Celebrating our 16th Birthday | Skiology Team Mastermind

Dom

Company director & lover of the pow pow

1. What has been your highlight?

Every Saturday/Sunday all the feedback cards come back to me and I get to read about all the memories the team has helped create.

2. What has been your low moment?

Not much! I am in the fortunate position to say that 15 years later I still love what we do. A couple of years ago, during team training, I spoke with the team about the negative effects of food waste on the environment. What I was trying to communicate was along the lines of “If food waste was a country, it would be the world’s 3rd largest emitter of CO2 … so let’s not waste food… HOWEVER, this must never be to guest’s discomfort. Plate up beautifully and always make sure there are extras on the table. We NEVER want to see on a feedback form that guests were hungry or wanted more food”. We did however get comments on 3 occasions where on a meal guests wanted more. To give credit to the team this was swiftly solved, rectified, and has not come up since. Though it did make me sad as I feel that some repeat guests may have thought we were trying to save a penny. This was never our intention. Our food allocation per head is not something we massively care for and is 3 times higher than peers.

3. Funniest / best guest memory?

There are so many! From guests getting engaged while staying with us, to guests who came and were having such a good time that they rented property here and have never left. In terms of funny one that springs to mind is… I am forever saying to the team anything that you do that is exceptional you must record it. Then tell the guest that it is not something we offer as standard however you are happy to make the exception and then do x,y,z. I was reviewing guests’ notes once and saw under “anything exceptional that you did? – Dried guest’s socks with hairdryer and lent them my ski trousers so that they could get out quicker”. This tickled me. To be clear this is not something we offer as a standard!

4. Should climate change be in ‘code red’ is there anything you do to save our snow?

Cripes this might be a blog post in itself. However, in short, I do all I can to have a small impact on the environment. This is from changing my diet to changing purchasing decisions based on packaging to working with a local organisation to solve environmental solutions at a resort level.

5. Anything you want to say to our guests?

Thank you, we would not be here without you. We love what we do and if we can ever adapt anything at a product level for all our guests or at a guest level for your specific requests, we would love to know.

Steph

Company director & gravy fixer extraordinare & #1 Yantz fan

1. What has been your highlight?

My highlight of Skiology has been seeing the business grow organically and hopefully after 16 years being the best we can be!

2. what has been your low moment?

A low point for many in the industry and for me too has been not being able to do what we love. It has been really tough.

3. Funniest / best guest memory

To pick the funniest memory is hard as I have had so many good times in the chalets over the years. But a funny one that jumps to mind is when Dom got stuck in the upstairs loo at Chalet Deux Freres and the guests had to break him out!

4. Should climate change be in ‘code red’ is there anything you do to save our snow?

We try to do our best at home and at work too for reducing our impact on the planet, reusing where possible and recycling as a last resort.

5. Anything you want to say to our guests?

I just want to say a massive thank you for all of the support and kind words over the years especially over the last 2 years and we hope to be able to see you all again soon!

Sam

Resort Manager, Eco warrior & the happiest guy you’ll ever meet

1. What has been your highlight?

The highlight is the family of Skiology that I get to work with. I couldn’t have a nicer boss who most of the time feels like you’re working more with a friend than someone that is employing you. Whether that’s ski touring up Angolon, traversing a sheer cliff looking for the paper town of “fairy caves” or talking endlessly about our opinions on the environment, exercise and nutrition while out on a 6 am run.

Having the constant support and positivity from Soph and whenever I’m having a tough week, things haven’t gone to plan, it’s Sophie who understands completely and can always pick me up.

Late nights of getting my head through the finances the day before the auditors want it finished with Steph. This should be much more stressful than the hilarity that it normally is.

When I started I didn’t expect to see myself two years down the line let alone four working for the same company. I’d always had itchy feet and moved about a lot. The family of Skiology makes it tough to leave and harder to stay away. Hence our team return rate.

2. What has been a low point

Low has been the distance that covid has caused. A huge highlight of my job is the interaction with guests. Covid has made me feel like I’m more at the other end of a phone than a face in the resort.

