ACE Adventure Blog

Thanks to my printing representative, Curry Welch, at Freeport Press, we are testing a new way to get some of our design work accomplished.  If you haven't heard of CrowdSpring.com, it's definitely worth a peak.  It's a website that connects customers who want say, a new logo, with graphic designers willing to give it a shot.  

And the cool thing about is that it's set up as a competition so you have lots of choice when making that final decision — and you can help ACE make that decision on a new logo for the Lost Paddle Bar & Grill.

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You might already know that ACE — and only ACE — runs the Gauley River all summer long.

What you probably don’t know is that this program is run almost exclusively by women: the Gauley Girls.

The Summer Gauley is one of the most technical, demanding and difficult sections of water that are run commercially.  Water flows change daily and the Summer Gauley guides have to adapt to radically different levels on every trip.  Boat sizes change,  too.

Once the Gauley gets down to its lowest summertime levels, we run it in duckys, 1-person inflatable kayaks.

Imagine the mighty Gauley River, Upper and Lower, with even more rocks and even steeper drops, and you’re doing it in your own boat (under the expert guidance of the Gauley Girls, of course).

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When was your last customer service home run?  In our society today, great service is rare.  That is why I would like to share a story from my life that really impressed me.

I have always worked in customer service in one way or the other.  Waiting tables.  Retail.  I have had more than my share of difficult customers.  Here is the worst.  

I was a manager at a Major Retailer and it was the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Two girls roamed suspiciously through the store gathering loads of clothes in their arms.  Finally, they made a break for it and stormed out of my front doors to an awaiting car loaded with stolen merchandise.  

My instincts kicked in to follow.  When I did, however, one of the girls shot me in the face with mace.  It burned and burned.  A lady on the street beside me as I was choking said, “At least it was not a gun, honey!”

And there is a local grocery store that I boycott because of employee rudeness.

It is unfortunate that I only remember the bad ones because they are so extreme.  However, I wanted to share a story of good customer service I received. 

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As a reservationist, one of our responsibilities is to answer any questions guests have concerning their vacation.  This is also where many guests unknowingly provide us with much needed comic relief.  

I understand that you probably have never done anything like we provide, so really I am not poking fun.  I can promise you that if I go to the Grand Canyon, the first thing I’m going to ask before I get on my donkey is how often do they fall off the cliff?  Those folks have probably heard that question thousands of times and probably think it’s absurd, but for me, it’s a legitimate concern — so trust me, I get it.  

I’d like to share with you some of our more unique questions that we’ve received, along with the answers:

• Do you get wet while rafting?  As it is an activity that takes place in the water, let’s assume you’ll get wet, so wear your swimsuit.

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Hey, to all those who are looking for the adventure of a lifetime and ways to spend great time with friends and family: You found it. ACE is the place to be.

My sisters and I have been around the globe and found bliss at ACE. Biking, canopy, climbing, duckies and rafting, rafting, rafting! Did I mention rafting?

We have been loyal customers going on our third season, and as Susan Mitchell (one of the best guides on the river) says, we are senior rafters. We go rafting 30 trips a year.

What brings us back besides the majestic Gauley River, the best time ever, and exciting vacation?

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ACE Adventure Resort is open year round, and we average 40 year-round employees who keep the place going.

Even in the winter we have cabins to clean, buildings and vehicles to repair and new projects to undertake, like our newly expanded beach and remodeled women’s shower house.

But that’s a far cry from the 350-some employees we have “in season.”

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If we could only see the faces on these folks when they learn they’ve won practically a lifetime of free rafting!

Seven different individuals and groups submitted videos for ACE’s 30th Birthday Video Contest, and we have good news for all the contestants.

First, though, let us say that we had been eagerly looking forward to announcing the results of the contest at our Birthday Bash over the weekend.

The bad news is that it rained cats and dogs while we trying to have our little shindig. The good news is that, even though we couldn’t show the videos on the outdoor screen, at least the rain kept the rivers flowing for some great whitewater rafting!

Back to the news you’ve been waiting for: The free rafting winners. We’re giving 30 years of free rafting to the “ambassador” of each contest entry. So, our winners are, in no particular order,

• Michael Oyler, of North East, Pennsylvania
• Parker Thomas, of Commerce, Michigan
• Marcy Helmick, of Staunton, Virginia
• Bill Hoopes, of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Dawn Steinhauer, of Sanford, Florida
• Naira Aslanyan, of Guttenberg, New Jersey

Now, since everyone was a winner, we decided to take the contest one step further and vote on a Grand Prize Winner. There were some mixed opinions by our judges, but in the end the interpretive synchronized swimming routine by John Gebhardt, of Dayton, Ohio brought home the gold.

The Grand Prize includes more than $200 in gift certificates for activities and the Adventure Store and a travel survival kit for their next trip to West Virginia.

Thanks again to each and every contestant. You all made us feel quite warm and fuzzy on our birthday, and we hope the feeling is mutual.

Thanks also to all the friends and families of the contestants who helped our judges decide on the winners by voting here on the blog. We hope you’ll continue to check out the blog.

We encourage you all to take a look at the contest videos — here on the blog in previous posts, or on the ACE page at Facebook or the ACE channel on YouTube.

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