 Poster: A snowHead
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Is this unreasonable?
I have a bad cold - at home keeping my germs to myself. Have phoned to ask if I can postpone tonights lesson to next week and the uncompromising answer is no - if i don't attend tonight then the money is wasted.
The manager has said that perhaps if I get a doctors sick note they might consider moving the lesson - but that would involve going to an already overburdened NHS just for a piece of admin.
Now I understand that they're a business, but then again I'm a customer who was wanting another 3 or 4 lessons before going on holiday - now unlikely i'll have anymore at their slope. Even offered to meet them in the middle, and pay half the cost on the postponed lesson rather than the full cost. Given that i was talking to the manager, all she kept saying was that she had to stick to the rules... since when can'y a manager change things for the goodwill of a customer?
So am tempted to go along tonight and give my germs to the receptionist, the manager, the guy that gives out the boards, the actual instructor and the staff in the coffee shop.
Given that I've spoken to the manager - anyone know where I can take this further? Does Gloucester slope have an owner or will it be a board of directors that i can send a letter to.
Also - it makes me feel better knowing that you guys know just how useless their customer service approach is...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mountain mad, that's so annoying. If you're up to going, then go. It's gotta be better than wasting the money. If you don't, then I'd consider a strongly worded letter to the manager - it might be that she'll be more reasonable given time to consider it.
Alternatively, you could change your username to dry-slope mad 
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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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What's the big deal? They've employed an instructor to give you a lesson tonight. You're offering them less than 24 hours notice of cancellation.
You want them to carry the insurable risk, but normally the burden is on the consumer to insure against risk of illness and cancellation.
If you'd bought a theatre, cinema or gig ticket for tonight and couldn't go, would you expect a refund for the same reason?
Sorry, but if the terms and conditions of the purchase of the ski lesson were accepted by you in booking the lesson then you're in a contract. Such is life.
I don't think Gloucester Ski Centre are adopting an unreasonable attitude here. Get well soon!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Although I don't speak in an official capacity, here is an extract from our (cardiff) website:-
"No refunds will be issued in the event of any lesson(s) being cancelled by the customer. Customers cancelling lessons 48 hours or more before the start date may be issued a credit towards an alternative lesson. Credits are issued at the discretion of the management and are valid for three months."
Much as we might wish it to be otherwise mountain mad, I'm afraid David's right here 
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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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It's a question of how accommodating they wish to be. Our local dry ski slope is an hours drive away and they even encourage us to ring them on the day in inclement weather to check what it is like. Mind you it could be that the lessons are for two small children and they have had several lessons, not to mention what we have spent in the shop.
We first went to the Tamworth Snowdome and all they wanted was our money. If you have plenty of customers you can afford to be more ruthless. 
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mountain mad, I have to agree with Alan and David here, but if you ring and book another 3 or 4 lessons you could possibly sort a deal out with them.
Chris B, don't mention Tamworth to me. The first time I tried to ski there we rang to book as there was a two hour drive, there were eight of us and we were going the next day. We were told we couldn't book, but just turn up - there'd be no problem. We turned up and found they'd rented the slope to some Bank for the day. Cheers Lads!
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I've just had an update from "da management" - she says that we're not so ruthless, although it is officially the policy they would try and accommodate when possible 
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mountain mad, I'm afraid I agree withDavid Goldsmith, andAlan Craggs, more notice would be required as they may have refused other clients in your time slot. Thus they would lose twice over. Having said that I wish more people would not bring their germs here !!!!! 
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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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Hi guys, feeling a bit better as i've just had a sleep from 3 till 7.
The ski slope sold the lessons to some other people - weren't private - just part of their general group lessons.
Found this out as I decided to go and get a doctors note and phoned up to tell them. They then said don't bother we'll transfer the lesson to another time now without the problem.
So problem solved... manager was much nicer to me on the phone and not quite so unflexible... and now i've had a sleep i'm a lot less mad!
Alan - I think that all I needed was a little understanding like 'da management'. I was prepared to pay for a second lesson but maybe a bit discounted if possible. Was just balking at the thought of paying £56 for 1 hour of lesson. Accept all the points made...
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At the end of the day, they're providing a service and there is an element of truth in "the customer is always right". Clearly you want to avoid customers ripping you off, but likewise you have to remember that bad news travels a lot quicker and wider than good - and unless you're lucky enough to have a monopoly (which the local slope might have) then you'd better do all you can to keep custom when you are lucky enough to have it.
I'm just talking typical business sense. Basically they should be asking themselves, "what will it cost me if I do / don't do this?" If the net result is that it'll cost you more in the long run to do it, chances are you won't bother (unless you're feeling generous), otherwise you will. Simple.
