Shout out to folks in other depts that go out of their way to make you feel welcome:
Polly at the Vault! Smells so good in there!
Kiara at the Schuss! Her attn to detail and work ethic will take her far!
Totally agree Kiara and Polly are both awesome and make Meadows a more fun place to be!
- Jeremy Riss
It seems like it could be a good idea to have a cookie protocol for events like we had this week with the lift delays. While I know it doesn't actually fix the problem, it might help appease people when they're struggling being happy/patient. A huge high-five to everyone helping calm people down that day, particularly at the concierge counter.
I know you're aware and I'm sure doing everything you can about the Hood River employee bus, but I wanted to include that as well. I really appreciate that MHM offers this during the operating season, as it isn't very viable to make that commute (I know a supervisor commented on the costs associated with this earlier this season in a survey.) The bus has broken down three times on days that I've taken it this season (fortunately once was just after we'd gotten off) and didn't arrive one day (broke down and was an hour late). I know it's hard for everyone (employees on the bus/bus drivers/supervisors/etc) when the bus isn't reliable. I struggle with the debate of spending the $100 or so a week on gas to know I'll get to work on time, or chancing it on the bus right now. Can you update us on the bus situation please?
I used to care so much about this company and be a huge, outspoken supporter. Now I find it embarrassing to mention that I work for Meadows. I don't wear my logo gear in public and I don't offer to have my friends ride here. I get exchange letters and ride elsewhere. Since we promoted Bill & Ted's Bogus Adventure to COO and VP, this mountain has gone down hill and fast and not in a fun way. What happened to grown-ups running the show? A former staff accountant and former ski school instructor known for heavy drinking/partying running the show? You're trying desperately to make us like a Vail owned resort, when really you make us look Duck Dynasty - hillbillies with money who have no class or taste who are hell bent on stuffing their pockets with more cash. It's sad and I hate to think what some of the old timers would think of the state of things if they were around to see what you've morphed this company into. I love my job but I find the company itself to be pitiful.
Well I must commend you for the creativity and humor in your comment, although it is certainly disappointing to hear that you feel so poorly about the performance of the leadership team specifically Jake and I. What I can tell you is that we care very deeply about the success of the team members who work at Meadows and providing the best guest experience we can. Things do not always go as planned but our leadership team is committed to working very hard on improving. I can assure you though that changing poopy diapers and bedtime routines are a lot more frequent for me these days than heavy drinking or partying.
You might consider attempting to be a part of the change you would like to see vs. suffering through and complaining (albeit creatively) about changes that you do not like. You could consider starting by sharing the things that have changed that you dislike or positive changes you would like to see. Having worked here for over 20 years I can think of many things that have changed but it is hard to think of many that have made it a worse experience for team members. In fact, I am very proud of the improvements we have made. Perhaps you could enlighten us on what things used to be like that were so much better than they are now but please make sure it is as entertaining as your last comment.
I am proud of the fact that our company promotes from within even if it does mean you end up with an instructor in a VP position. If you look at our Director & VP team almost everyone has done many jobs within the ski industry which I believe makes us a stronger company. Of course, if you would prefer a lawyer in a 3-piece suit running the show you are welcome to your opinion.
Thanks for blending so much humor into your criticism as I am sure many will be entertained.
-Jeremy Riss
Getting tired of having names moved around from lift to lift every morning just because certain employees want to work with their friends, dont want to work with new hires, or just want to work with the people they are attracted to. New hires are treated like they aren't competent, welcome, or a part of the team except for the ones who have roots here. Allowing people to rearrange the board makes people feel unimportant and completely kills their motivation to want to work at meadows or learn new things. People can say that it's to make a smoother day but it is clearly a game of favoritism every single morning and certain employees get visibly/audibly frustrated when they dont get their way so the as a result someone else who doesnt complain or someone who isnt important to the complainer gets moved to another lift that day because the frusrated employee simply didnt get the crew they want etc... Noone caters to the people being moved constantly why cater to the people creating the issue? Not only is this disrespectful to the person who gets moved it is feeding into the negative behavior of the people requesting other employees on or off their lift. We should all be friends and more than willing to work with each other not have employees being picked last for the team like we're in kindergarten again. Also some people dont want to work the same lift with the same oic every single day it does not strengthen our crew it makes going to work get stale and people get tired of each other and less competent at running other lifts which is a bad idea esp considering how often people call in sick. A good solution to this problem would be a mostly set crew of oics and a healthy mixture of rotating crews picked by supervisors editing only to work around the daily call ins. Having the board and schedule completely laid out and then edited over and over to fit a few employees personal needs for the day is ridiculous esp when it is literally a non issue someone created in an attempt to have an easier/fun day. Every single employee here is worthy of a job and could easily excel with the right people backing them sometimes all it takes is the team to come together to help pull others out of their shell and become a good/long lasting employee. Walking into work and not being happy with your crew no matter who is on it is a problem that should not be catered to. No employee here lacks the competency to be trained to do their job properly so they definitely shouldn't be treated that way before they even get the chance.
First off I apologize that there has been a perception of favoritism. The vast majority of the time when names are being moved around, it is for logistical reasons. Each lift needs a certain number of trained returning staff members to operate. We start staffing for the day around 630, before the bulk of the staff has arrived. We put the OICs up first, then returners, then everyone else, to set up the team for success. When we move people around, it is typically after call ins when we realize that we have to modify the board to better serve our team and guests. I will follow up on an individual basis with anyone making requests outside of this reasoning. Lift Ops management talked about this and committed to ensuring a fair process. We want every single one of our crew to know that they are welcomed, needed and appreciated. Thank you for bringing this up and we will make it right.
I also want to address the concern about always working at the same lifts. Over the years we have gone back and forth about what works best, rotating people or leaving them in one place. This season we have had multiple requests to have set crews at lifts, it provides a sense of ownership and helps them take pride in their lift. We have been working on finding the best place for each person; please reach out to a manager if you would like to change.
Cody J. Howe Lift Operations Manager
On Saturday, 12/15/18, I was teaching and felt the butter cup lift needed more labor to manage the lift lines. As this is an important lift for teaching, additional attention should be placed on keeping the lift line organized.
Thanks for mentioning this. Learning Center Instructors have been helping out with maze control at Buttercup and Ballroom as part of our duties on peak days. It does certainly help to have maze control so everyone feels they are being treated fairly in line. -Tyler Barnes, Learning Center Operations Manager