Grumpy Park Employees

Ah, the Ripcord thread. Good times.

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Remember, you're comparing these kids to professionals.

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If you're getting paid, you're a professional. True, the park employees make (a lot) less than I charge for expert witness work or consulting. Then again, this professorial gig isn't my first job. I started out my working life as a caddy. If you think the average park guest can be rude, try schlepping some rich, over-priviledged dude's golf bag for four hours hoping for a $2 tip over your $8 base pay.

On the other hand, some of the members would tell us dirty jokes and tipped well. I still remember some of those guys with great fondness.

Even at this level, there were caddies who were good and bad at their jobs, and our job was nothing more than staying out of everyone's putting line and keeping quiet on the backswing.

If you have a job, do it well. It's really that simple.

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http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~bnoble/

I agree you should take pride in your job and do it well, but sometimes it seems like everyone on these boards takes the attitude of "if you're not perfect then why are you a ride op?" Guess what, they're human. You've all yelled at your girlfriends/wives before right? You get mad at people you're not supposed to. You have bad days where everything gets on your nerves, you've snapped at parents, children, relatives, etc. I don't see why at the first sign of a problem, maybe even an employee who was distracted by another guest, everyone around here jumps on them and calls them the scum of the earth and horrible people who are doomed to be lucky if they make manager at Wal Mart (to paraphrase something from the RipCord thread). Give people some slack - they're not perfect. What about if someone came into your job, stood over your shoulder and fired you for the first mistake you made. How long would any of you last? I know I would have already been fired today, I put loads into a model backwards. Oops, guess I'm scum of the earth.

I'm right up with the front lines on jumping at stupid people, but no ones perfect, and unless you've been a ride-op in the past and have like trophies to prove you were voted most-perfect-in-the-world, cut the people some slack.

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

I was a ride operator for 6 years. During that time, I had plenty of highs and lows, but I was never rude because of it. At the very least, customer service employees of any type can refrain from rudeness. Otherwise, get a different job. It's not THAT difficult to not be rude.

And rudeness, I contend, is different from forgetting to smile. You want a rough job? Try coal miner...etc... Hanging out in a themepark all day? Rough stuff...real rough stuff....

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"But where's the feeelth?" - Uncle Vainstein

There's a very significant difference between being human and being a lousey employee. If I think my employer is run by a bunch of morons, shall I treat the customers poorly and tell my boss off? Yeah, I wouldn't have a job very long, would I.

Welcome to the real world, folks!

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

Sorry, Impuls-ive but I have to agree with Gonch, Jeff, and Andy. As a ad sales rep customer service is also part of my job. I can't let the day I'm having, how rude my clients are, or what's happening in my personal life affect my interaction with them.

I've written letters to parks and stopped at Guest Service offices to make complaints, but I *always* make sure to accompany those complaints with a few compliments.

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Balderdash [n.] - a rapidly receeding hairline.

Yea but Jan, it appears to me that the above people are jumping on ops for exactly that, not smiling. Not all the time, but someone sees someone in a bad mood walking around the park without a prozac-pasted-on-smile on their face and they come back with a trip report screaming about how much the ride ops suck. And I fully agree, not being rude isn't that hard, and the ones that get rude deserve to be told about it, but just simply not being overly enthusiastic and treating you like you're the only customer in the park all night long, I think that's a little much to ask of some kid. Not all of them are there by choice, some need that job if they're going to make it in this world.

I do not feel that not smiling all the time is being a lousy employee. Obviously that's contrary to what the "enthusiast opinion" is, but that's not how I feel. Heck I'm not smiling right now, does that mean I should be fired?

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

This is my first year as a ride op in kiddie land at SFEG. So far, I havn't had a single complaint filed against me, and I hope to keep it that way. But sometimes people will get angry enough to file a complaint on you just because you ARE DOING your job and following procedure. I have had people tell me they were going to file a complaint against me because I told them their kid was too tall to ride. I still didn't let the kid on and no complaint was ever filed, but sometimes people don't understand that a park employee is just doing his or her job, not trying to be rude.

I am in no way saying it's okay to be rude to guests, because we all know thats not true. But an amusement park is the perfect enviroment for people to bash heads, its hot, drinks are expensive, lines are long, I can see why guests would want to take their frustration out on park employees. But it doesn't make it right for them to do it, because I don't control how hot it is, how much drinks are, and how long the lines are.
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"Here's my ten cence, my two cence is free"-Eminem

*** This post was edited by RubberDucky 7/10/2003 12:45:40 PM ***

Actually, I think that good manners does not stop at customer service. When you are at work, with friends, or family, don't be a jerk...period. You'll be happier.

Okay, this all reminds me of a story. One 4th of July at Great America, I was the afternoon lead at Orleans Place. When I can in, one of my mid-shifters was sulking in the corner. He was a hot-tempered fellow and I was very curious as to the reason for his mood.

