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The Question: I'm wondering if you have any ski instructor positions open for this coming season? 

Mountain 1: CO, medium Area

First contact: Automated machine. Forced to “wait for the next available agent.”
SAM: Stated question. Transferred to HR.
Answering phone: Young female. Peppy.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Wellllllll, umm…so we don’t actually start hiring until the middle of November. So if you go online…wellll wait, no actually yeah, you can submit an application online at xxx.com but… ummm, well yeah and then they hold it for you. But we have a job fair in the middle of November where they do most of the hiring for the season. (Silence…)
SAM: Ookay, so I can go online for an application and then visit the job fair in November?
Staff: Ummmmm…. (silence). Yup! that simple.
SAM: Alrighty then. Thanks.

Rating: 4
Comment: Seemingly simple to her, but I need some explanation. And maybe a connected thought or two.


Mountain 2: CA, large area

First contact: Automated machine. Chose HR.
Answering Phone: Very nice female, but in need of some coffee.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: For next season? (No, three years from now.)
SAM: Um yeah, next season I guess, this season coming up.
Staff: Uhh, yes we will, there is going to be…Um are you already certified?
SAM: No, I’m not, what exactly do you mean by that?
Staff: Well, for ski and snowboard instructors, there’s a program where you get certified, those, you know, we just go ahead and hire because they’ve gone through a training program. If you haven’t done that, our ski school department does offer an instructor program…I’m juuust looking for it now, one second…
Staff: Yeah, okay here we go. The instructor training course, ummm, they go over basics on how to teach people…umm, no date, oh, here it is, December 2nd and 3rd. So if you’re interested in signing up for the course, probably call back in September or October when we start filling spots.
SAM: So I can’t be hired unless I’m certified or I can be hired and then go through this training course as part of my position?
Staff: Um no…the only people we hire are those who have gone through the training course or are already certified.
SAM: So is this a certification program specific to your mountain alone or is it a public program?
Staff: Oh no, we just sponsor the training program.
SAM: Okay.

Rating: 5
Comment: I ended up more confused than when I started.


Mountain 3: wa, medium Area

First contact: Automated machine. Chose HR department.
Answering phone: Jane! Really excited!
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Oh, we will! Sure! The gentleman overseeing all instructor hiring is out this week, but if you go online he has all the positions posted so you can take a look. He’s taking an interest now so it would be a good time to check it out. Do you know our website? xxx.com? Or if you want to call back, the extension off the phone tree is 000. And his name is John.
SAM: Well, okay then, awesome. So I can just call back, extension 000?
Staff: Yup, just give John a ring and he’ll walk you through it all.
SAM: Great, thanks.
Staff: Super! Anytime, glad you called.

Rating: 9
Comment: Jane was happy I called, so I’m happy to call back.


Mountain 4: NH, large Area

First contact: Automated machine. Chose operator.
Answering phone: Happy sounding female.
SAM: Stated question .
Staff: Oh yeah! We always have them. If you just fill out an application online and send it in they’ll keep it on file or you can wait for ski season to get a little closer around October or so... either way.
SAM: Oh okay, so I would call back in October or how do I follow up?
Staff: Oh no, you can fill it out now, it’ll stay on file and they’ll contact you. There’s no rush, that’s why you could wait until October if you wanted. And then if you’ve never done it before, the school provides training so you teach they way they need you to or if you have training that’s great and you can fall right in.
SAM: Awesome, thanks so much.
Staff: No problem. Our website is xxx.com and it’s really easy to navigate to find the instructor applications.

Rating: 9
Comment: Excited that I called, check. Short and sweet, check. Gave answers before I asked, double check. Nicely done.


Mountain 5: WI, medium Area

First contact: Automated machine. Chose guest service representative. Transferred somewhere…
Answering phone: Female. A little short with the tone.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Um, I’m sure there will be. If you want to send me your information I can forward it on to our director.
SAM: Okay. Can I e-mail it to you?
Staff: Yup. Um, it’s jane@xxx.com. (Silence…)
SAM: Okay…
Staff: Okay. (Crickets chirping.)
SAM: Okay. Thanks.
Staff: Yup.

Rating: 3
Comment: Well, okay then. And no explanation on “my information…” Can I say I like long walks on the beach?


Mountain 6: Alberta, Large Area

First contact: Automated machine. Chose 0.
Answering phone: “Thank you. Please continue to hold.”
Hold time: 1:30
Answering phone: “Please continue to hold.”
Hold time: 3:30
Answering phone: “Thank you for holding. All of our customer representatives are busy at the moment. Please leave a message after the tone and we will return your call as soon as possible.”
SAM: Left a message with my real cell number…
24 hours later…no call back.

Rating: 0
Comment: Get a new answering service.


Mountain 7: NJ, medium area

First contact: Automated machine. Chose guest services.
Answering phone: Young male, very eager sounding.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Oh yeah, for sure, absolutely! Just go on our site at xxx.com, click on employment, fill out the application and send it in. Our director will send you an e-mail confirmation of your application and give you further details about what happens when the season gets closer.
SAM: Okay, thanks. Sounds pretty easy.
Staff: Suuuuper easy. Thanks for your interest!

Rating: 8
Comment: Yeah, super easy, and super friendly. Minus 2 points, though, for not supplying just a couple more details.


Mountain 8: VT, Large Area

First contact: Young male .
SAM: Stated question. Transferred to HR.
Answering phone: Female, very friendly.
Staff: Yup, we always have some positions open. What you really need to do is contact ski school directly and talk to Jane who’s in charge of hiring. She’ll have some initial questions, but will then be more than happy to send you our hiring package. I’ll transfer you, but here’s her phone number just in case she’s not in at the moment.
SAM: Great, thanks. Transferred to Jane in Ski School.
Answering phone: Jane, suuuuper nice and friendly.
SAM: Stated question.
Staff: Oh, of course. Do you have any experience teaching?
SAM: Well, no, not technically. I’ve skied my whole life though, raced a lot. I’ve taught some of my little cousins a couple times…but I do feel confident enough that I could teach someone else.
Staff: Okay, well sure, you’ve probably done more teaching than you think. So are you from the area then, or…?
SAM: Sort of, I just finished up college this spring and I wanted to take some time off and thought being an instructor would be pretty fun.
Staff: Oh yeah! What did you major in?
SAM: Communications. But I wanted to take a break and ski for a bit.
Staff: Of course, nothing wrong with a taking a break to ski! So, generally what we do is send you our hiring package first with what the position is all about—pay, time commitments, scheduling options, included bonuses, etc. And then the next step is the hiring clinic we have in October. We host a pretty big event where we get to know everyone and decide who we want to hire, who’s a good match. That’s the first day and then the second day is when you would meet the whole crew. It really is a great way to feel a part of our mountain’s ski school team and who you’d be working with. Gives you a chance to get to know everyone.
SAM: Oh perfect, thanks.
Staff: Of course. All I would need right now is a mailing address…
SAM: Gave out my Spy address.
Staff: So I will get this out to you in the next few days and I’m the contact for this part of the year. So, if you have any questions, feel free to write or call as I handle all ski school inquiries during the fall.
SAM: Awesome, thanks so much, I really appreciate it.
Staff: Oh no problem, it was great talking with you. Looking forward to hearing back.

Rating: 10
Comment: I almost quit my SAM job on the spot. Jane sold me with her friendliness and stress-free system of applying and becoming “a part of our team.”

Identity Revealed: Stowe



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