customer service.
Booked veggie meals for flight, as usual didn't get them.
Arrived at Geneva on time, yippee!
Told to follow airport building round to right & head for that big tower, good fun in rain & dark with laden trolley & kids, still managed to find the bus in the end.
Then proceded to sit on said bus for 2 hours 5 minutes whilst dim rep concocted a variety of stories for the delay, ended up with him have a slanging match with Mrs PJ over travel time to resort, rude & arrogant are about the only 2 words fit for publication here!
Every time I say never again with a package but I keep coming back for more !!! Sad

Anyway the snow was good & MGM apartments very nice, just a shame about the travel.
snowHead

A snowHead

i stopped giving them my money after the holiday from hell in the chalet Apaul du charvet in val dispair a few years back

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

The staff turnover at one of the hotels here in Morzine is massive. ......

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My experience of cra**y Crystal write letter (having filled in form in resort) reject compensation offered. Write another letter, accept new compensation offer Toofy Grin

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snowskisnow, I completely agree.

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We going to Val Cenis with Crystal in a few weeks & have just had our Doncaster flights 'consolidated' with the Manchester flight on the same days/times - which is marketing speak meaning that the Donny flights are cancelled & we're going from Manchester. Their letter explaining this offered £10 each to the four of us in compo or the option of a full refund. Their flights are operated by Thompson Fly.

A phone call & a bit of haggling got us a £92 credit which we're happy with. Apparently less than half of the Donny/Turin seats had been filled.

After all it is free

Crystal have a habit of delaying transfers for flights that are landing up to 2 hours after your own arrival. Same happened to me last year at Innsbruck

I've got this feeling I've made a big mistake - flying out with Crystal to Andorra on Sunday.

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Crystal are cheap mass-market. If you want individual service and transfer buses which go immediately whether they're full or not, then book with an operator which offers that and PAY THE EXTRA. Twisted Evil

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As many will know we have booked 6 holidays over the past 3-4 yrs with Ski Olympic & Silver Ski. Certainly no more expensive than Crystal but bus rides ahead in service and quality. PLCs are generally concerned with profit, not with customer service. DIY or look to the smaller operator out there. There are lots about that offer excellent service: Silver Ski, Ski Olympic, Finlays, Skitopia, YSE, etc etc etc.

snowshine, I have gone with Crystal once. There were a few problems, but we had a great time. Sorry to mention it but I would be more worried about the transfer to Andorra, looking at the weather.

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WILL NEVER GO TO A CRYSTAL CHALET EVER AGAIN! Chaleet L'ours Blanc in Montgenevre should be a no go area for anyone spending tons of cash.Staff were disinterested, rep was a joke and would'nt give the food they served to a dog. It was our first chalet holiday, but will probably do our own thing next time. the rep sent my 5yr old to the wrong ski school, ending in BIG tears on our first day, and was even guiding a guest around the mountains even though the rep had only been up twice himself. We went during the olympics, but there was nothing laid on for this global event. Had to find our own way to Sestriere. On the plus side - gallons of fresh powder.
that is all i've got to say about that........................... Evil or Very Mad

The only time I had a really bad experience on a package was with Crystal, other operators have been OK or good. Crystal, however, have been consistently poor when we've travelled with them, and one very bad trip meant that we booked DIY from then on. It usually cost a bit more, but we felt we were getting better value for money.

You know it makes sense.

I remember one crystal catered chalet (????) where there were loose wires. They had guests sleeping in an alcove above the living room. the food was half cooked as the chalet maid had broken her wrist. Hygiene was very debatable. The approach advocated by Boredsurfin was followed

Have also had some reasonable trips and we're going this year with them albeit self catered to forum apartments in courchevel. they are cheap and convenient-I got vetoed on doing it DIY basis but looking at it it would be difficult to book the accomodation we are staying in much cheaper than what we are paying inc flights and transfers.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

snowskisnow, Helen Beaumont, Yes Yes Yes! Haven't done a 'package trip' either ski or summer for at least 5 years and have never regretted it. Takes control and saves money (it usually does for us and on the odd occasion it doesn't the value for money quotient far outweighs the few quid) I can't think of any circumstances that I'd travel with a tour operator now if there was any possibility of organising the trip myself

