 Poster: A snowHead
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I have to say that today I have been really taken aback by what I would call a very good piece of marketing.
I'm off to Austria on Saturday and the Resort Rep as phoned me this evening to ask if I had any questions or concerns about my pending holiday with them next week.
I must say that this is certainly something that I would not have expected to happen and I have never heard of it happening before on any holiday.
I take my hat of to the Resort Rep and he as certainly already earned himself quite a few brownie points so If I happen to have a major problem next week I'm sure that I will go much easier on him.
Having had a good chat about a few things I am now even more excited about my trip than I was before.
Congratulations are in order and what is an even bigger suprise is that it is a major tour company that I am travelling with ( Thomsons ).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wow...surely this must be a Thomson's policy - anyone else had any experience? None of the reps I've known would dream of doing that, let alone be able to afford the phone bill for calling everyone 
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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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The Scott Dunn rep rang me before my last trip with them.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Kramer wrote: |
| The Scott Dunn rep rang me before my last trip with them. |
Ditto, as did the chalet chef
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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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Rather than just Thomson I think it's a TUI thing, my crystal rep called me a week before I flew out to Courmayeur
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Chalet lad rang me last year before a trip to Verbier with SkiVerbier, he was brilliant with is follow up too, cooked well and was a great host. Its probably becoming the norm quickly but I think its still a new thing
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mmmm does "Chalet Lad" sound condescending and a bit pompous, sorry that came out wrong 
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We also had a call last year. It seemed good on the surface, but when we got there we found a chalet "host" that used tea towels for wiping the floor and left off-cuts from food all around the kitchen/living room, sweeping them "under" rather than "up".
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yeah had this both times we travelled with Crystal last year, admittedly both trips were in their Finest brochure where they do say that it will happen. would seem they have extended over their whole holiday bookings then.
Its quite good giving you the low down on whats happening, anything you want to know etc. But I would think its also marketing as they tried to ask us if we wanted to book any apres stuff too
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Would yo believe we only paid £240 each for a weeks sking so It's not even as though we are booked on anything special.
I would have been less suprised if it was a small specialist company or private chalet.
I have to take my hat off to him.
Hope he lives up to his first impressions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Super Eagle wrote: |
I have to say that today I have been really taken aback by what I would call a very good piece of marketing.
I'm off to Austria on Saturday and the Resort Rep as phoned me this evening to ask if I had any questions or concerns about my pending holiday with them next week.
I must say that this is certainly something that I would not have expected to happen and I have never heard of it happening before on any holiday.
I take my hat of to the Resort Rep and he as certainly already earned himself quite a few brownie points so If I happen to have a major problem next week I'm sure that I will go much easier on him.
Having had a good chat about a few things I am now even more excited about my trip than I was before.
Congratulations are in order and what is an even bigger suprise is that it is a major tour company that I am travelling with ( Thomsons ). |
Whats a resort rep - is that what you get on a club 18-30 holiday?
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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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bertie bassett, No.
All the major tour operators have reps in most of the resorts they operate to.
Those are "resort reps".
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Call me cynical, if a rep called me I would assume it was for marketing purposes - build up the relationship so I will book lots of trips etc. I really don't want to hear anything at all from a rep, unless I go to them.
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You know it makes sense.
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holidayloverxx, Ok, you're cynical!
I get where you are coming from, but equally for some, less experienced skiers, such a phonecall prior to the trip could have had genuine benefits. Surely any "good" customer service could be deemed a ploy to encourage you to further utilise their services?
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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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johnnyboy, OK, I'll grant that one.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| alex_heney wrote: |
bertie bassett, No.
All the major tour operators have reps in most of the resorts they operate to.
Those are "resort reps". |
I was being somewhat facetious..as I tend to DIY my ski-trips unless going in a big group then I really don't feel I need a 'resort-rep' to hold my skipoles for me.
If I want to find out in advance about the place I read WTS&S, Google a lot and then search then post on here. Half the fun of a new place is finding your way around after all..
I'll admit to being taken on a worst choice holiday and the transfer rep was hilarious - "it gets cold up the mountain so make sure you have lots of warm layers on"...purlease..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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bertie bassett,
You need to Chill. Not only am I a qualified instructor but I will also not buy into the whole evening extra's thing.
