 Poster: A snowHead
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| albinomountainbadger wrote: |
A shame really, as despite all the knee-jerk reactions witnessed in this thread, Ski Beat generally have a well-respected reputation across the board and are known to employ hosts with greater skill and maturity than other firms with a similar price-point, and take great pride in their childcare.
I really wouldn't let one bad holiday, or even one bad resort over a season, taint a whole firm and its other hard-working staff. |
| Boredsurfing wrote: |
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Ski Beat generally have a well-respected reputation across the board and are known to employ hosts with greater skill and maturity than other firms with a similar price-point
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 albinomountainbadger, I think that you are confusing Ski Beat with Silver Ski in making that comment. |
Boredsurfing...
Based on my expensive experience (not!) of observing Ski Beat staff vs. Esprit Staff in (ironically!) Plan-Peisey on one season then I actually agree with the comments about skill and maturity. Certainly the Ski Beat chalet hosts generally were probably of an average age closer to 28 compared to Esprit which probably were of an average age of 20. They came across as more dedicated and conscientious and when I had the odd chance to sample their catering it was great..
| albinomountainbadger wrote: |
Airline issues aside (I heard hundreds of similar if not as extreme tales during the extreme weather conditions recently), I have met the resort managers mentioned in a previous life and have to confirm the OP's assessment of GE. Sadly, they were actually fantastic chalet hosts but it was clear from the odd emotional moment that they would not be suited for any 'high-pressure' environment (despite being retired <people>) and how they got given a management role is beyond comprehension - promotion must have been based solely on guest feedback forms without any further investigation or discussion with colleagues.
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I made some similar comments on the other thread which has now lapsed, interesting that 2 different people have drawn the same conclusions...although I'm sure there's a large number of their chalet clients who think they are wonderful...but as we all know sometimes it's hard to shift from being a 'do-er' to being a boss.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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That's the whole point. It's your opportunity to enhance the social skills of the resort manager - encourage him/her to learn about your life and hobbies, and those aspects of your character they'd otherwise know nothing about.
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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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| Ernst Goldsmith wrote: |
| That's the whole point. It's your opportunity to enhance the social skills of the resort manager - encourage him/her to learn about your life and hobbies, and those aspects of your character they'd otherwise know nothing about. |
I disagree. In my experience, resort managers are older individuals employed for their organisational and people skills. The chalet hosts/staff are the youngsters out there to gain life skills and other things. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skibeat hosts we had on 2nd Jan were an "older" couple, he was 59 and recently retired - happy to be taking his "gap year"
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| jezza123 wrote: |
| Skibeat hosts we had on 2nd Jan were an "older" couple, he was 59 and recently retired - happy to be taking his "gap year" |
Whoa, that's right up there. 30/40's I'd say is usual. 
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des
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pite being retired <people>
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you say that likes it a good thing
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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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Come on folks - it is actually about giving the "billy no mates" resort manager a meal which costs very little, and shifting the pain between the chalets.
On one occasion - at a Bladon lines chalet back 20 years ago - where we had been told that the chalet girls were not - on pain of sacking - to refer to us as "punters" - we spent the entire meal with the resort manager referring to each other as Punter 1,2,3,4 etc. That - and inflating condoms with freshly opened beer bottles got rid of the pest quite quickly. Little things please little minds 
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stoatsbrother, Never call your customers punters, because one day without thinking you will be confused and call them pustomers ....
or cu.....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
| inflating condoms with freshly opened beer bottles |
Safe Becks
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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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http://www.2basnob.com/rating-beer.htm
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It is beyond the scope of this site to go into all the details of what gives a beer its flavor, but it’s helpful to know a few things. For instance, many times a homebrew will take on a rubbery flavor.
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nick0861, the assumption being that <such people>have undergone considerable training in defusing stressful situations rather than fuelling them.
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You know it makes sense.
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albinomountainbadger, not too sure what rozzers you have met
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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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So do we generally agree that the RM rocking-up mid-week for a freebee with the punters is more of a chore than a pleasure from a punter's perspective?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mollerski, yes
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's also a chore from a manager's perspective, unless they enjoy doing admin all morning, chasing tradesmen during the day and then going out for an obscenely rich and fatty meal with a group of strangers every night.
Note that chalet hosts who eat with their guests normally only ever have one course and spend the rest of the time pottering in the kitchen. Eating food dripping in butter and washing it down with wine five nights a week for five months straight is a health risk.
Of course what's being overlooked is that your host should explain that the manager would like to pop round but if you would prefer he doesn't it's entirely your choice.
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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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| albinomountainbadger wrote: |
It's also a chore from a manager's perspective... and then going out for an obscenely rich and fatty meal with a group of strangers every night.
Note that chalet hosts who eat with their guests normally only ever have one course and spend the rest of the time pottering in the kitchen. Eating food dripping in butter and washing it down with wine five nights a week for five months straight is a health risk. |
You've obviously been staying in a much higher calibre of catered chalet than anywhere i've ever been. Most low to mid budget chalets food isn't that great. It's just cheaper on balance & removes a lot of hassle for people that don't want to cook on self catering packages & the expense of eating out all of the time.
