Is anyone at Paramount Parks actually paying attention? Apparently not.

So I just got the newest PKD email newsletter which asks you to complete a new survey if you've ridden Tomb Raider Firefall. I've completed the other upcoming attractions survey, so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal. Things started out well until I got to the section "How did I hear about the ride?" which implies that you should hit as many radio buttons as possible. Well, it's not possible to do more than one. I may have misunderstood this section, but to me it seems they want to know about as many sources as possible.

Then it asked me to compare the commercial for TFF to other Carowind commercials. Excuse me? It gets even better. Then they get into the whole compare/contrast part where you rate it against another ride at the park. They ask you to rate it against Top Gun. I would personally would be seriously embarrased if a link on my page for one ride took me to a completely different parks page in the chain (this happened with both the TFF and the Italian Job Stund Track info pages which led to–you guessed it–Carowinds), but apparently that doesn't bother them.

I'm not placing this up with world hunger, homelessness, disease, etc., etc., obviously, but it has serious implications for what kind of rides we'll get, and from my viewpoint of the survey, how these rides will interact with the guests. In other words, should the attraction be toned down, or notched up? And if you're trying to fill out a survey where things aren't matching up, then what's the point of filling out the survey at all? It's a waste of time. *** Edited 5/9/2005 5:54:27 AM UTC by Intamin Fan***

Wow, my post disappeared. It was on here at first.

Anywho, take 2:
The Paramount Park surveys are often a mess when first introduced, I'd give it some time (and complain to them about it if it really bugs you).

As for the rest, I think they listen well. They have rides I want to ride and give me good customer service. I'd say that's being in touch with your customer's wishes. *** Edited 5/9/2005 8:50:25 AM UTC by TeknoScorpion***

I've read some pretty pointless rants, but this one definitely tops them all! Gratz! ;)

As for all the messed up linking, maybe they should contact the company that does CF's web pages...;)

If they want surveys, then they should contact ME...:)

After months of lurking, finally something I can type about aimlessly.

Many companies attempt to create their own "research" studies, usually based upon one person in the marketing department who got an A in their college market research class.

There is a specific science involved in legitimate quantitative survey research. In this case I think they may have forgotten (or never actually knew) that there is an accepted methodological norm for such things.

(Edited typos) *** Edited 5/9/2005 3:00:28 PM UTC by CoasterDad64***

When I did survey's like this it tell me to "CTRL Click" to select multiple radio buttons. You should try that.

---

Dan D McD said:
I've read some pretty pointless rants, but this one definitely tops them all! Gratz! ;)

---

How is it pointless? Here in my neck of woods (sorry to see you live in Iowa) we get a new ride practically every year at PKD. If you could determine what rides you got at a park in (oh yeah, that's right you live in Iowa), wouldn't you want to have a voice in that decision? As it currently stands, they're trying to determine if I like the TFF experience, which to me is fine as it is. But how can I compare it to rides that don't even exist at the park, or compare the TFF to a commercial for a park that's about seven-eight hours away? All I'm saying is that it's awfully embarassing for a major park chain to be having these kind of problems.

btw, I'm just messing you about the Iowa thing. One of my good friends is originally from Iowa. But, he couldn't wait to get out of there and joined the military and now lives near Frederick, MD.

Sawblade: You can't select multiple radio buttons at a time. The CTRL + Click trick works for a different type of form.

Hey, be happy you are near two park chains (Paramount and Busch) that seriously care about their customers and listen. At least they produce customer surveys, I doubt Six Flags does.

Six Flags may not do the "everyone has a voice" customer survey like Paramount, but I know in the past at SFA that I have seen people with Palm Pilots asking people questions while in line to get in.

Here in my neck of woods we get a new ride practically every year at PKD.

Then how is there any problem? This almost seems like whining for the sake of whining. And regardless of what Paramount wants you to think, they're gonna go with new rides that cater to the GP, regardless of how many responses they get requesting a new coaster every year.