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Whistler Blackcomb recognized for "top customer experience" by Canadian Ski Council

Resort is best in country in operational excellence in poll of visitors
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MItch Winton, www.coastphoto.com

There's no business like snow business, and Whistler Blackcomb has proven that everything about the resort is appealing by being named best in Canada in terms of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and commitment to promoting and growing skiing and snowboarding by the Canadian Ski Council (CSC).

The resort was one of five to be named as winners for the Gordon Canning Customer Satisfaction and Operational Excellence Awards, but came out on top as overall national winner — the Best in Snow Business — earlier in July.

Whistler Blackcomb and the resort community have won awards over the years for everything from terrain to the nightlife to the overall experience, but it's been a sore spot in the past that the resort has never won an award specifically for customer service.

"It's great to be recognized as the overall winner for customer satisfaction and operational excellence. It really is a tribute to the commitment and the passion of our staff to deliver a great experience every day," said Dave Brownlie, president and chief operating officer of Whistler Blackcomb.

"Ultimately, that is how we are going to be successful. We've got to continue to improve and prove our experience. We want people to be walking away from Whistler Blackcomb saying 'Hey, I want to come back and I'm going to tell my friends about it.'"

The results were tallied during the 2011-2012 season by the CSC National Consumer Profile and Satisfaction Survey, an annual poll of visitors. Whistler Blackcomb also achieved the highest Net Promoter Score in Canada for the season, a customer loyalty metric that assesses and compares customer satisfaction levels across an industry.

The other winners included Sunshine Village in Alberta, Blue Mountain Resorts in Ontario, Tremblant in Quebec, and Poley Mountain in New Brunswick.

Ski areas from across Canada have participated in CSC's National Research program since 2004, with the organization selecting those from each province that have demonstrated outstanding levels of customer satisfaction.

Whistler Blackcomb recognized for energy efficiency

For the first time ever, Whistler Blackcomb has been named as a finalist for one of BC Hydro's Power Smart Excellence Awards, nominated as a Power Smart Leader.

"Whistler Blackcomb embeds energy management across a range of facilities including restaurants, lodges, staff housing, maintenance and operations, often a logistical challenge because of their high-altitude mountain location," BC Hydro said in a news release.

Whistler Blackcomb is one of 42 companies and organizations nominated in 11 categories in the competition: Power Smart Leader; Leadership Excellence; Energy Conservation Commitment; Energy Manager; New Construction; Conservation Partner; New Technology; Consumer Product Manufacturer; National Retailer; Regional Retailer; and the Larry Bell Award for Advancing Energy Conservation.

Along with Whistler Blackcomb, other nominees in the Power Smart Leader category include Cadillac Fairview, Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership, Fraser Health Authority, Gorman Bros. Lumber Ltd., Surrey Schools, and Vancouver Island Health Authority.

The bi-annual Power Smart Excellence Awards recognize best-in-class energy conservation leadership and innovation from BC Hydro customers in commercial, government, and industrial sectors as well as retail and industry partners.

The winners will be announced in October during Power Smart Month.

BC Hydro's business customers account for more than 60 per cent of annual Power Smart program savings: since 2008, over 2,100 gigawatt hours a year or enough to power more than 190,000 homes a year, has been conserved.