 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello all,
I'm doing my first ski season this year with Crystal. I know I'm going to be posted in France but further to that I don't know where they are posting me. Having done similar stuff before, they often post you to a place if you are knowledgeable or enthusiatic about a particular area or resort.
Can anyone recommend a resort in the Alps that would be ideal for an entire seaosn in terms of;
-Snow
-Apres-ski
-Ski area
Any previous experience reps may have would be very much appreciated.
Cheers
Matt
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snow_bum, welcome to snowheads, and I hope you have a fantastic season, work hard and enjoy it all (or most of it, anyway). However, if I were interviewing you with a view to deciding where you should be placed I wouldn't be too impressed if your knowledge of a particular resort came from a forum, rather than first hand experience!!!!!
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I was a chalet-boy with Crystal in Meribel about a decade ago. We were all v jealous of the commission that the reps managed to earn. Effectively, they get a cut of the money raised from guests in terms of lift passes, ski hire, restaurant bookings, pub-crawls, quiz nights etc. As such, alhough you would be made to work a bit harder, any resort with lots of chalets (i.e. lots of guests) would give you the greatest chance of earning money. Most of the large resorts also have good ski areas and snow records.
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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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snow_bum,
Do you get a choice? was under the impression that you gave a wish list but the employer had final say over placement.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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A good place to ask that would be natives.co.uk
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Welcome to snowHeads.
| pam w wrote: |
| ... However, if I were interviewing you with a view to deciding where you should be placed I wouldn't be too impressed if your knowledge of a particular resort came from a forum, rather than first hand experience!!!!! |
I don't see what is wrong with him asking on here - how else is he going to make a judgement on where best to ask to be sent?
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snow_bum, Chamonix would be my choice... nice short reliable transfer, a proper town to live in, tons of variety to hold your interest from a personal skiing perspective, spectacular setting, places to hide (have you practiced your disappearing technique yet) and plenty of add-ons to sell.
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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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Me neither. Seems a sound way of doing things.
snow_bum, have you been anywhere in France before? If so, did the resorts 'tickle your fancy' so to speak?
I've only been to La Plagne and Les Gets/Morzine but both were great places. La Plagne is deffo a brilliant place to be throughout the season but as mentioned, is has a limited nightlife but amazingly vast ski area. Have heard Les Arcs is also very good. Really good snow throughout the season tooo, plus loads of off-piste.
Les Gets/Morzine is another brilliant area and of course you have the link to the 650km of Portes Du Soleil. However, LG and Morzine are low (1000m) so be mindful of less snow cover.
If you have a choice then why not err towards the major areas like Espace Killy, Chamonix, LDA, Paradiski? Enjoy...
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Cheers for the advice. I'm not sure about having any choice. I assume I don't really get any real say but I know from previous experience, if you butter up the right people and say the right things, you get can have some limited influence.
I've been to Alp d'Huez, Montgenevre, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Claviere in France. So I've got some experience of the area.
Is there any advice people could give in general from the perspective of being rep out in resort? For example, how to set about getting a few freebies or cultivating the relationships that are gonna make life a lot more enjoyable out there?
Thanks
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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snow_bum, You may get a more informed/up to date answer by asking the same question on Natives 
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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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| snow_bum wrote: |
I've been to Alp d'Huez, Montgenevre, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Claviere in France. So I've got some experience of the area.
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Err, Claviere is in Italy! 
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I'd have thought that going in with an attitude of where will I get the best freebies is a recipe for disaster. If you like somewhere you've been ask to be posted there, but most resorts aren't that big such that you couldn't spend a day going round the shops, bars and restaurants in order to ascertain what they were like and be in a position to "advise" clients as to their merits. Be aware that a lot of punters will assume that as a rep you'll be on a kick back so may take your advice with a pinch of salt.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm certainly not looking for a resort on the strength of how many handouts or freebies I may be able to receive. I'm trying to understand some of the 'tricks of the trade' that some past reps may have employed to make life a little easier. Wherever I end up I'm going to make the most of it and do the job properly. The number of times I've been on a ski holiday and had to deal with brainless, ignorant reps makes me want to make a proper fist at it.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cheers all
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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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snow_bum, welcome and it's fine to ask for advice on here! When I was a Supertravel rep many moons ago, my first main criterion - with a view to being able to do a decent job for the clients - was the ability to speak the relevant language, French in my case, and the second was a short transfer - mainly because I get travel sick, and puking over the clients is probably contra-indicated. I ended up in Verbier (where, disappointingly, virtually the only times I ever spoke French was to my coach drivers every week, and I'm sure that's the same for reps there now). I appreciate Verbier isn't in France, and for France, I'd definitely go along with Bode Swiller's advice, Chamonix ticks all the boxes and is a proper - and very nice - town in which it will be easier to keep your clients (and yourself) happy, even if the weather is very inclement. It's amazing to think, incidentally, given all this talk of melting snowcaps, glaciers etc, that when I did my season in Verbier, back in the dark ages, we actually ended up transferring clients to other resorts because there was so little snow at the end of the season!
