I always approach the Apple Store with some trepidation, since it is so busy, and my expectations were met by the large crowd inside. None of the iPad-toting Apple minions who serve as greeters were looking up from their electronic gadgets, so I continued to the back of the store, looking for a power cord I could use to replace the faulty one I had.

Finally, a manager approached and asked if I needed help. I explained my Mac power cord was faulty and that I understood there was a recall on these Apple items, since they had the ability to go kaput.

The nice young guy told me he couldn’t help me and that I had to see a “Genius” at the back of the store but that they were busy and I couldn’t make an appointment for another hour. I was sort of flabbergasted, since I just wanted to swap the cord for a new one so I could return to work. The manager would not relent at all, saying he couldn’t do this. I explained to him I didn’t think a genius was required to pull a new part out of the back of the store but, in the end, I spent an hour walking around the stripmall since it wouldn’t make sense to walk home and then have to drive back again.

Ultimately, I spoke to a “Genius” who helped me in about five minutes, something Target or Walmart could have done without an appointment and with their regular, run-of-the-mill, non-genius staff.

I love my Macbook and often tell people the only thing on it that crashes is my Microsoft software. Nevertheless, I think Apple is simply too big now and their customer service scheme, which is clearly designed to handle the massive number of customers, is not good. What would I suggest? Two things:

1. Don’t make everyone make an appointment (which they want you to do on their app or iPhone) to see a customer service rep. They need to have at least some people available to handle basic requests.

2. Train all their staff to do all the jobs, since any of the 30 staff in the store should have been able to hand me another power cord. See my article on my local restaurant Mountain Sun in Eat Drink Boulder for an example of a small business that does this.

How does this apply to Zephyr Adventures? I am not really sure. Our travelers do not get treated like one pea in a massive pod, so I don’t think we have that problem. And if you call us up, we’ll listen to your needs or requests and try to handle it one-on-one.

Do you have any good “customer service in the digital age” stories?

Are we on track by focusing on active wine, beer, and food tours? Should we be continuing to focus on treks? Where do we fit in the world of adventure travel? These are the kinds of questions I found myself asking.

The Best Adventure For Your Money

While I did make some unique discoveries in my research, the biggest factor I found was that our tours cost significantly less than our competitors. Yet, we provide the same (and often more immersive) experiences as larger adventure touring companies.

When you take a tour with Zephyr, you enjoy the dynamics of a small group atmosphere. You stay in hotels that, while extraordinarily comfortable, are also off the well worn path that most tourists travel. You get to have a real adventure, and, you get to do it at an affordable price.

How We Do It

Zephyr Adventures doesn’t have an office – we all work virtually. We don’t have hundreds of employees to pay or have large fleets of vehicles and bicycles. We believe this is not only an advantage to us, but to our customers as well.

By sourcing transportation and resources locally, we provide a richer and more authentic experience for our guests. On a Zephyr tour, you have the chance to interact not only with the other travelers, but with local guides and people who actually live out their lives in the locations that you are passing through.

And, here’s the best part. Because we operate with light overhead, we can provide these kinds of authentic experiences for less than most! Real people. Real experiences. Real value.

Why We Do It

We have a passion for exploration, experiences, travel and adventurous endeavors. Ultimately, that’s why we run the company that we do. Our office staff actually run and guide the tours that we offer! That’s right, your guide might actually be Allan, Zephyr’s Owner.

When you call up Zephyr, you’re going to talk to someone who has likely been on, guided, and organized the tour you’re inquiring about. We don’t have to sell you on the trip, because we’ve been on them ourselves – we know an incredible adventure when we see one.

Honestly, there really isn’t any experience like climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or skating beneath the vast Alaskan mountain ranges. Our tours, our guides and our customers (many of which are repeat visitors) are truly one of a kind. Consequently, we know you’ll have the experience of a lifetime!

Visit Zephyr’s Value page to see more details.  

