What does Ski Butlers do in the off-season?
“What does Ski Butlers do in the off season?” #1 question this time of year – and the answer is……. “Um, I’m not sure, but I’m always busy”
So I figured it was time I sat down and looked back through the olé’ Journal and came up with a good answer to that question. So here it goes, starting when the lifts finally shut down:
First thing – we sleep, usually for a good 12 – 36 hours. Then upon waking we read through 4 months of newspapers and watch many, many hours of Tivo’d Daily Show and Simpsons episodes. Once caught up on the world and feeling somewhat normal we migrate for a long weekend to some place hot – like Moab, UT – for a bit of camping, hiking and biking. Upon return its right back in to Ski Butlers – can’t waste a moment from here on out, Ski Season is only 6 ½ months away.
Once our Khakis’ and Red Vests are cleaned, ironed and hermetically sealed for next season we can begin the off-season training program. This training takes place in the Ski Butlers Proving Ground and Delivery Scenario Assessment Center, or S.B.P.G.D.S.A.C for short. This is a state of the art, 30,000 sq. ft. facility in an undisclosed location – it has the ability to simulate any and every possible scenario our Team Members may encounter while delivering skis. For example, there is the 6 story metal grated stairwell to climb with 2 boot bags and 8 pair of skis; there is the driving test where Team Members must avoid several large SUV’s slipping and sliding on slick roads and of course the most difficult and probably the best test of mental integrity – the Bichon Boot Fitting. Team Members must fit three 10 year olds while fending off the nips and barks of 5 Bichon Frise – terrifying.
Okay so that is mostly a lie, the truth is that we typically are working locally to build up Ski Butlers and internally to refine our operations. This summer has been a little different, we began our “Turn-Key” project before the season ended and really got into it in the months following. What is this project? We decided that before we really began to expand (10 locations isn’t expanded?) we would document all processes that are involved with Ski Butlers, from how we pack orders to how our Social Media will be handled. Why? It’s all about Customer Service – born out of this came our Core Values and the cementing of the Ski Butlers Culture – a culture based around delivering legendary service. “We are a customer service company who happens to rent skis.”
One of the great by-products of this was our want to focus on Community Involvement; we want Ski Butlers to be a part of every community we are involved with. This summer all full-time Team Members and some seasonal Team Members have been active in their respective community, from volunteering at various benefit races, working the phones of a local pledge drive, or helping to organize a community around sustaining their beautiful and very blue lake. The Community Involvement piece of Turn-Key is one that may be most obvious to the public; the rest of Turn-key will make itself very evident to all of our customers.
So there it is, work as usual, or a bit unusual, but that’s what makes a Ski Butler a Ski Butler. We have Team Members who are excited every day to come to work and be part of something bigger than themselves – it’s not just a means to go skiing, and it’s something we at Ski Butlers are very proud of. We do get out of the office as well – we live in some of the most beautiful places in the country and it would be a shame not to.
