National Ski Patrol’s Mountain Host

1. Savvy, Safety and Service Training National Ski Patrol’sMountain Host

2. Savvy, Safety and Service Industry Savvy Mountain Host

3. The Future of the Industry • Who’s who? • Model for Growth • Climate and Environment • Teamwork and Collaboration • Mountain Hosts

4. Skiographics • Aging populations - average age 36.6 - in 97/98 avg age was 33.2 • 61% male, 39% female • 89% Caucasian • 48% families • 28% single no kids • 12% married no kids • 12% empty nesters • Snowboarding growth levels off at 29.6% of skier visits • Retention in older segments good • Reported ability level higher • Season pass usage up

5. NSAA’s Model for GrowthPurpose and Overview • To advance and protect the future of the industry • To assess and quantify the effects social and economic factors are having on the industry • To determine what might happen if the industry failed to act

6. NSAA Model for GrowthKey Initiatives • Trial • Conversion • Retention • Diversification • Women • Minorities • Families

7. NSAA Model for GrowthUpdate 2008 • The bad news • Trial • Conversion • Retention • The unexpected news • Revival • Increased International & Canadian visits • The bottom line news • We grew slightly but in unpredicted ways • If we had failed to act on the model for growth there would be approx. 15 million fewer visits in the 07/08 season • We’re not over the hump yet…

8. Moving Forward • The 2020 deadline • The urgency of youth and diversity • Economic challenges beyond our control • Stagnant income growth and increasing economic divide

9. Industry Environmental Stewardship • Environmental Charter • Environmental Code of the Slopes • Keeping Winter Cool

10. NSAA’s Sustainable Slopes Environmental Charter Vision To be leaders among outdoor recreation providers by managing our businesses in a way that demonstrates our commitment to environmental protection and stewardship while meeting public expectations. • Planning & Design • Construction • Operations • Energy Conservation & Clean Energy • Waste Management • Fish and Wildlife • Forest and Vegative Management • Wetlands and Riparian Areas • Air Quality • Visual Quality • Transportation • Education and Outreach

12. Environmental Code of the Slopes • Dispose of waste properly: Recycle your glass, plastics, aluminum and paper at resorts. Reuse trail maps on your next visit or recycle them rather than throwing them away. Never throw trash, cigarette butts or other items from the lifts. • Respect wildlife: Observe trail closures, seasonal closures, and ski area boundaries. These closures are in place not only for your safety, but the well-being of plants and animals located in sensitive areas. In summer, stick to designated trails when hiking and biking to avoid disturbances to vegetation and wildlife. • Be considerate of other guests: Respect other guests, protect the quality of their experience, and let nature’s sounds prevail. • Carpool with friends and family or use transit to reduce warming pollutants as well as traffic and congestion. • Turn off the lights when leaving your room and reuse bath towels and linens to help conserve energy and water. • Use washable tableware and silverware in cafeterias and lodges instead of paper or plastics to help us reduce waste. • Take advantage of environmental or alpine education programs offered at ski areas to learn more about the surrounding environment and how to help protect it. • If you have kids, get them involved in environmental and alpine education programs at a young age. • Support “clean up days” or other environmental programs at your local ski area. • Provide feedback and let ski areas know how they can improve their environmental performance.

13. Inter-Departmental Relations • Silos • An "us-versus-them" approach to communications and fighting for organizational resources • Improvements or changes in one department hurts the effectiveness of other departments • Silos suppress Human • Communication • Relationships • Partnerships • The Seamless Experience • Silos prevent the alignment of the organization with the customer’s need, and priorities

14. How Do Mountain Hosts Fit In? • Provide a singular, unimpeded focus on the guest experience • An opportunity to bridge between silos • Offer guests a unbiased ‘map’ of resort infrastructure • Offer resorts a unique staff skill set and functionality • Following the traffic pattern of the guest user

15. This concludes Mountain Host Training Part I, Industry Savvy. Please take a moment, stand up, stretch and take a break prior to beginning Part II, Mountain Safety!

16. Savvy, Safety and Service Mountain Safety Mountain Host

17. Mountain Safety • Mountain Host Tools of the Trade • Alpine Awareness • Slope Safety • Industry Campaigns

18. Alpine Environment AwarenessMountain Host Equipment • Incident Scene Report Pad and small notebook • Space Pen or Sharpie • Leather Man/Army Knife • Trail Maps • Resort Information Cards with key numbers • Mountain Host Business Cards • Disposable lighter • Quick wax & scraper • Optional • Medical supplies • Transceiver • Marking flares • Whistle

19. Alpine Environment AwarenessGeneral Tips • Warm up and stretch before the first run • Drink plenty of water. Be careful not to become dehydrated • Have your equipment regularly inspected and conditioned • Curb alcohol consumption. Skiing and snowboarding do not mix well with alcohol or drugs. • Take a lesson • Know your limits • Have fun

