The following complaint about the Chill Factore in Manchester was emailed in by an avid reader. They have sent the same complaint to Chill Factore themselves, but as yet haven’t received a reply. As I always say, there’s nothing quite like complaining publically (it does tend to get better results, especially when those ‘results’ are influenced by search results in Google).
Anhow, here is the complaint about Chill Factore in Manchester
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To whom it may concern,
Sorry this email took a week or so to send to you but after seeing it’s length, and taking into account my hectic work schedule, I had to write it in bits as and when I had a minute spare.
I write this email of complaint in the hope that you can ensure that this level of unacceptable service does not recur.
My friend Jenny and her mother, Betty, came to Chill Factore for a Ski Taster Session for Betty and my friend and I to Ski, as we are both members.
Before I explain my complaint, Firstly, please let me give you a little background information.
My friend and I came to Chill factor in November of last year for a Taster Session on Skiing for my 30th birthday. It was on the small beginner slope. We liked it so much we then booked a full days lesson with an excellent instructor named Noel. We loved it that much we then booked and went on a holiday skiing in Bulgaria. We are now members and come skiing with you most weeks and are planning to go back to Bulgaria this coming February.
Betty has only been skiing once before and was very wary of the sport due to an unfortunate incident when on holiday. She was told by someone, an ‘instructor’, would teach her how to ski. She was strapped to some skis, then placed at the top of a slope on a mountain and then, for lack of a better description, pushed down the mountain without even most the rudimentary instruction on what to do, it was a sink or swim type of scenario.
As you can imagine Betty’s appetite for skiing somewhat diminished. The problem was, Betty actually WANTS to like skiing but thought that it was just not right for her. It was only with excellent raving reviews about chill factor and much cajoling by me and my friend that she agreed to give it another try. My friend and I are going skiing in Bulgaria again in February and would very much like her to come.
So, with that in mind we booked the Taster Session at 7pm on Wednesday with, according to your system, an instructor named Chris.
My complaint has 2 main issues. Firstly, the conditions. Secondly the instructor.
The Conditions
The Taster session was not on the beginner slope, but on an unreasonably small section of the main slope, that was hosting 2 skiing classes, 2 snowboarding classes and , I believe, a number of other lessons. While I understand that you are a business and you need to make money, you should also have an obligation to give ALL your customer the same level of experience. After all, they are all paying customers.
The Instructor
My grievance with the instructor is the largest part of this complaint. I believe that if the instructor had carried out his role with at least the basic level of aptitude then the above concern would not have manifested into an email of complaint. He showed, contrary to what one would have expected, very little, if any, instruction. Little to no enthusiasm about taking the class, and seemed more interested in his mobile phone and the delights that it held, than taking any vague interest in the class. The resulting quality (the word quality is used very loosely) is detailed below.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but one of the most basic and possibly important bits of information that a new person would like to know when trying to learn to ski is how to go slow or stop. The instructor did not tell her, or the group how to stop, or did, but advised that in order to stop they should use the barrier and/or pile of snow at the bottom. I will leave you to draw your own conclusions from this as I am sure you don’t need me to tell you how scary this can be to a new person with a bad or scary previous experience of skiing.
After side stepping up the slope, and then getting ready to slide down, Betty advised the instructor that she did not feel comfortable as her skis were not pointing in the direction in order for her to go down the slope but rather diagonal across the slope and across the path of the many, many, people on the ridiculously small section of main slope. The instructor just told Betty that it was fine and to just go. She would then ski diagonally across the slope, across everyone else’s path and colliding and/or near colliding with other people.
This happened every time she went down the slope, she then, before the official end of the session, understandably gave up and left the ‘class’.
Ordinarily when putting someone on the slope, instructors would stand in front of the person to make sure they are set right before setting them off the slope, as they did with my friend and i when we started, and as i have since seen them do with numerous others.
After the session, we spoke to Betty, I went to a gentleman on your reception and advised him of the situation and my views upon it and he kindly gave her another free Taster Session.
This was a nice gesture; however, Betty has decided that she, again understandably, does not want to go through the ordeal of another Taster session. My friend and I have eventually persuaded her to give it another try, but to do a lesson level 1, only after may assurances that the experience at chill factor is not like the one she experienced this time, and also next time she is taking her husband along for moral support.
We are going to book this in for next Saturday morning but I would like to ensure that the lessons on that day are not going to be held on the main slope?
If you would like to contact me about this matter please feel free to do so using my number below.
Many Thanks
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