3. What is your funniest/best guest memory

The best guest memory was a group of guests in chalet George where myself, James Coney and Sophie covered for a week. Team members leaving didn’t put us in an ideal situation and we had the most excitable guests I’ve ever known. But we just rolled with it and had the craziest, hectic week. Even ending up in Opera, forgive my sins. It was the team spirit that made that week, we had such a laugh and gave the guests a 6/5 week.

Most embarrassing is definitely a group of ladies that stayed in Chalet Grand Sapin. I went round that evening to take payments for expenses. When I got told by the hosts they were downstairs and said for me to go. I get down there and they’re all stretched out doing yoga, giggling to themselves and then invited me in. I feel I was well and truly set up!

4. Should climate change be in ‘code red’ is there anything you do to save our snow?

I live an animal product free life which is the greatest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. My passion for travelling could be a compromise of personal environmental efforts. However most of it, across Europe, Asia and Africa have been through hitchhiking which utilises generous peoples’ journeys to allow a less guilty way of getting from a to b. All the while experiencing the unique opportunity to learn about people’s vastly different cultures and ways of life.

5. Anything you want to say to our guests?

Come and see why Skiology is such a great company to work for by having a holiday hosted by a team that is supported by a company that cares for you, them, and the environment around us.

Sophie

Office Manager & long term Skiologist
(she just won’t leave)

1. What is your Skiology highlight?

Picking one defining moment is impossible but I guess it makes sense to pick day one. There aren’t enough words to thank Steph and Dom for taking a chance and hiring me for my first season as a chalet host/chef. Despite coming across as (and I quote) ”totally bonkers” in my Skype interview along with my cringe-worthy covering letter, they took a chance that my love for cooking and total enthusiasm would be enough. Giving me the opportunity to progress through the company and open doors which would never have even existed if I had never met them. I love my job, I love the team and I love everything that Skiology stands for. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this journey.

2. What has been a low point? 

Seeing team go. Whether it is through injury or perhaps a mismatch of the role and the individual. Whatever the reason, we pick people because they are wonderful humans and we never plan on saying goodbye before the end of the season. We like to start the season strong and end the season even stronger which happily, is what happens most of the time!

3. Funniest/ best memory

Anyone who knows me, knows I am captain calamity so chaos seems to follow me!
In my first winter season, I had a lot of nervous energy when meeting guests for the first time, particularly in the first month. One family arrived at the chalet and in the awkward moment of trying to shake the man’s hand, he was going for a more continental greeting of a kiss to the cheek. Extremely unfortunately this resulted in me not only striking him in the groin area with my redundant handshake but also planting a kiss right on his chin instead of his cheek. All while his wife and 2 children looked on in absolute horror. It was a great week in the chalet with albeit a nervous departure goodbye. To that family, if you’re reading this- I am so sorry!

My best memory was after my very first-day skiing. Steph and Dom did their very best to coach me down the nursery piste as a gentle introduction before I took my first lot of lessons. For fear of the cold, I had a million layers on and could hardly move. Deciding that the 1mph I was doing was waaay too fast, Steph has to ski inches in front of me while Dom stayed behind to stop me from falling over. Watching in total disbelief from the bottom of the virtually flat piste was Grace, Mitch and Jamie who were all very good skiers. Nobody quite believed me that I had never been on snow before but the look of horror and disbelief on their face as I stood like a frozen starfish on the nursery piste that first day was priceless! Later that season I accidentally went down a double diamond Olympic black piste while on a team jolly in Italy. Smiles all round (after).

4. Should climate change be in ‘code red’ is there anything you do to save our snow?

I have been inspired by Skiology’s green pledges, so much so, I have given up my car; grow my own vegetables; went vegetarian; drastically limited the food and products I use based on food miles, sustainability and ethical company practices; recycle absolutely everything; do everything I can to support Skiology in achieving our green pledges and work toward our ultimate goal of being the ski company with the lowest carbon footprint!

5. Anything you want to say to our guests?

It would be a joyful role anyway, matching guests with the right holiday. But time and time again with Skiology guests, your interaction is so much more than that. I love that we seem to have this stronghold of wonderful, ski mad guests who are a delight to speak with on the phone, who greet us so warmly in the chalets and who send us such lovely emails when you return home. You help us provide the Skiology warm welcome because we are so genuinely excited to see you. It is you, the guests, who complete the sense of a Skiology family and make Skiology what it is today.  Thank you 🙂