With a limit of only 500 Inca Trail passes issued for each day, and two-thirds of those taken up by staff (such as porters, guides and cooks) who accompany the trekkers, passes always sell out.  As an example, for our April 13 – 21 Classic Inca Trail Trekking Adventure, only 133 passes remain.  That is 133 passes for everyone in the world who wants to trek during that same time period!  The system definitely rewards those who can plan ahead. If you are considering joining us on this trip, I recommend you do it now.  (In fact, there is another reason for doing this now – we are having a 15-year anniversary sale and are offering 0 off any trip booked in the first 15 days of February.)

Our days on the trail are filled with the stunning sights surrounding us, while nights are spent swapping stories and learning about the area from our local guides. We sleep in tents for our three nights on the trail and have local porters carry our equipment and cook our meals. While this is camping, it is luxurious and truly exotic.

 If you aren’t able to join us in April, we have a couple other options for you:

• We offer private treks on the Inca Trail for as few as two people, on any dates you choose (provided there are still Inca Trail passes available).
• Our October 20 – 28 Royal Inca Trail Trekking Adventure is significantly easier than our trek on the Classic Inca Trail.  The Royal Inca Trail is likely the original route built and traveled by the Incan emperors when they visited their mountain retreat of Machu Picchu.  This trail follows the Urubamba River and avoids the high altitude issues of the Classic Trail and the intense steep climbs that can be rough on your knees.

Why is Beer Tourism so cool?

Support local communities. While a great deal of the country is struggling with unemployment issues, the craft beer industry is exactly the opposite.  Over the past three years, big beer sales have gone down about 5%, while craft beer sales have gone up 21%.  In fact, it is estimated that last year craft beer created 100,000 jobs in the United States.  So next time you’re on vacation and sitting down to peruse the drinks menu, ask your server what local brews they carry. 

Get a (free) tour. Many breweries have regularly scheduled tours of their facilities (usually for free! And sometimes even with free beer tasting!).  And if you’re planning ahead, it’s always worth sending an email in advance to ask if there is anyone available to take you on a private tour.  I have found that if they can, craft beer folks love to show off their facility and talk beer with someone who is genuinely interested in learning more.

Try something brand new.  While you might be familiar with your own state’s brews, there are literally thousands of breweries’ beers that are not available at your local liquor shop.  Because of distribution limitations, being at your destination may be the only chance you’ll get to experience some of these beers.  And even if their beer is available in your state, drinking it where it’s been brewed means it will be a heck of a lot fresher (read: more delicious!) than if you picked up a 6-pack at your grocer 600 miles away.

As you become a more seasoned beer tourist, you will find that each location has a deep passion for their local craft beer scene.  From the more obvious “beertopias” like Portland, Asheville, St. Louis and Colorado to some more allusive locations like Louisiana, Minnesota and Ohio, you’ll be blown away by the enthusiasm and dedication the local communities have for their hometown suds.

A beer lover will be delighted to hear that Colorado alone has more than 120 breweries.  If this tickles your fancy, Zephyr’s Colorado Hike, Bike, Beer & Brewpubs Adventure is perfect for the adventurer who is looking to experience some delicious brews.  And to make it even better, the trip ends with the Great American Beer Festival, which will give you an opportunity to expand your craft beer loving palate beyond the Rocky Mountains.

Needless to say, over the next few days there are bound to be a few problems. We ask you to bear with us as we put the final touches to our new site. It’s only to be expected that one or two things don’t work quite as expected.

What do you think? How does it compare to our old site? What are your first impressions? Post your comments & feedback we would love to hear from you!

Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa, has a new sign at the summit:

That compares to the old one, which is pictured here with long-time Zephyr travelers Rick and Tony:

I have to admit: I sort of like the old, battered sign! It’s weather-beaten look seems appropriate for hard climb that gets one to the “roof of Africa”. However, I am sure the new sign will grow on me.  I look forward to standing underneath it on our next tour to Tanzania when we’ll have the chance to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro!