formercbemployee

Well, I visted Blue for the first time today. Very nice maountain. I got to speak with many long time blue visitors on the lifts. All of them had one thing to say, "don't tell too many people about this place, we want to keep it to ourselves". Hats off to Blue. Very nice. I wish I had visited it earlier.

Take it from me, Adam Dikmann (not sure of last name spelling) is the best private lesson isntructor the mountain's got. He trains the instructors to be instructors. Toni is great but she teaches kids, not sure if that's the direction for you. If Adam isn't available, I would ask for Eric, who also trains the instructors. Either one will be able to give a quality lesson. Get there early and request either of those two instructors. Going to the ski school desk and asking for a good instructor gets you no where. The person at the desk doesn't know who will get the lesson unless you ask for someone specific. Make certain at the point you book your lesson that they guarantee you that Adam or Erik will be YOUR instructor. This holiday weekend they will be pulling any instructor with a heartbeat and giving them a private lesson. You do not want someone who has been catching little kids at the bottom of the Children's learning Center. If no one else is available, don't waste your money, get her a group lesson. It'll be the same quality. But this is just my opinion, from what I learned over several years being there. Good luck!

I never got CAUGHT doing any of that at CB. Only heavy rumors about the dude skiing down the hill naked on the last evening ski run of the year. I never used poles to get down. Had to hold on to my clothes! Thanks for the tip on Blue. Def gonna schedule that on my list of things to do.

Thanks for the report. I was thinking about broadening my horizon and trying Blue out. Can anyone confirm that funkmaztafox's report on the lift line wait is typical of Sunday visits or did he have just a great day without lift line waits?

As a volunteer, I don't think you can compare employees to volunteers. Yes, Patrollers provide all their own equipment and gear and go through endless hours of training. As a volunteer firefighter, I can say that I do practically the same thing, plus endanger my life every time I respond to a call. I wouldn't change a thing! I love being a volunteer Firefighter! But as an employee of Camelback, I believe the instructors are treated the worst. Remove the "fee to work at Camelback" charges and make the employer pay for the uniforms, as the employer does for the other "paid" departments.

About 7 years ago theyt said that the employees who paid for the jackets 3 years would get to keep them. Those years came to an end when the jackets were replaced with new ones and the old ones went to the tubing park crew people. Instructors were still required to pay for their own jackets. Listen, I have no problem with leaving a deposit for a jacket that must be returned at season's end. I did have a super huge problem with the jacket nazi mentality that went along with needing to PAY for the ability to work in that department. I point out the other departments that did not require payment to secure their uniform jackets. Does anyone know if this policy has ended? I could find out by calling a few people I still speak with their but it's too early in the morning right now. Merry Christmas everyone!

Good Ole Joe has made the instructors pay for their jackets. All the other departments received their own jackets that they could wear home as part of their uniform, for free. Pay for the pleasure to work at Camelback! Pay to ride at camelback! Next thing the chefs will be required to pay for their aprons.

Good Ole Joe. Check out his awesome jacket. I bet he didn't pay for it! Other than his employees who must pay a $50 fee to use the jacket for the season. The instructors pay the fee and aren't even able to take it home with them. What gives??? He has some racket going over there.

I agree, the secret shopper program is a great way to take the temperature of your employees ability however, There has been no customer service training program that I was put through. That was up to the end of the season last year. I do not accept that someone who is as clearly visible as good ol Joe should be grumpy and answer the way he did. I can tell you that he has always answered to his employees like that, sarcastic and pompous.

Can't blame Joe Amato for being so rude. He works sooo hard up at the mountain. The ownership is to busy putting restrictions on what the employees can't do that customer service is not even discussed in the operation meetings. I left Camelback when I realized it wasn't a fun place to work. Management yells at the employees because the customer's are angry, then management goes and yells at the customers. My supervisor once made a customer happy and then used that as an example for the rest of us. Forget the 150 other times that my supervisor could have made the customer happy. Lead by showing??? Customer service is not covered during the employees training at camelback and Joe is the worst offender.