The draw of a ‘seasonnaire’ life is an easy decision to make. Breath-taking scenery, time to ski or snowboard when you want to, enjoying the lively apres scene and meeting like-minded individuals is an opportunity not to be missed.
One decision to be made, is what job should you look to do whilst in resort? Take it from someone who has worked a ski season in Morzine over the last 10 years and filled most seasonal roles, working for a transfer company, working for Skiidy Gonzales, should be something to seriously consider.
So, what does it involve being a transfer driver? Simply put, driving customers to and from the airport to their resort accommodation. Also consider that you are the face of the company. You are the individual the customer will see first when they arrive at the airport and also spend the first few hours of their holiday with you. So, a good first impression is very important. Not least that you will be easy to spot, as a large, sombrero hat is part of your uniform! Please don’t be put off by this, customers love that their driver is easily identified after their flight and you will be part of large, close-knit team who will also be wearing these hats.
As it turns out, meeting new people every time you get into the driver’s seat can be one of the highlights of the role – many like to chat about your time in the resort and it can make the journey relaxed and time go by quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to sugar-coat this, there will be times when the customer is tired and miserable (flights get delayed etc) and you will be expected to remain calm and positive in these situations. But the former far outweighs the latter and throughout your time with Skiidy Gonzales, you will receive support whenever you need it as there will always be someone on the end of the phone if you do need help – more on that support later.
Equally important is the safety of our customers. Most vehicles in the fleet carry up to 8 passengers so being a careful, confident and calm driver is a high priority, with previous experience a bonus. Also, if you have previous experience of driving mini-buses or driving in Europe, this will help with securing a driving role. Skiidy Gonzales provide hands-on training too, such as driving around resort, driving in snow, practising putting on snow-chains (it gets easier, promise) and practical advice regarding finding familiar areas in resort and at the airports. All buses have GPS but you will be guided on finding where you need to go before your transfer – you will become very familiar with Google Maps!
Many previous transfer drivers will tell you that being flexible is a large part of the role and this is very true. Changes to your rota will happen often, mainly due to those last minute bookings, flight delays or changes, or some unforeseen event that will mean changes to your day. You will be provided with a phone, blue tooth in the van and a driver app that will give you up to date information on any changes. The office will make sure that they have either spoken to you or text you with those changes so even though there is an expectation on you being flexible, support will be provided every step of the way.
There are over 60 drivers that work for Skiidy Gonzales and are based in Morzine, Les Gets, Val d’Isere, Tignes and Meribel and many return season after season. The main office is based in Morzine and the team there provide your schedules, take bookings and enquiries from customers and are there to be on the end of the phone for you. This is the support mentioned earlier, as the expectation is flexibility from yourself, the office team go out of their way to be flexible for you too. At the weekends (traditionally the busiest time), there are airport representatives there to greet our customers and help you ensure a smooth transition with the transfer. 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, there is a team available to provide you with answers to your questions, if required, guide you to your destination and provide support and help whenever required.
Doing a season can be hard work but it can also be a lot of fun, interesting, and you meet people that become great friends. Working for Skiidy Gonzales provides you with the flexibility to take full advantage of the ski area you are based in and be part of an extended team to share experiences and a lot of fun. As someone who has tried quite a few jobs in Morzine, I am sticking with this one.