When Mike Bartasuis and Ira Riklis joined forces to create their Charter Sports ski shops, they wanted to create the best shops possible, ones that would help make their customers’ ski excursions that much more enjoyable. That they’ve succeeded in doing so is evident in telling ways. Their shops are the only ones consistently mentioned each year in Travel Y Leisure Magazine’s annual subscribers’ survey of the fifty best ski resorts in North America.
One reason for this is their focus on keeping customers happy. Mike and Ira Riklis firmly believe that good customer service is a key to running a good business and in encouraging repeat visits. If a customer comes in to report a bad experience, they get the full attention of shop staff, who do everything they can—up to and including providing free rentals to the customer’s entire family for a week—to resolve the problem. These customers often become the shops’ most loyal and vocal advocates, providing the word-of-mouth advertising that brings in new customers.