Erlösverluste durch zu großzügige Kulanz bei witterungsbedingten Stornos

Definition

Snow and weather refund policies typically distinguish between ‘no snow’ scenarios and other operational disruptions. For example, Mt Buller’s Snow Guarantee explicitly excludes lift closures due to wind or ice and applies only when specified ‘Snow Guarantee lifts’ are not operating because of insufficient snow.[1] Similarly, major pass products such as the Epic Pass and Epic Australia Pass explicitly exclude most weather-related limitations (e.g. snow levels, wind) from refund coverage, only offering refunds for defined qualifying events.[2][5][6] In practice, when guests encounter poor conditions (limited terrain, high winds, rain, or partial lift closures) but do not meet strict policy criteria, resorts often authorise goodwill refunds, credits, or free future tickets to avoid negative publicity or disputes under consumer law. These gestures are rarely tracked granularly by cause and are made at the discretion of frontline staff without consistent thresholds. Logic-based estimate: if 0.5–1% of day tickets/lessons (e.g. 5,000–10,000 units at AUD 120–200 each) receive unrequired goodwill compensation averaging AUD 40–60 per case, annual leakage is in the order of AUD 20,000–60,000 per resort, excluding opportunity cost of capacity taken by rebooked guests on peak days.

Why This Matters

The Pitch: Australian 🇦🇺 ski operators lose AUD 20,000–80,000 each season on discretionary weather-related goodwill refunds and credits. Rule‑based approval workflows and clear decision support for frontline staff can cap this leakage without breaching consumer law.

Affected Stakeholders

Guest services manager, Ticket office supervisor, Finance manager, Marketing and brand manager, General manager / resort director

Related Business Risks