When I asked him what was the matter, he simply removed his vest and showed me a rather extensive collection of footprints all over his back.

He had been working at Rue Le Dodge that morning. It was hot and very crowded. The method for letting guests in can really get an operator worked up because after counting an allotted number of guests into a bullpen, we opened the gate and asked them to please walk to their car. Uh, yah. Its race time. All you can do is ask them clearly and patiently to walk. We've all seen many a kid plow headlong into a bumper car after tearing across the metal floor.

Well our friend never got used to the idea of being calm and patient. He was literally screaming at guests who had been waiting in line for the better part of an hour just to ride some bumper cars. When he opened the gate, he forgot to step aside and ended up with keds prints all over his back.

Moral of the story, no matter how difficult your life is, you'll be a lot happier if you learn how to deal with your anger. Don't expect others to deal with it for you.

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"But where's the feeelth?" - Uncle Vainstein

And Brett, I totally agree, fake smiles are not what I consider good customer service...watch Office Space for a good example of that. Nope, folks shouldn't jump on people for that. However, I think the original post mentioned an operator who was barking at guests. I think the folks who pay for your paycheck deserve a little more respect than that...that's all...and I think we both agree.

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"But where's the feeelth?" - Uncle Vainstein

Oh great, gotta mention Office Space and make me want to go home didn't ya? ;) Or at least quit my job and go put up drywall at the McDonalds ...

Yea, I agree on that one, but again, there are all measures of interpretation of "barking", sometimes its just to be heard over a crowd of people. I just kind of took off with this thread and attacked a pet peeve of mine with people on this site.

Bottom line, rude, no; no smiles, who cares, its a long day.

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

Let's NOT forget that the grumpy ops and staff and stuff *often* take their cue from mid-level and upper-level park management....if you treat your employees like crap, then it shows....treat your employees well (*HW*), and that shows too. Many parks treat their employees the same as they treat the gum on the sidewalk, and morale suffers, and guests don't return....is this REALLY rocket science?

Parks where I've *witnessed* mgmt. acting like @sses to employees AND guests: Dorney, MiA, SFA...

VERY good point G-money! So very true. Doo-doo rolly downy hilly...Still no excuse buuuuut, it all starts at the very top. This is true of every company.

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"But where's the feeelth?" - Uncle Vainstein

*Sigh*

It appears that my 'big ol' toothy grin' quote above has been misinterpreted. I did not mean that I constantly wore a fake plastic smile on my face every minute I was at work. I was simply implying that when faced with nasty or rude customers, I was always pleasant and polite to them in spite of what I was feeling. Certainly I don't deserve that kind of crap, and neither do most ride ops, but being rude back is inexcusable, no matter what a person's job is.

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-Mike B.
Son of Hulk
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Why are you supposed to be smiling? Uhhhhh, cuz you're representing a park that wants to make me happy enough to open my wallet and toss more cash around even though it's hot and the lines are long and I'm tired and I gotta drive 4 hours home and the kids are driving me up a tree, that's why.

Ever wonder why they call them amusement parks? They're supposed to make ya feel happy.

If you can't be happy working in a place like that, there's plenty of people who can be these days...and happy enough just to have a 9 to 5.

-CO

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.

... or 830 to 1130 in this case ...

And I don't see why it takes smiling employees to make you happy at a park. Coasters, flat rides and food that tastes good (even though its crappy for you) do it for me, in addition to spending time with people I enjoy being around.

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett
*** This post was edited by Impulse-ive 7/10/2003 1:15:30 PM ***

Actually, smiling is a really good way to shine them on.

Well, there is a subtle difference with being upbeat and having a fake smile...Mr. Playa, I find my Jefferesons clinging to the insides of my pocket a lot more often when at a place that insults my intelligence with fake smiles, than a place where everybody seems naturally upbeat. And this atmosphere in instilled by management as per Gator. Smiles because people are scared do not contribute to my good time.
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"But where's the feeelth?" - Uncle Vainstein

Okayyy....let's call it people who like their job--tho they tend to smile cuz they do. Make more sense?

Yup...sorry for being a picky bastard. ;)

And if you are grumpy by nature, there are plenty of career choices for you: crossing guard, cafeteria employee, school bus driver, PE teacher.... ;)

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"But where's the feeelth?" - Uncle Vainstein

So if you're grumpy, go work in an elementary school - sad but true! :)

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

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Lord Gonchar said:

I don't care if the last three guests you dealt with kicked you in the shins, spit on you and called you names that'd make Andrew Dice Clay blush - you still better not take it out on me as the 4th person in line.

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The door has to swing both ways. If the guest is having a bad day, don't take it out on us and expect world-class treatment. To those who are jobless, I'm sorry, but our job isn't a cakewalk, either.

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2002/2003
KWTM