Roy Hockley,
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As an employer if I felt that you are looking to find the tricks of the trade ahead of looking after my customers I would not offer you a job!
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Tricks of the trade include many which can be used for the benefit of the company and its customers, and I think you've been a bit harsh in the light of snow_bum's post timed at 1539 yesterday.
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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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The resort with least punters.
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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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Hurtle cheers for the advice. I agree, my original point was made in terms of being efficient and pro-active as a rep, not trying to con the customers.[/list][/quote]
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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 would not suggest La Plagne. Apres is limited and nightlife poor. Lots of motorway skiing and then not much interesting until and unless you go offpiste (in which case things change dramatically, but how much opportunity would you have to ski it?) Les Arcs possibly a better choice in that area - more varied skiing although possibly less really interesting offpiste.
I'd say Alpe d'Huez has better terrain than Plagne (and still has some great offpiste if that's relevant). Chamonix would of course be great. Les Deux Alpes would be good, probably.
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Hurtle, Working for myself can burn candle at both ends, you may know what its like! I too have worked for tour companies though sadly not skiing, and I would have put the customers interests first. Maybe that is what the OP meant by looking for freebies!
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snow_bum, Glad to hear it. Let us know where you are going!
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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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Roy Hockley, well, my experience is that, whatever the job is, it's more enjoyable if one commits to it 100% - even if some of the clients are annoying, and the majority forget to say please or thank you, bless 'em!
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Hurtle, I know its annoying but if one was of that mind you could have the last laugh .... They are paying for your lifestyle
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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How about Val d'Isere. Was there about 15 years ago admittedly, but the skiing was excellent and apres ski pretty good for French standards. Was in La Plagne a few years ago with the kids but you could tell that the apres ski sucked big time. Also Val is full of Brits, so looking at some of the other comments, you would get a decent share of profits? Good snow record too. In my experience the French apres is not a patch on Austrian and now find myself returning year after year to St Anton
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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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You want a trick of the trade that Crystal use (probably others as well I'm sure) well here's one
Make a big deal out of selling lift passes on the transfer coach, tell them that you charge the same rate as the lift pass office which is true. Then when the gullable ski virgin gets his credit card out to pay you the € 700 for his family lift pass you give him the most horendous exchange rates and charge 2% on top as they say it is a cash advance.
In my experience a family pass is about £30 or so more expensive when bought on the transfer coach and I am sure there is another deal to be done with the lift pass office. Just don't expect to get one over on a seasoned snow bum, but it is unlikely they would be on your coach anyway, unless it was a last minute bargain.
Enjoy your season, wish I had done it when I was younger, my youngest son is thinking of doing a season after his A-levels and I will be behind him 100%.
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Are ski reps allowed to take groups out officially on certain days on piste?
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You know it makes sense.
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skilegs, I believe as hosts not guides! A bit of semantics involved, and they are definately not allowed to "teach". I know that Mrs RH when she goes with the scandinavians with a TO they always have hosts to take them around. In fairness have availed of the likes of Crystal, Inghams et al on their hosting days, no problem.
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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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In most cases you will be expected to sell lift passes, equipment hire and tuition on transfer coaches from the airport. The guests will not be getting a bad deal (exchange rates aside) but you will need to promote the fact that it's more convenient to get a pass from the rep. Most self-named seasoned snow-bums have probably already spent thousands on equipment they only use twice a year at most and probably won't be that bothered about an extra £30!
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Poster: A snowHead
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exchange rates aside
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FAQ
