[Geysers] NPS-Geyser Gazer meeting
Lucille Reilly
thedulcimerlady at juno.com
Wed Jul 20 16:39:26 PDT 2005
Hi Charles et al,
More about comment cards: I worked the OFI front desk in 2000. One of
the things the FD mgrs hold dear is actually getting those, and to that
end there were occasional contests to collect them. So with that kind of
incentive, there's no way a comment card would ever be thrown out. I
don't ever recall being told not to read the comments, but frankly we all
had too much to do in the morning to bother!
Lucille Reilly
On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 10:53:48 -0600 Chase Ellison <crellison at gmail.com>
writes:
> Charles,
> The comment cards are used correctly if it is done right.. Which
> is
> bad to say.. The best way to get a comment card to the right people
> is
> when you check out give the people at the front desk your comment
> card. When they recieve them they put them in to the Location
> Managers
> mailbox.. When I work at the Front Desk of Grant Village this
> summer
> there was not one instance that I can remember when a Guest Service
> Agent threw away a comment card they have no intrest on what the
> comment cards say as they usually do not have bad comment about the
> front desk. Also, if i remember my training people at the front
> desk
> are not to read the comment cards anyway.
>
> Chase Ellison
>
> On 7/11/05, charles johnson <j.charles at lycos.com> wrote:
> > Please, please please complain. It's your duty to the park to
> complain.
> >
> > As you said, it is a seller's market. The only way anything will
> possibly change is if enough people complain forcefully enough.
> Most people are too polite to say much. But even for minor stuff in
> the room, make sure you mention it. I can guarantee that if a
> lightbulb is out, or a chair rickety, or a window sticky, that the
> room attendant isn't very likely to notice, and if they do notice
> they won't do any of the required paperwork to get it fixed - they
> are too busy cleaning and want to get off work as early as
> possible.
> >
> > Hopefully they are too busy cleaning. That varies from place to
> place and year to year.
> >
> > I worked housekeeping there there for three years. Xantera does
> freak out, at least the managers on location do, when park service
> inspectors come around. It can be pretty amusing to watch. They
> also get passed copies of at lest some of the complaint letters from
> Gardiner. I was told that it is possible ( in theory ) that the
> concession could be taken away from them if the park service gets
> enough complaints. Yes probably not, and probably to someone just
> as bad, but they worry about it. It's been a few years since I was
> there, but I bet not too much has changed.
> >
> > So, to be most effective complain to both the company and the park
> service. cc - ing an e mail doesn't cost a bit more. I'm not sure
> who in the park service to complain to, but a shotgun approach might
> work.
> >
> > Be as specific and graphic and detailed as you can in the
> complaints. List dates and room numbers if you can remember them
> accurately. It makes it a lot easier to address the problems.
> Also, make sure to mention when and where things were done right.
> That way theire's a chance that the good people can be rewarded with
> greater responsibility next season. Letters and e mails work better
> for the bad stuff. Those comment cards in the room are likely to
> end up in the trash if you just leave them in the room with
> complaints on them.
> >
> > I got an old complaint letter on the net at:
> >
> > http://cjsatomicdiner.org/complaint.html
> >
> > Half off wasn't bad I don't think, although I was disappointed we
> didn't get a fruit and wine basket the next year. They do that
> sometimes. They actually keep track of when complainers return. I
> do suspect our rooms were getting special attention, they were
> awfully nice that next year, better than I have ever seen in
> Yellowstone. They also do that, give known complainers special
> attention when cleaning the rooms.
> >
> > Cash tips for good work is also appreciated. Even if the tips are
> split up among the room attendants, people notice whose rooms get
> the good tips.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Karen Webb" <caros at aros.net>
> > To: "geyser observation reports" <geysers at wwc.edu>
> > Subject: Re: [Geysers] NPS-Geyser Gazer meeting
> > Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 22:01:13 -0600
> >
> > >
> > > Karen Webb wrote:
> > > We just got back so I'm hoping this is still timely. My
> > > understanding had been that Xanterra HAD gotten the concession
> > > contract, but I guess I misunderstood. I'd like to add all
> three
> > > Webb voices to the concerns about Delaware North. Our specific
> one
> > > is the food they stock (or don't stock) and its quality,
> especially
> > > the produce they're getting. You can get Twinkies and any sort
> of
> > > booze you want at any store in the park (my perspective,
> > > non-drinkers here) but we had to go to Canyon to get a head of
> > > lettuce; the tomatoes we got at the store previously known as
> Lower
> > > Ham's went moldy within 24 hours (their "salad" stuff included
> one
> > > pre-made Caesar that was overpriced and already going bad);
> Mammoth
> > > had only bananas and some mealy looking apples, and now you
> can't
> > > get photos developed anywhere in the park unless you're doing
> > > digital (some of us old-timers still use film, if you can
> believe
> > > it...)