Once I'm in resort I too do not need the use of the reps other than to get my lift pass for me which saves me the hassle upon arrival.
You need to broaden your mind and not narrow your thoughts into thinking that just becuase you travel independantly that you are somewhat superior to those who are being transfered on a tour bus.
I too have had many trips where by I sort everything out myself but sometimes you have to look at where the best deals are.
£665 at Christmas in full catered chalet in France for two. £480 for two for this trip. I could not have done it much cheaper myself withou making compromises which leaves me with money spare to grab another late deal at Easter or for the ESOB.
Most Reps are not that clued up and the pro active nature of this young rep is what took me by suprise. I think the lad needs a bit of praise for actually showing an interest.
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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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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| I really don't want to hear anything at all from a rep, unless I go to them. |
Surely the best thing about the rep phoning you in the week before you travel is a 1st hand snow report?
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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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Elizabeth B, Absolutely. I generally DIY these days but have skied in the past with Interski who have always called a couple of days before the trip to say hello and describe snow conditions. I didn't realise the big boys were doing it too. 
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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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The Thompson Rep in Saalbach (Tom) Is amazing really nice guy loads of info and looks after his guests. We where not with thompson but he still looked after us another person we meet in resort was on his own and the rep checked in with him everyday to make sure he had somone to drink with every night etc.
This wasnt a sales thing he was just amazing and looking after his guests! Makes a nice change 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| I really don't want to hear anything at all from a rep, unless I go to them. |
Surely the best thing about the rep phoning you in the week before you travel is a 1st hand snow report? |
I get that from snowHeads  and that's the day before or even the day of travel (fortunately this season I am going where there are peeps out ther posting every day)
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Thomson and Crystal have a policy that the rep should call everyone who booked direct (i.e. not through a travel agent) the week before they are due to fly out. Apparently the reason behind it was better customer service etc, so that the customers could ask questions about the resort and conditions etc. I do know some reps who've used the calls for their own benefit - asking guests to bring tea bags etc!
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nice, well I guess I get a call from Crystal, they are welcome to leave a message on my voicemail
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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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nice, I offered to birng out aything the rep was missing - marmite, junk magazines etc but shse didn;t take advantage of my offer.
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| Super Eagle wrote: |
bertie bassett,
You need to Chill. Not only am I a qualified instructor but I will also not buy into the whole evening extra's thing.
Once I'm in resort I too do not need the use of the reps other than to get my lift pass for me which saves me the hassle upon arrival.
You need to broaden your mind and not narrow your thoughts into thinking that just becuase you travel independantly that you are somewhat superior to those who are being transfered on a tour bus.
I too have had many trips where by I sort everything out myself but sometimes you have to look at where the best deals are.
£665 at Christmas in full catered chalet in France for two. £480 for two for this trip. I could not have done it much cheaper myself withou making compromises which leaves me with money spare to grab another late deal at Easter or for the ESOB.
Most Reps are not that clued up and the pro active nature of this young rep is what took me by suprise. I think the lad needs a bit of praise for actually showing an interest. |
I take your point about the pricing, but my last 5 trips have all been 3/4 days as I don't have too much time free from work. If I had a week free then I would consider go with a t/o where the deal was either so great or there's so many of us going that it would be painful to do it any other way - erm like the 24 we're going with to st.anton
I don't feel superior to not being on a transfer bus - it's just that I don't see much point in a rep. I can usually find my way around a resort ok especially once I've read the map - it's not hard to rent kit of your own back and the last thing I would let them do is organise my lift tickets. We were in ADH on a group holiday and then were only delivered to my chalet at 10:30 on sunday morning when we were there from around 13:00 on the saturday.
Still the nice thing about the slopes is that there's lots of ways of getting time on the snow and there's different strokes for different folks..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| bertie bassett wrote: |
| I don't feel superior to not being on a transfer bus - it's just that I don't see much point in a rep. |
That's great, but many people do. Often the rep is a useful person if things go belly up. Generally they know the resort, know the medical personel, piste rescue and can often speak the local language better than me!
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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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Elizabeth B, 100% agree. it's those circumstances when I would be looking for my rep. That said, as long as I've got their phone number I don't need the extra contact. appreciate that it might be a comfort/service thing for others.
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