There are some questions that everyone answering the phone at a mountain resort should be able to answer. What are your operating hours? Where do I meet for lessons? Where can I get rentals? You get the gist. Questions about grass skiing—whether it’s allowed or even what it is—are a bit more, shall we say, niche. While grass skiing has a rich history, it’s largely been an off-season activity for ski athletes and more popular in Europe, so it’s not necessarily something North American resorts get asked about often.

Of course, with various studies predicting a decrease in natural snow in the coming decades, grass skiing may find a new foothold in the climate-challenged future. Until that point (let’s do everything we can to prevent that snowless vision from coming to pass), grass skiing remains a way to keep enjoying gravity-fed fun in the mountains all summer long. 

While resorts probably needn’t anticipate an increase in calls about grass skiing in the near term, there are lessons to be learned from this mission about how to handle less-familiar requests. The big one: curiosity is so much kinder than scorn (duh!).

Been asked an interesting question this season? Send it to jordyn@saminfo.com for the Spy to pose to other mountains. We won’t tell anyone the question came from you. Plus, if we use it, your resort will be immune for that issue.

 

MOUNTAIN 1, VT

 First Contact: Female.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Oh, um … (long pause) I have no idea.

SAM: OK, is there anyone I could talk to?

Staff: (annoyed) Yeah, umm, I can send you to [name]. 

SAM: OK, thank you.

Staff: Um, he is out of the office today, but leave him a message.

SAM: OK, thank you.

(transferred to voicemail and left message)

 Score: 3

Comment: I get it, staff are tired or even burned out after a long (and variable) season, but that doesn’t excuse utter disinterest in a customer’s question. Points for trying to get me in touch with the right person. 

 

MOUNTAIN 2, AZ

First Contact: Male.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: (frustrated) You want to do what? 

SAM: Grass ski during the summer. I would just hike up the mountain and ski down. I have my own equipment.

Staff: Um, OK. (lightening up a bit) Let me find someone that could answer this question, please hold. 

(on hold…for a while)

Staff: I can’t find anyone to answer that question. Could I take your information and have someone call you back?

SAM: Yes, thank you. (gives contact information)

Staff: Great. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. (sincere)

SAM: No problem. I totally understand. It’s not a very popular activity so you probably don’t get asked about it much!

Staff: It’s true! Have a great day. Goodbye.

SAM: Thank you. Goodbye.

Score: 6

Comment: His attitude made for a rocky start, but he turned it around. Sincerity goes a long way! And let’s be real, this isn’t one of your FAQs.

 

MOUNTAIN #, ID

First Contact: Female.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: (earnest) Oh, gosh, I do not know. I can send you down to the mountain department, and they should be able to answer that for you.

SAM: Thank you.

Staff: Yep, let me transfer you.

(transferred to voicemail and left message)

Score: 5

Comment: She was friendly and sympathetic, but the quick and fruitless transfer left me without answers. 

 

MOUNTAIN 4, ME

First Contact: Male.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Um, not sure if I have heard of that.

SAM: I figured. It’s not as common (chuckles). I use my own grass skiing equipment and basically just hike up the hill and ski down.

Staff: OK, yeah. Cause you couldn’t ride the lift for that (huffy).

SAM: Right, I don’t mind hiking up. That’s what I have always done. I was calling to see if I was allowed to ski down.

Staff: Alright. (long pause)

SAM: Do you know if I can?

Staff: No, I don’t. (sighs) I can try and find someone.

SAM: That would be great. 

(on hold for less than a minute)

Staff: I can’t get an answer for you. I can take your information and have someone from the mountain operations team call you.

SAM: Great, thank you. (gives contact information)

Staff: Alright, someone will be in touch. Goodbye.

SAM: Thank you. Goodbye.

Score: 3

Comment: Yikes. That was like talking to a wall. Clearly, he was in no mood to do his job today. And doesn’t anyone want to know more about what grass skiing is?!?

 

MOUNTAIN 5, MT

First Contact: Female.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: I’m sorry, what do you want to do? 

SAM: It’s called grass skiing. I basically just hike up the hill and ski down. I have done it out East a few times.

Staff: Um, alright, let me see if I can find someone who would know.

SAM: OK. Thank you.

(on hold)

Staff: I couldn’t find anyone. Could I take your name and number?

SAM: (gives contact information)

Staff: Thank you. I can have someone call you back with the right answer.

SAM: That would be great. Thank you.

Staff: (business-like) Just to let you know, we will most likely have construction going on during the summer. And also, our hill is very rocky, so I don’t think they will allow you to do this. 

SAM: Oh, OK. Well, thank you for letting me know.

Staff: You’re welcome. Goodbye.

Score: 5

Comment: Points for trying to find the right answer without sending me to a voicemail. Still, her warning about the construction and rocky terrain, while helpful, could have been delivered with less officiousness. 

 

MOUNTAIN 6, MI

First Contact: Female.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: (rude) What is it? 

SAM: Grass skiing. I have done it a couple times out East. They are just special, shorter skis that you wear, and I would hike up the mountain and ski.

Staff: Never heard of that. (long pause)

SAM: OK, yeah, I know it’s not very common in some places.

Staff: (snide) Yeah, doesn’t seem like it.

SAM: Do you know if I can do this?

Staff: (curt) I would just need to take down your information and have someone figure it out.

SAM: OK, thank you. (gives contact information)

Staff: Thanks. Someone will be in touch. (riiiiight)

SAM: Thank you. Bye.

Score: 1

thumbs downComment: Thanks for providing us with a teaching moment, rude staffer: It’s OK to not have all the answers, or not be familiar with everything customers call about. It’s NOT OK to be rude and make a person feel bad for asking a question. Just be nice and as helpful as you can be. This staff member was neither. 

 

MOUNTAIN 7, MN

First Contact: Male.

SAM: Stated question.

Staff: Um, let me try and send you to someone who might know the answer for that.

SAM: Thank you.

(transferred)

Second Contact: Female.

Staff: (chipper) If you could come what? 

SAM: Grass skiing. You basically just hike up the mountain and then ski down on special short skis.

Staff: Oh, that is not a question I have had before (chuckles).

SAM: (laughs) I kind of figured.

Staff: I have never even heard of that, to be honest.

SAM: I have done it before at a mountain out East.

Staff: OK. Hang on a second let me see.

(on hold)

Staff: Are you still there? Can I take your name and phone number?

SAM: (gives contact information)

Staff: (kind) The reason I asked was we have some construction going on this summer. So, nobody knows the answer to that right now, but we can find out and let you know. 

SAM: That would be great, thank you.

Staff: (cheerful) You’re welcome! Bye.

Score: 8

thumbs downComment: Her friendliness and positivity were refreshing after being met with such snark on other calls. Of all the folks who took my contact info, she was one of the only ones I thought might actually call back. 

Identity Revealed: Giants Ridge