The Ski Barn

Customer service has been wonderful! They are attentive, courteous and knowledgeable.
I will be making all of my purchases at Ski Barn.

ABSOLUTE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!
We visited Snowshoe over New Years weekend and stopped at the ski barn to purchase some boots for my cousin. They were busy but they got our business, at first. Then, while we were skiing, someone mistakenly took my Whisper black pole and left one of the ski barns rental poles in its place. I understand that people make mistakes, not a big deal. I figured I’ll take the rental pole back to the ski barn and they will find mine and give it back. I WISH!
We stopped at the ski barn on our way home and the people who worked could have cared LESS about my pole. I seriously have never met a group of individuals with worse customer service skills. Their attitude was one of «oh that sucks» which I believe one person actually said. No offer to take my name and number and call me when it was returned nothing. They said we could try back the next day and maybe it would be there. Ok fine we’ll come back.
We go back on our way out of town and noone has a clue what I’m talking about with my pole. Again the attitude of «we really don’t care». Noone seems to know if or where a lost and found might be located and they definitely couldn’t have been less interested in helping my locate my pole, even though I took the time to return theirs. So finally I asked if they could at least take my number and call me if my pole gets returned. Fine, they take my name and number and say they will call. At this point my husband and I are so disgusted that it’s ridiculous. We leave, no pole, and pretty sure that we’ll never see it again.
Well, of course, they call after we are already 2 hours down the road to say my pole has been returned and I can stop in to pick it up any time. We live in Pittsburgh, so Snowshoe is easily a 4 hour drive from us. I tell the woman who called that we won’t be able to come back, is there any way that my aunt can pick it up for me when she comes to Canaan in March. Yes I know 2 months is a long time but could they please just put it off to the side and she will pick it up. I’m told that’s fine.
March rolls around and my aunt and uncle go to Canaan for their getaway weekend. My uncle visits the ski barns to attempt to retrieve my pole and of course nooone has a clue what he is talking about or if they even have a lost and found. He leaves extremely frustrated and returns with my aunt a few days later. They have pictures of my pole, the names of the people I spoke with, and the date that my ski was turned in. Noone and I mean noone will help them. A guy looks around and says well I don’t see it. My aunt asks, can you check in the back? Maybe someone put it back there by mistake? She swears the gentleman left, went in the back for all of 30 seconds, and returns with a «Nope I don’t see it». No apologies for all the problems, no offers to help in any way, shape, or form. Nothing. I know it’s just a ski pole, it’s not a limb or anything, but I have NEVER experienced such horrendous customer service. I wouldn’t give them my business if you paid me too. And BTW their winter boots can be found on
for at least 30% less. We found that out after my cousin had purchased a pair of Sorel boots from them.

The Ski Barn is a testament that competition is a good thing and that the market will fill the void of demand with an appropriate supply. The Ski Barn’s two locations, one at the base of Snowshoe (Route 219 and 66) and its newer location at the entrance to Silver Creek, provide friendlier, less expensive, and much better clothing, supplies and skis than the Intrawest sales establishment.
As Intrawest’s generally callous and impersonal attitude towards individual customers has resulted in a ski shop that only sells Head skis as its front-​line (I like Volkl), and its clothes buying service tends to cater the larger and portlier customer, the Ski Barn has maintained itself as a supplier for the general population, with a much richer variety in sizes, brands and colors. Their service with a smile attitude and more reasonable prices compare quite well with Snowshoe prices and rushed service. Worth the trip.