> > > On the other hand, we feel Xanterra/Xanterrible is starting
> to
> > > take advantage of its allowed monopoly status. We stayed at the
> OF
> > > Lodge cabins. We're kind of used to sub-standard housekeeping
> > > there but this visit really reached new lows. Of getting the
> bed
> > > made, the trash emptied, and the dirty linen taken out and
> > > exchanged, we averaged about 1 1/2 of these three essential
> > > services per day. It took us till the fourth day to find
> anyone
> > > who would even consider rebating some of our fees (my family is
> in
> > > this business, and a classy, private enterprise who really
> cares
> > > for its patrons will offer something back automatically under
> these
> > > conditions). We feel we got blown off, given the run around,
> and
> > > "turfed" for several days before someone finally coughed up a
> > > whopping 10% for the days we had problems. We had a grand total
> of
> > > 1 day out of our 7 night-stay where housekeeping did everything
> it
> > > was supposed to do and at that point were to disgusted to
> bother
> > > complaining again. There's truly nothing like coming in from a
> > > hard day hiking, biking, and gazing to find your bed unmade,
> your
> > > trash cans overflowing, and dirty linen you needed exchanged so
> you
> > > can shower still sitting under your sink. The one manager who
> > > offered us an immediate 10% off the room for the day we talked
> to
> > > her did not pass along the message that we had a pile of dirty
> > > towels needing to be exchanged sitting under our sink, so we
> came
> > > in twice in one day to find the same pile of dirty linen we had
> > > left in the morning. Unfortunately, it's not like the park
> > > concessioners have anything vested in treating their patrons
> well
> > > or even offering the minimal services you would think a $90
> price
> > > tag entitles you to -- it's not like they need to retain their
> > > (ours or anyone's, or even all of GOSA's) business coz it's
> > > essentially a sellers' market and anytime we decide to vacate
> our
> > > cabin or stay in West, there will be 10 families lined up to
> take
> > > our place. Still, you'd think they'd feel some responsibility
> to
> > > provide *some* minimum standard of service the way the room
> rates
> > > have escalated...
> > > Anyway, my two tumans' worth. I'll quit ranting now (and
> > > probably complain directly to Xanterra for all the good it will
> > > do...)
> > > Karen
> > >
> > > Chase Ellison wrote:
> > >
> > > > I have also been rather irritated at the lights at the gas
> station
> > > > when I have been in the basin this year.. I rode my bike from
> f&m to
> > > > the lower gas station and when I got to castle it was hard to
> ride my
> > > > bike since the lights were to bright. Anyway, is there anyway
> of
> > > > getting Delaware North out at all.. I worked in Grant this
> year until
> > > > I had a family emergancy and had to come home and 1/4 of the
> employees
> > > > who have eaten at the General Store in Grant (including me)
> have
> > > > gotten severe food poisoning. The complaint that does not
> affect me
> > > > much but the other Xanterra employees complain about is their
> prices
> > > > for general items.. Anyway, I miss the Hamiltons.
> > > >
> > > > Chase Ellison
> > > >
> > > > On 7/4/05, Paul Strasser <upperbasin at comcast.net> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> Ralph: Convey to the NPS folks who attend the meeting my
> utter
> > > >> disgust at the
> > > >> nighttime lights at the lower gas station. All of the fine
> efforts the NPS
> > > >> and Xanterra have put into "dark skies" and minimization of
> light pollution
> > > >> in the Old Faithful area are ruined by these abominable
> lights, which
> > > >> grotesquely illuminate the surrounding area and are even more
> dazzling from
> > > >> geyser hill (and the walk near Chinaman, and near Sawmill)
> than those
> > > >> unlamented lights in the Inn parking lot ever were. I
> > > >> understand the need for some lighting for the rare person
> who
> > > >> needs gas
> > > >> after dark, but these are ridiculous.. Either change the
> lighting to make
> > > >> it inoffensive (the obvious way is to direct the lights
> inward - towards the
> > > >> gas station - rather than in all directions, or have only the
> upper station
> > > >> available for self-serve after hours. Enjoy the meeting,
> and
> > > >> let us know what happens. (Is there any way to boot
> Delaware
> > > >> North out of the lower ham's concession
> > > >> agreement???) Paul Strasser
> ________________________________
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> From: geysers-bounces at wwc.edu
> [mailto:geysers-bounces at wwc.edu] On Behalf Of
> > > >> Ralph Taylor
> > > >> Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2005 10:47 PM
> > > >> To: Geyser List (Geyser List)
> > > >> Subject: [Geysers] NPS-Geyser Gazer meeting Craig McClure
> has
> > > >> arranged the annual NPS-Geyser Gazer meeting for 10:00 on
> > > >> Wednesday 6 July in one of the warming huts near the OFVC.
> Any geyser gazer
> > > >> in the Park then is welcome. Although the actual July 4th
> > > >> weekend is better for some geyser gazers, the
> > > >> NPS participation would be low because of the holiday
> weekend, so we elected
> > > >> to have the meeting when more of the Park staff could
> attend.
> > > >> Ralph Taylor --
> > > >> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> > > >> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> > > >> Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.8/37 - Release Date:
> 7/1/2005
> > > >>
> > > >> _______________________________________________
> > > >> Geysers mailing list
> > > >> Geysers at wwc.edu
> > > >> https://mailman.wwc.edu/mailman/listinfo/geysers
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Geysers mailing list
> > > > Geysers at wwc.edu
> > > > https://mailman.wwc.edu/mailman/listinfo/geysers
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Geysers mailing list
> > > Geysers at wwc.edu
> > > https://mailman.wwc.edu/mailman/listinfo/geysers
> >
> >
> >
> > -Chris
> > www.cjsatomicdiner.org
> >
> > Ran Prieur said about SETI:
> > What we're really looking for in space is other stupid life, other
> life that has gone mad the same way we have, and we haven't found it
> because our madness is a violently unsustainable deviation from
> reality, and if creatures on other planets have done it, they burned
> out and crashed in a galactic microsecond the same way we're doing,
> and their sitcoms and commercials and nationalist talk radio blew by
> us for only 50 years when we were lounging in grass huts eating
> mangoes, or will blow by us in the future when we're doing so
> again.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > _______________________________________________
> > NEW! Lycos Dating Search. The only place to search multiple dating
> sites at once.
> > http://datingsearch.lycos.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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