ridecamp@endurance.net: Refunds

Refunds

KimFue@aol.com
Tue, 3 Jun 1997 19:36:13 -0400 (EDT)

It's been real interesting noting the different attitudes that ride managers
have towards refunding entry fees. By refunding an entry one year for a
rider, regardless of the reason, may guarantee a future ride entry for the
next five years from that rider and that person might bring a few paying
riders to future rides because of the kindness shown by refunding that entry.
Ride management sets the tone of their ride.
Terry Wooley Howe is right...it is petty. If you are being charged per
campsite ask the rider to pay for his campsite fee. Terry is a perfect
example of how a good attitude goes a long way. Her rides are located in the
most southern part of California and everyone north of San Diego has to drive
through Friday L.A. or Orange county traffic which not fun in a car and is
horrible with a horse trailer. The trails are not the most scenic yet her
rides average at least 130 riders per ride (and are growing every year) and
people are signed up months in advance. The San Diego rides have a huge
following and have become the most popular rides in Southern California. I
am not sure these rides would have developed this great reputation if Terry
had implemented a "No Refund" policy/attitude when she took over these rides
a few years ago.
On a personal note, I will never forget three years ago when Richard and
I pulled into the Cowtank Ride in New Mexico an hour before the ride began
(we had trailered over 20 hrs) and decided not to start the ride that day.
Randy Eiland urged us to start the ride and if our horses were too tired (or
if we were too tired) and pulled before the first vet check he would give us
a refund for the day. He took a gamble that he might loose 2 ride entries
that day but in the long run it was worth it because we have trailered back
to his rides at least 5 times since that first Cowtank ride and on our last
"Randy Ride" we brought a friend who rode. We are probably bringing two new
people to his Timberon Ride in July.
A hard nose attitude may pay off in the short run but I think a little
kindness goes a lot further and develops a better relationship between riders
and management. Most endurance riders I know would be willing to reimburse a
ride manager for an individual campsite fee if the situation was explained to
them. It's hard to believe that there are so many riders dropping out of
rides at the last minute for no reason that it is influencing the number of
vets that have been hired. Perhaps more then a refund policy should be
evaluated.

Kim Fuess




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