Real-Life Communication
Technicians need to be able to wax and repair skis and snowboards.
They also need to be able to deal with the public.
"You have to be
able to deal with customers," says Jason James, a snowboard technician. "Communications
skills are important. You need to be able to help your customer understand
what needs to be done."
You are adjusting the bindings on a set of
skis for Susan. You need to know her weight and her skiing ability to do a
proper job. She isn't sure of her classification.
You ask Susan a few
questions, and this is how she answers you:
"I'm not really aggressive
on the slopes. Actually, I sometimes ski quite slowly, but other times, I
can go at a moderate pace. To tell you the truth, I haven't skied very much,
and I prefer to stick to the moderately easy slopes on the hill."
By
reading the description below, how do you classify this skier? Be sure to
explain why.
How to classify a skier type:
Examine
the three levels of skier descriptions to determine a skier type. It is your
responsibility to classify a skier as one of the skier types. This will help
a technician figure out what type of ski you should use and the settings for
the bindings.
SKIER TYPE ONE = Skis conservatively. Prefers
slower speeds and moderate and easy slopes. Favors lower-than-average release
and retention settings -- this increases the risk of inadvertent binding release
in order to gain increased release-ability in a fall. Type one skiers are
entry-level skiers uncertain of their classification.
SKIER TYPE
TWO = Skis moderately. Prefers a variety of speeds, skis on varied terrain
including most difficult trails. Includes all skiers who do not meet type
one or type three descriptions.
SKIER TYPE THREE = Skis aggressively,
normally at high speeds. Prefers steeper and more challenging terrain. Favors
higher-than-average release settings -- this decreases the release-ability
in a fall in order to gain a decreased risk of inadvertent binding release.
(Used with the permission of The Ski Stop)