A snowHead

A snowHead

We generally book package trips after finding the best deals on the web. When going with a group the consensus is usually "get it as cheap as you can". Hence we usually seem to end up with Crystal. Have only had one bad trip with them though. Couple of years ago, we landed in Chambery to be transferred to Les Arcs. However, we ended up playing musical coaches in the rain for about 2-3 hours as the reps couldn't decide who was to go on which bus. We then arrived in Bourg St Maurice to be transferred to minibuses and taken up the mountain. However, we waited there for about 2 hours. We were supposed to arrive in Les Arcs at about 5pm but didn't get there until about 11.30pm. No apologies from the reps either. We proceeded to have a fantastic holiday, then came the last day and the transfer back to Chambery (finding out our pick-up time was also a considerable effort). Anyway we waited in a car park for our bus which was 2 hours late and we arrived at the airport JUST in time to be rushed onto the plane. Again, reps seemed totally unconcerned about their bad organisational skills and not so much as an apology. Arrived back at Gatwick and waited around for an eternity for our bags - which didn't arrive. Nor did anyone else's who flew with Crystal as we were so late getting to the airport. Only upside is we travelled home with no bags and they were delivered to our door the next day. It seems their reps just don't care about customer service. Either that or very badly trained.

Having said all that, we're off to Serre Che on Sunday. Who are we flying with?........CRYSTAL Very Happy

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I stayed in a Thomsons chalet in La Ros a couple of years ago with the one next door being operated by Crystal (the 2 companies are in fact one). For identical food in a virtually identical chalet, the Crystal customers paid more ! At the end of the holiday, we were mini bussed down the hill to a central collection point and they tried to dump us on the kerb at ~05:00 with no rep or connecting bus in sight. We had a 2 year old with us so refused to budge. Then our transit bus "forgot" to pick us up. Eventually got to Lyon just in time for our 2pm flight, but that flight got delayed until 6pm.... still I went back to Thomo's but never again.
This year, our chalet was a 3 bed apt with a very young lad looking after us. It was not fair on him, Thomo's just lied in their brochure.
Looking for an independant chalet in Val D for next year...any ideas folks ?

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Sarge, Try Finlays www.finlayski.com friends of ours loved them. Not cheap but very good.

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Glad to see it's not just me then Toofy Grin

Our problem is that living in the deep dark westcountry we only ever seem to be able to get flights from Exeter with Crystal Sad

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provenjohn, Drive a bit further for your flight if you have to, it really is worth it.

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Frosty, Just had a look at Finlays and it looks good to me. Chalets rather than studios, honesty in the details (have to go out side, walk to ski bus etc) and prices seem competitive. Thanks, one to bookmark !

After all it is free

I endorse Frosty's comments on Finlays. I have stayed with them many times and their service is great.

Finlays are a middle-sized company and one of their directors lives in Val d'Isere. He has lived there for many years. Having him in the resort means the other resort staff are always alert, any customer comments can be given direct to the managment and immediate action taken.

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Hi - do Finlay Ski ONLY go to Val D'Isere? snowHead

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Anniepen, Have a look at the link above. They also do La Plagne & Courchevel.

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Anniepen, their website www.finlayski.com gives lots of details. Its opening words are

provenjohn, I've had worse with other TOs. Come to think of it, my experience with Crystal was poor, but not too bad by comparison with "the others".

But it's standard for Brit TOs to dick you around with transfers/flights. They normally run shoe-string budgets for coaches/planes hire (well, for everything else too, really) and then force you to fit within their miniscule financial budget. Which ain't much fun for punters. But is standard practice. Sadly, only way to avoid it is to avoid the budget TOs. There's a reason they're so cheap....

You know it makes sense.

