A Look at Six Flags' Guest Service Training

Well Dexter I'm sure you realize that you work in a glamorized WalMart, although not knocking it, I do shop there sometimes and I have a Target credit card.

Here's where I have a big problem with the "pay more money and you'll get better employees" senario. I don't think it works all the time. I've worked in two jobs where for the better part of the jobs, I was miserable. You could've paid me $15 an hour (about double what I was making), and it wasn't going to take away the feeling that I hated most every day I came to work (and no, it wasn't the summer/fall I worked at SFA).

I even was forced to make a choice between one of the jobs with benefits and my nightime sound technician gig which had none. The job with benefits had to go. I couldn't take another moment of five constantly ringing phone lines, a barrage of instruments to check in for repair every day, filing paperwork, dealing with the technicians, shipping out stuff etc., etc.

At my current job I don't get paid a great sum, but I do pretty well for only working part-time. Sure there are moments when I'm painting targets on peoples heads–so to speak–but for the most part, I enjoy what I do and who I work with. That makes a HUGE difference. Everyone who works there takes a huge amount of pride in what we do.

As mentioned, Sometimes it isn't the ops fault for a customer's experience. I mentioned in several Great Adventure summer 2005 trip reports that the guys on Nitro were flying. They enjoyed their job, were enthusiastic and added to the experience. There were 4 guys on the platform and one dispatching the trains. Loading & Unloading went very quickly.

On the other hand...on the carousel, there was only one non-English speaking employee who had to not only start the ride, but had to go around and check every rider's belt. More time was spent loading and unloading than riding. I felt bad for the guy. There were lots of little kids on the ride and as hard as he was trying, the overall service just stunk.

This and breakdowns are what makes the GP mad and unpleasant.

Happy holidays everyone!

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"SOMEONE has to work for it, whoever gets the benefit should get to do the work too".

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Interesting.

Was the wording intentional?

I ask that because I'd be inclined to say,"SOMEONE has to work for it, whoever does the work gets the benefit too."

Saying basically the same thing, but I think it comes across quite differently. Maybe I'm reading too much into it?

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I understand there's going to be a chunk of society (growing larger by the day it seems) that thinks they SHOULD be handed stuff instead of having to WORK for it.

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Something I've always been interested in is the difference between various generations. One concern in the workplace these days is teaching those in charge how to handle the kids just entering the workforce. They're the first generation to (for lack of a better term) grow up truly spoiled.

The came of age during a time of unprecedented economic prosperity. They grew up during a time of unprecedented importance put on children. In general, essentially they've been given everything they want, told everything they do is great (trophies for the losers too, right?), protected like no other generation of children and so on.

(note: this isn't my personal opinion, this is generally accepted fact in such circles of interest - look up info on "Generation Y" or "millennials" or similar labels)

The problem is that these kids enter the workplace and expect to be treated like they have their whole lives. They expect to be told that they're doing great all the time. They expect to be included in many things far beyond their positional status. They think they're underpaid for what they do. So much so, that there are now seminars for management types to attend that teach ways to deal with and retain this generation in the workplace and less specifically how to mix them with the older generations (X'ers, Boomers and the relatively small number of workers still out there from previous generations) outlook on work and life and achieve a balance that keeps everyone on board.

More to the point, you're exactly right Gator - there is a chunk of society with that attitude and they're finally hitting their stride in regards to populating the workforce. The next few years are going to be very interesting in whether this idealogy takes root or not.

Even more interesting is going back through this thread and reading the comments of folks in this general age group. :)

Not sure I have real point. More like tossing the theories and ideas out there as most of it is still playing out before our eyes, but I do believe the generational thing in regards to the workplace is a valid gauge of things.

*** Edited 12/27/2005 7:47:58 AM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

I wonder how many of the people here at CBuzz who are complaining about customer service make regular stops to guest relations to voice their complaints, rather than just venting to the ride-ops or on the web. Or even better, how many actually drop compliments?

Maybe the customer service at a park could be affected by the customers...

Even if you're not going to vote with your money (a Six Flags pass is worth it to me, even if the ops are slow and apathetic), you can still vote with your voice.

P.S. Don't go to Visionland! EVAR! *** Edited 12/29/2005 10:02:21 PM UTC by ApolloAndy***

I usually find a member of management and I'm not talking about one with a red shirt and more often than not I drop compliments instead of complaints. The times I've been to guest relations, I've found a line of people wanting to file complaints.

Actually, we're probably guilty of leaving compliments at guest relations more often than complaints and I can't think of a single time that anyone I've been with has complained to an op or low-level employee although we do compliment them to their face. (usually followed up at GR)

My wife tends to have no hesitation when it comes to such things.

Even still, it's these people's job - to show the people in the park a good time. Is it really that hard to just be cordial? If being decent to customers is too challenging a job, you're screwed in life. It's kind of a general basic courtesy that human tend to live by.

I worked in a theme park for 5.25 seasons. I can honestly say I did not start there or stay there for the pay. However I was one of the few lucky ones in the industry that made quite a bit of money doing so. That is not why I kept coming back, it was impart do to the often hectic, stressful, early mornings and short turn a rounds that kept me. Well that and the great people my age that worked there as well.

Another thing that kept me was pride; I took pride in my work. And loved making guest happy and smile. I meant it when I said "Have a great rest of the day at Six Flags Over Mid America" as well as "How may I rip you off". I can honestly say every time I was faced with any angry or upset "guest", I took into account my employees first, safety, then the guests, followed by the parks check book.

I understood all three sides, the guests were there to have fun, the park was there to have money and the employees were there to do a little of both.

In the years I have been doing this at Stadiums, Arenas and Theme parks. I can honestly say you can pay your employees almost anything and they will be the best workers you could hope for, so long as you the person in charge makes their job important and meaningful. Not to mention give them some respect and not treat them like sub humans...well the 15 years you can, its just some good old fashioned hazing.

Gonch...have to say you reminded me of my first visit to Knott's. Windjammer was still standing (SBNO), but one thing that was patently obvious was the age of the employees. It was clearly the opposite of every *major* park I'd been to, and very refreshing. Only a couple years' later, it seemed like the entire staff at the park had turned over, virtually no one over 65 was left working there...

Now, Knott's is more like the *other* CF parks...CP is the one park in the chain with a unique staffing situation now.

Retirees, *especially* in the era of the corporate greed-heads raiding pensions, seem like the IDEAL choice for parks looking for customer-service workers...plus the kids have a hard time ignoring it when "grandpa" is telling them not to cut in line... ;)

*** Edited 12/30/2005 4:17:47 AM UTC by rollergator***

My only Knott's visit was in 2003 and yes, I noticed an oddly high number of older workers. And I use the term 'older' to mean "beyond college age."

It was also a park where the employees were having fun, where they seemed genuinely glad to have you as a guest and even recognized you after a couple laps on a ride and began striking up conversation and such.

In other words it was one of those days where you close the park and wish there was more time to spend there. :)