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SAM Magazine-Bolton's Landing, N.Y., Sept. 8, 2010-Winter resorts have long recognized that their greatest competition comes not from one another, but from other leisure activity industries. Disney is often held up as the ultimate competitor. Yet Disney openly shares its knowledge of and approach to customer service, and that expertise is featured this month in both the September issue of SAM and at the Ski Areas of New York (SANY) Expo at Lake George on Sept. 20-22.

SANY is hosting a Disney seminar for the third consecutive year. The day-long "Disney's Approach To Quality Service" presents a detailed look at the methods and programs Disney has developed to train its "cast members" (employees). Disney is not perfect (we can hope), but with more than a half-century of experience, it can teach resorts a thing or two about serving customers.

That, anyway, is what the managements at Hunter Mountain and Holiday Valley, N.Y., have learned from previous Disney seminars. Several managers from both areas have attended the Disney presentations, and Hunter has sent additional staff to Disney's more in-depth programs at the devil's den in Orlando, Fla. Both areas describe some of the take-home lessons in the current issue of SAM.

Prefer your own first-hand experience? There's still time to register for the Disney Institute at the SANY show, and it's open to all resorts, not just those attending the SANY Expo itself. The seminar takes place Sept. 22. For details, head to www.iskinyexpo.com.

For areas that wish to compete head to head with Disney all year long, SAM is hosting its first-ever Summer Ops Camp immediately following the Disney Institute. There are still a handful of spaces available; for program details, see www.saminfo.com/events/summer_ops_camp.php.