Basecamp podcast: Smugglers’ Notch’s independence is the key to customer satisfaction

A bluebird day at Smugglers’ Notch Resort. (Smugglers' Notch Resort)

Up to a foot of snow is going to land at Smugglers’ Notch during this latest storm, which had us wondering, where are the best spots to hit on a powder day? 

“Some of these gladed trails are unbelievable,” Rob Aiken, Sugarbush’s sales director said on the latest Basecamp podcast. “The terrain, on a powder day, you can get lost in the woods and have a terrific time. It’s just abundant and tons of terrain to get into.” 

Aiken, along with Sugarbush vice president of marketing and promotions Steve Clokey and director of media relations Kelly Moore, joined Basecamp hosts Eric Wilbur and Mike Specian to discuss what’s happening at the Vermont resort this season, Smuggs’ longtime independence, and how that compares to the rest of the corporate world of skiing. 

Listen: 

Highlights from this edition of the Basecamp podcast:

On Smugglers’ Notch’s independence and customer service: 

Mohr: One of the great things about being an independent is when our guests come, we hear what they’re saying and we can act accordingly. Their feedback doesn’t go into a vacuum. It’s heard, it’s acted upon, it’s appreciated. So we can really learn from our guests how to continuously improve. It doesn’t go to a general customer service line and then fall by the wayside. It is put into action. I think that’s something that we are really proud of.

On the lack of traffic issues headed to Smuggs:

Clokey: Last year, you heard some horror stories about the traffic over on the other side of the mountain [Stowe Mountain Resort]. We are busy, but we’ve never had a traffic jam from Jeffersonville up to the upper mountains, which is like a five-mile journey. We’re not as big and, again, we’re independent, so we don’t have any other passes coming to us, which is kind of good because you can control who’s coming. That’s probably…why, perhaps, we haven’t done an Indy Pass, Epic Pass, Ikon Pass, Mountain Collective, or whatever is out there. We just have our passes so we can kind of control the experience and give people a good time. 

The podcast can be streamed at skijournal.com/podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Spotify and Amazon.