We went with Crystal to Belle Plagne Hotel Turquoise in mid-January. We also had the 'we're waiting for another plane to arrive before the coach can leave' syndrome, which delayed us at least an hour (the other plane never arrived so eventually we left without them). Our 'double room' was a joke - single beds at opposite ends of the room- and the food was c**p. There were loads of kids under ten - why weren't they at school? and no control over them whatsoever. rolling eyes

We said three years ago w'd never use another tour operator again but guess what we succumbed to the 'ease' factor yet again. Next week I've done a DIY job to Ellmau and I'm sure it'll be much better.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I would endorse positive comments on Ski Olympic and Le Ski (latter a lot more expensive though) as good T0s. We have an apartment now and are entirely DIY but if you book last minute, the TOs can be a good deal (not booking far in advance though, which I never did). But to put in a word for the low-budget TOs, many of their guests do seem entirely clueless and to want the reps to do everything but wipe their bums. One of our party, in a (very cheap but good value) Ski World chalet, had an accident and was casevacced off the slopes. I rang our (separate) insurance, sorted out some stuff, did the paperwork with the clinic and the pharmacy to replace the leg brace she had been fited with etc. None of this was at all difficult and and although I speak some French this was Les Gets,and the pharmacy were very helpful, with excellent English. When I met the rep later she was completely stunned that I had done all this, and evidently expected me to throw up my hands and expect her to sort it all out. It had not occurred to me not to get on with it. Transfers seem a bone of contention with TOs - I have done that awful sitting around business too. But the costs are extremely low, and if you look at the cost of private taxi transfers, you can see that you probably get what you pay for. The travel business is pretty competitive I believe, so I can't believe they're raking in huge profits from low cost holiday makers. What DOES surprise me is some of the horror stories I have heard from my son, doing a season cooking in Val D'Isere, about the awfulness of some of the incredibly expensive operators there.

A snowHead

Crystals recruitment process involves baking a cake for 4 ppl to prove you can cook ?!?! and playing team games- I rest my case.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Lizzard, whether or not the shambolic transfers are the reps' fault is not the point; they might at least pretend to care.

If you have inside knowledge of the TO business, can you tell us why the large ones are so often cr*p (especially if it isn't down to doing evrything on a shoestring)? In particular, why can they not take a booking without getting it wrong? Every time I've booked though a TO, they've made a mistake, sometimes minor, sometimes major. Do they employ underqualified, undertrained muppets, in the same way that many banks and building socs do, or what?

The dis/uninterested things gets on mine, too.

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Lizzard, Their rep's may well not plan the transfers but the company they represent has taken my money for a service they are there to support Evil or Very Mad

I'm not psychic, just fed up with being treated like cattle by uninterested rep's who are presumably being paid to look after their companies customers. Twisted Evil

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I think we get what we pay for. As I say we are going to the Forum Aprts in Curchevel for £259 which was booked pre-Xmas as we were offered £200-£250 pp discount. Having looked at the website for these aprtments they weren't cheap to book privately so we're doing ok and I can prob put up with an extra hour's waiting at grenoble. Where it is galling when they sell obvious rubbish such as my experience in Val d'Sere

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I've always had very good service from Neilsens. They don't do the "keeping you at the airport" bit. We had a coach for 17 at Christmas from Saalbach. Also always found the staff to be effective and enthusiastic, if a bit inexperienced.

No commercial interests in them whatever, BTW. just a satisfied customer wanting to add a bit of balance. There are good TOs.

snowHead

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After all it is free

its not only crystal who are terrible first choice are also pretty terrible too however they have superb airline which is the the main reason i would recommend them over crystal -i speak from experinece had major bad experiences with both but crystal are by far the worse especialy with their surcharges policy,my solution self cater either drive or budget airlines use erna low and wowho you will have a wonderful holiday and with the money you save you can spend it on superb food in wonrful restaurants

crystal are flying me first choice airways Happy

I do a mix of both and so far I've been lucky and never had a package deal be that bad - with the exception of whoever sent me to the hotel catalunya in pas de la casa - awful place, but hey for £170 late deal I wasn't expecting much! aj xx

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My first chalet holiday was with crystal in La Plagne1800 and it was good. Great chalet made plenty of food etc. Second was with Airtours and it was hopeless...

Nowadays I'm much more into independent travel and/or the smaller operators e.g. Silver ski etc.

Help!!

Crystal Ski & customer service

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