To take easiski as an example: (sorry Charlotte) she may find customers coming back and - more importantly - recommending LDA/easiski on the basis of a particularly good experiences. Likewise, a particularly bad experience is likely to result in the same person spreading the word about 'poor' service. I'm sure easiski is overflowing with business (based, if nothing else on the particularly good rates they seem to charge!!) but generally, for such a community-based activity as skiing, I'm sure good service is pretty vital.
Everybody has a bad day in the office - particularly if you're customer-facing. But I'm sure if the manager in question had been the owner, then she'd have had a very different perspective on what was the sensible thing to do.
Just my 2p...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Like Alan my jaw dropped when I saw £56 per hour. Was it for two in a group lesson? 
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Alan Craggs, I rang the Xscape slope at Castleford this morning to see if they had any carving lessons before I went away (a tip from Russell in Leeds as they're usually under subscribed) - they didn't.
So I asked about private lessons,
Off peak -£120 per hour.
Peak times - £160 per hour.
Get North lad. First we nick yer Union players - now we're after your ski instructors 
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You know it makes sense.
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Mountain Mad, I'm interested in some lessons at Gloucester so a first hand report would be great (esp given the £56 cost). Let us know how you get on.
Also, is the Gloucester slope dendix or Snowflex?
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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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marc gledhill, Do people actually pay £120+ per hour for private lessons?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Chris B, well I bl**dy well wouldn't. I can get a private lesson on the Halifax dry slope for about £20 - or I could a few years ago anyway.
I can't see there being much take up in Yorkshire at that price, we're a little careful with our money. I bet they copied the MK price structure, so I'd guess the price will drop in a while.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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£120/£160 per hour - thats the total cost for a group isn't it!? surely there's no way anyone would have the cheek to charge that for a private lesson let alone anyone being enough of a muppet to pay it!!!!!?????!!
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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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Adam Holt, that's just the information I was told on the phone.
If it's private I presume you can go with a gang of friends to keep costs per head down, but the price is by the hour irrespective of numbers.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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marc, I wasn't for one second suggesting that you paid it, or that you were therefore one of Kermit's companions!
Surely nobody would actually contemplate paying that? its even outrageously expensive for a group!
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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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Adam, the first part of your post was a question and I was only trying to answer that.
Nowt wrong with a muppet though
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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As an overworked GP (thanks for acknowledging thatmountain mad) I'd be pretty miffed at the request for a Dr's note for this sort of thing. We charge £10-£15 for this non DSS note requests as a deterrent as much as anything at our practice, just because it prevents employers from using us as their HR person in the event of illness.
I'm glad to hear you are better and that Glos have found an acceptable solution.
Boardski, last time I went (probably 3 years ago) it was dendix, but the appeal of skiing on a mat into the glow of sodium lights is quite limited.
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easiski, just goes to show the value you get in france
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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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I have to say that the policy at the slope where I work is somewhat different. We would have moved your lesson without question. *Shameless Plug* Telford Ski Centre
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Hi guys
The lessons are £23 - but because I thought I would have to pay twice because I would have missed the lesson to my pocket it would have felt like £56.
(In actual fact it would have been £112 - because there was two of us booked and both of us are ill - have given the cold to each other!)
Went to the Gloucester slope on Monday and although they do say they have snowflex, it is only on a small section where they have built a half pipe and some jumps, the rest including learning slopes is dendix. The place looks fairly old and tatty when you compare it to the new places like Castleford - but I guess that's to be expected as its been around a while now. Am glad I've bought my own boots though! Am hoping though that the instruction is better than Castleford for the same reason - hope the instructors have more experience... will let you know...
Martin - that was one of my biggest gripes - demanding a sick note implies that they didn't believe my word that I was genuinely ill. And having been to the doctors to pick up a repeat prescription I saw just how busy it is at the moment - the receptionists were frantic...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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With regard to Xscape charging £120+ for a private lesson....
I was told that it is because they don't have any spare instructor hours to give private lessons, therefore they have to buy an instructor in (not sure where from?). Therefore they put the price so ridiculously high to ensure that no one will ever book one.
Not sure how true that is, but it makes sense.
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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, it'd be easier not to offer them.
I'm pretty sure it's done so that groups using a private instructor don't undercut the normal ski class prices, or even the free ski prices come to that.
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At a certain dry slope here, privates are charged depending on how many people they are for. Surely that solves the problem?
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FAQ
do you mean they're charging £28 each for a group lesson? Scary stuff 