20. Alpine Environment AwarenessDress for Success Stretch Ventilation Padding Layers • Wicking layer • Long underwear • Socks • Insulation layer • Turtleneck • Fleece • Sweater • Vest • Protection layer • Ski pants • Jacket/shell • Hat or headband • Neck gator • Gloves or mittens • Face mask • Fabrics • Windstopper • Gore-tex • Fleece • Wool • Cotton • Silk • Synthetic • Accessories • Sunglasses • Goggles • Sunscreen • Lip Balm • A Smile…

21. Alpine Environment AwarenessMountain Savvy • Snow conditions • Hard pack • Frozen granular • Mashed potatoes/spring snow • Powder • Packed powder • Trail Marking the easiest trails at a resort trails that are more difficult trails that are the most difficult trails that are extremely difficult Terrain park

22. Slope SafetyCommon Injuries • Your What Hurts? • Dehydration • Frostbite • Altitude sickness • Head injuries – Concussion • Wrist sprain • Skier’s thumb • ACL – Meniscus Rotation Injuries • reversing itself over the past 3 – 5 years (30 – 35%) • due to shorter skis • Mid-shaft tibial fractures • down from the 70s but currently on the rise • due to inadvertent binding releases

23. Slope SafetyPersonal Protective Equipment • Helmet use increases about 5% annually • Designed for maximum protection at 12mph or under • Reduces the incidence of minor head injuries by about 30 – 50% (scalp lacerations, concussions and contusions) • 40% of the public wear them • 2 – 9 years 64% • 10 – 14 years 56% • 18 – 24 years 26% • 55 – 64 years 54%

24. Slope SafetyInherent Risk • 37.1 fatalities annually • 43.7 serious injuries per year • Only 6.4 of these are collisions • Skiers are 3x more likely to be involved in collisions than snowboarders • Who gets hurt? • Skiers • Male • Ages – late teens to late 30s

25. Slope SafetyPerspective

26. Slope SafetyIndustry Campaigns • Your Responsibility Code • Heads Up. You’re responsible. • Lids on Kids • Smart Style • terrainparksafety.org

27. This concludes Mountain Host Training Part II, Mountain Safety. Please take a moment, stand up, stretch and take a break prior to beginning Part III, Guest Service!

28. Savvy, Safety and Service Guest Service Mountain Host

29. Service Mountain Style • Return Guests • What’s in it for Me? • Criteria of Satisfaction • Mountain Hosts S.L.I.D.E. • Service Recovery • Handling the Difficult Guest

30. We Want You Back! • We will pay up to 10% more for the same product with better service • If we receive good service we will tell an average of 12 people about it • We will tell an average of 20 people about bad service • Only 1 out of 25 guests will tell you when something has gone wrong • 16 of those guests will just never come back again • If you resolve the complaint you have a 54% chance of getting the guest back again • If you resolve quickly you have a 82% likelihood the guest will return, and they are twice as likely to tell their story then if it were positive, it is also likely that the overall experience will compel them to write a letter • It costs between five and six times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. • Two-thirds of customers do not feel valued by those serving them.

31. Valuing Others • keep your promises • be willing to help • inspire confidence • treat them as individuals • make it easy to do business with you • all the physical aspects of your product or service give a favorable impression

32. What’s in it For Me? Satisfied Customers… • stay with the company longer • deepen their relationship with company • demonstrate less price sensitivity • recommend company's products or services to others

33. Reality Check • Our key business drivers are the expectations and perceptions of the customer • Our front line is critical in measuring and meeting customer expectations • Customers change their mind a lot • We change the front line a lot • Today’s customer may not be tomorrow’s

34. Satisfaction Criteria "If you aim to profit, learn to please."~Winston Churchill • Product quality • Ease of procedures • Personal contact quality

35. S.L.I.D.E. • Seek • Listen • Inform • Deliver • Enthusiasm

36. Coffee Stains

37. Complaints are like Snowflakes “Business is a lot like tennis; those who don’t serve well usually end up losing.” ~Jim Clemmer • You only get 1 out of 25 • Rare, precious and unique • If there aren’t enough naturally people are pretty good making them • What do you do with a complaint? • L.A.S.T.

38. Service Recovery • Recovery means to return to normal, get things back in balance or good health. • Do it right the first time, fix it if it fails. • Problems exist when the guest says they do, anytime the customer is upset, dismayed, angered, or disappointed. • If the guest thinks it’s a problem, it’s a problem. • Remember: There are no third chances. • Three ways to make customers right. • Assume innocence. • Look for learning opportunities. • Believe your customer

39. Guests From Hell Are Guests Too • Develop some perspective- real guests from hell are relatively few and far between. • Remember that you are a pro- you know your job and your company. • Be a master of the art of calm – let the upset and anger wash over you without sticking. Approaches to Obnoxious Guests • See no evil, hear no evil. • Surface the tension. • Build contractual trust.

40. Snowboards and Jet Fighters “Minimal time to react; environmental forces fluctuating between extremes; stress on the machinery.” • Committing • Letting Go • Enjoying the Ride

41. This concludes Mountain Host Training Part III and the Mountain Host Savvy, Safety and Service Workshop. We thank you for your time and participation and welcome you to National Ski Patrol’s Mountain Host member family. We look forward to seeing you on the hill!