I’m on my customer service soapbox again, but this time there’s a prize under the box…a brand new, shiny 2009/2010 Merchant Ski Pass. If your business is a member of the Vail Chamber and Business Association (VCBA), the Beaver Creek Resort Company (BCRC) or our own Vail Valley Partnership (VVP), and you must be a member of one of these organizations to qualify, getting a Merchant Pass is a snap. Just stop by the VVP at our offices in Traer Creek Plaza in Avon, or download the application forms from www.vailvalleyparntership.com (under the Educational Events link), fill them out, make a reservation (contact Ruthie Carlson, 477-4001, or rcarslon@visitvailvalley.com ) to attend the “Service to the Power of You” customer service training event on Tuesday, November 3, from 8:00-11:00 at the Vail Marriott Resort and Spa, and you’re done. We’ll certify your forms on the spot after the event and you just take them to the ticket window in Lionshead anytime after they open on Friday, November 6. Companies who participate in the VVP’s Platinum Service Program are automatically qualified, but you should attend the customer service event anyway…it’s going to be fun and highly informative.

John Garnsey, Co-President, Mountain Division and Chief Operating Officer/Beaver Creek, and Chris Jarnot, Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer/Vail will kick-off the meeting to put the importance of serving our guests in perspective within the framework of today’s economic conditions.

The program, the only event to qualify business owners and employees for this year’s merchant pass, will be presented by Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE and author of the Wall Street Journal best-seller, “The Cult of the Customer.” Mr. Hyken has spoken before dozens of Fortune 100 companies and hundreds of smaller organizations about the value and impact of great customer service.

Last year, Mr. Hyken was given the National Speakers Association’s Hall of Fame award for lifetime achievement in the area of platform/speaking excellence.

His presentation to the Vail valley audience will address individual and team roles in building brand power and service satisfaction. Again, this is the only training event that will qualify you for your Merchant Pass this year, so don’t miss it. The pass will be sold at last year’s price of $579.00.

For those of you who don’t know about the VVP’s Platinum Service Program, “Destination Excellence,” now is a great time to learn about and sign up for this informative and useful management tool. It’s a secret shopper service that let’s you monitor your customer service effort and compare it against a template of peer performance. You can select the number and timing of the shops and the reports make a great case study year after year. For more information, contact Suzanne Sloan, 477-4009 or ssloan@visitvailvalley.com .

You know we need to delight our visitors, this year more than ever, and these programs give you a great way to start the season strong. I’ll see you at the event.

VVP Event Update

· Thurs., Nov. 11, “Success in :60 Seconds,” speed networking event, 8-9:30 a.m., Marketplace on Meadow Drive, Vail. Members only.

· Wed., Nov. 18, “Business After Hours” mixer, Timber Hearth Grille, Cordillera, Edwards. Members only.

· Save the Date: Fri., Feb. 5, 2010, “VVP Success Awards Gala,” The Lodge at Vail, Vail Village. (Nomination forms available now online at www.vailvalleypartnership.com ).