LISTENING TO GUESTS A TOP PRIORITY AT ASPEN/SNOWMASS

Aspen/Snowmass, Colo… Aspen Skiing Company continues to improve their award-winning customer service for the 2008-2009 season.  Based on guest feedback, Aspen/Snowmass has increase their snowmaking and grooming ability in the past few seasons, as well as make significant upgrades to several of the company's facilities.

Customer Service Information 2008-2009

Every year, Aspen/Snowmass is working to improve the guest experience.  In addition to new restaurants including Sam's Smokehouse and Sneaky's Tavern in Snowmass, there will also be a new high speed quad called Sheer Bliss replacing the existing lift.  The Ajax Tavern at the base of Aspen Mountain was also redone for this season, with an expanded deck and seating inside.  The Gondola Plaza stairs at the base of Aspen Mountain are also being redone for even more convenience. 

Finally, an additional new 18 acres of terrain has been added to the Deep Temerity section at Aspen Highlands, called Canopy Cruiser.

Aspen/Snowmass employees will continue to create guest experiences that are memorable while renewing the human spirit.  Little things make the difference, such as free cocoa and coffee offered on the mountain, trail guides on lifts to show you the way, and the 145 on-mountain ambassadors available for questions and recommendations or just a smile.

The Ambassador Program

The Ambassador Program, established in 1994, is a group of friendly, local individuals with vast knowledge of the mountains and community. They are strategically stationed throughout base areas and on the mountains to greet our visitors and help them find their way. Ambassadors are easy to find in their Helly Hansen uniforms with a big "I" for information on their jackets. In addition to giving directions and passing out refreshments, they also conduct mountain tours providing guests with a simple the lay of the land at the beginning their trip. Ambassadors know the mountain inside out and treat their guests to some their favorite terrain.

Greet & Engage

Aspen Skiing Company aspires to being the industry's leader in customer service and delivering exemplary service is a core value for the company.  Each employee is trained in customer service and goes through the Greet & Engage program. Greet & Engage is a program developed by Aspen Skiing Company in 2004 to take the customer service training program one step further. The program offers simple, easy to grasp tips that deliver instant results toward positive employee-customer interaction.

Meet & Greet

Meet & Greet is a free one-hour service Aspen Skiing Company provides to pre-booked groups, scheduled through Group and Tour Services.  Top professionals from the award-winning Aspen/Snowmass Ski & Snowboard School deliver a welcome presentation to the group offering resort-wide information and providing inside tips on finding their way though the resort during their stay.

Awards & Recognition

In May 2005, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) awarded its first ever Customer Service Awards, designed to improve industry service, recognizing resorts for positive development in areas of employee training, guest incentives and overall service, NSAA awarded Aspen/Snowmass the very first Best Overall Customer Service Award in the industry. The resort reports guest return rates as high as 78 percent.

In January 2007, SnowSports Industries America (SIA) named the Aspen/Snowmass owned Four-Mountain Sports and D&E Ski & Snowboard Shop the Mountain Region SnowSports Retailer of the Year.  This distinction recognizes retailers for exemplary customer service and their ability to continue to expand customer base as well as innovative marketing ideas and outstanding retail promotions.

Also, in 2006-2007, D&E Women opened in downtown Aspen.  This new store is women's-specific and the first of its kind in snowsports.  D&E Women can fit customers in hard and soft goods for skiing and snowboarding, as well as provide designer goods for a night out on the town.

Director of Customer Services

The customer service experience is such an integral part of the company that a full-time Director of Customer Services was implemented in 2004.  The current director, Martha Marno Rose, works closely with Human Resources and Mountain Operations on training, employee recognition and ongoing customer service initiatives.  One highlighted initiative is the Customer Service Steering Committee made up of veteran employees from all areas of the company. The committee created a set of customer service standards for Aspen Skiing Company that are then customized by individual departments. 

Aspen Skiing Company operates the four mountains in the Aspen/Snowmass area - Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk - as well as the award-winning Ski & Snowboard Schools of Aspen/Snowmass. The area offers unparalleled nightlife and off-slope activities as well. Aspen/Snowmass is accessible by two of the most convenient airports in the mountains – Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) (3 miles from Aspen) and Eagle County Airport (EGE) (70 miles from Aspen). For more information on Aspen Skiing Company, please call 800-525-6200 or 970-925-1220, or visit the company's website at www.aspensnowmass.com.

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