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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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We stayed in a chalet (low budget, v early season) where the chalet hosts were a hard working, conscientious but not very experienced young graduate couple. they explained their instructions were to eat with us, but they weren't really organised enough to do that yet - and asked us to be understanding. Which was no problem - and they did a good job. My son did very high-end chalet cooking for a couple of seasons - no way, absolutely no way, would he have been able to eat with the guests - he was working flat out in the kitchen, the whole time. He would not have been able to sit down and eat with them - though in one place, where he cooked for the Parisian owners of a very de luxe private chalet in Méribel, he enjoyed having a kitchen fairly open plan to the dining room, so he could communicate with the family and their guests to some extent, and have people wandering into the kitchen to ask what he was up to. He also enjoyed the stupefaction of some of his employer's friends when they discovered he had employed an English cook!
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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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Ski Beat (the subject of this discussion) expect their hosts to be 'hosts' and eat with the group. A quick glance at their website shows most of their chalets to be the open kitchen/dining area variety.
I've lived in the mountains for many years and sampled the food from a few companies. Although a fabulous treat, I could not eat it week-in week-out just as I could not eat a four or five course meal in a restaurant every night. So when it was explained that the resort managers were obliged to eat with guests rather than do simple visits or hold an office hour I was a bit taken aback.
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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 woudl be most unimpressed if the staff ate with the guests - snobbery it may be but i'm on holiday, I'm paying to be served, they aren't my mates and I want to choose who I socialise with. What I do like is the chef coming out to talk to guests after the meal.
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| I woudl be most unimpressed if the staff ate with the guests - snobbery it may be but i'm on holiday, I'm paying to be served, they aren't my mates and I want to choose who I socialise with. |
And this is "the friendliest ski club ever"? 
Top-end firms who operate as mini- 5* hotels do things as you expect but some smaller outfits view the staff as dinner party hosts rather than simple skivvies to remain silent and invisible until summoned. Choose carefully.
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holidayloverxx, I know what you mean - but it was ok when we went with SB a few years back, some interesting conversations. Plus I think if they are eating the same food as you, their is an incentive to ensure it is tasty 
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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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albinomountainbadger, I am extremely friendly and gregarious and often have a drink with the staff, but I don't see why a TO should mandate that I have to have dinner with folk who are being paid to sit there under an obligation . Why not let the punters choose? I have been with smaller outfits - staff far too busy to eat with clients; tbh I've never heard of this practice so I will look out for it in future.
I think we agree in part:
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It's also a chore from a manager's perspective, unless they enjoy doing admin all morning, chasing tradesmen during the day and then going out for an obscenely rich and fatty meal with a group of strangers every night.
..... Of course what's being overlooked is that your host should explain that the manager would like to pop round but if you would prefer he doesn't it's entirely your choice. |
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Boris, very good point!
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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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When I worked as a resort manager, I wouldn't have dreamed of dining with clients unless specifically invited to do so (which did quite often happen, in fact). That's common courtesy. TOs requiring their staff to eat with clients? Sounds bizarre.
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Hurtle, I know, I'm sure we asked our chalet host to sit down with us as far as I remember. I think the Skiworld rep ate with us most nights, but she was a fantastic host , good company and a wonderful chef. She was planning a career in classical music of some sort. Her mother lived in Alnwick, Northumberland.
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You know it makes sense.
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Then you only have yourself to give a bollocking if it all goes breasts up
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You are joking, aren't you? or not read all the complaints about eurotunnel, eurostar, gatwick airport snow clearing team, easyjet, BA etc etc. It was independent travellers who spent 3 nights sleeping rough at Chambery airport.
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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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moffatross, I've only ever had chalets for exclusive use - from a six person job to a 16 person place. And if the chalet host(s) wanted to eat with us, then that was welcomed, but we were definitely given the choice. And that was both Ski Beat and Silver Ski. However, I have been in the situation where we've informed the resort manager that her attendance at dinner was unnecessary. holidayloverxx does have a point - you've paid for the holiday, you should be able to choose not to spend it with dining with strangers.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rainman, 16 !! Our groups are never bigger than 8 which has always (so far) meant sharing with people we've never met before. I get your point and holidayloverxx's too though. I just wanted to get 'gimp ball' into one of my posts tonight.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, I think the whole point of this thread has shown not all TOs can look after their customers when it goes wrong.
I'd much rather be travelling independently - that means I can decide when to call it a day, look for a hotel, make other arrangements. Now wait around for someone else to make a decision/
Besides the only part of my journey where I am reliant on others is the Eurotunnel - which is generally very reliable. Yes they got it wrong at Xmas but as threads here showed many independant SHs crossed via ferries and were on their way with minimal delays. I bet the same can't be said for those waiting for TOs to sort out alternatives.
Without wishing to go down another TO v DIY it is obviously horses for courses. If you're happy to take the risk of sorting out things yourself then DIY, if you aren't then go TO, but accept that they get it wrong sometimes/
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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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| Boris wrote: |
Besides the only part of my journey where I am reliant on others is the Eurotunnel |
Don't tempt fate - French tollgate operatives might exercise their muscle one day!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We have been on loads aof large group chalet holidays and the staff have always been brilliant....and great fun. It has always been a pleasure for us to share our table with them.
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thefatcontroller, yes true - but it had a knock on to Eurotunnel
As for the AA, I wouldn't say I am reliant on them, they are there if I need them
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| It has always been a pleasure for us to share our table with them. |
I agree, and that's my experience too. The only problem is that once you've dished out the legs you might as well be eating off the floor.
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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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Ernst Goldsmith, we have stopped taking our own table due to excessive table carraige charges.
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moffatross, oh, that everyone should make as much effort!
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