SFMM may be a lost cause!
I call Thursday night to make sure X is running. Rep assures me it will be going.
I can hardly see how this is a lie. They were probably planning on having the ride open, but unless it was a long term brake-down, how would they know that it would be closed?
I call again Friday morning at 9:00 am to confirm X is running. Rep assures me it is.
At that time, it may well have been, right?
She assures me it is a minor sensor problem and that X will start in 2 minutes.
She might have truely lied to you there. Would it have been better if she said, "I don't know?"
At this point, my frustrated companions and I leave the park and vow never to return! I, as an enthusisast, will of course return IF there is something BIG and NEW!
Next time, try removing your foot from your mouth before you talk.
--Ryan
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"We went to a PARK in BOTSWANA." - Dubya
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"SOME people have NO class!" - Mom from the Whizzer queue
Every time that I have visited the park lately, its been dirty, the staff has been rude, and slow, and rides have been shut down left and right. Maybe it's just days that I visit, but reading comments posted here, I don't think so.
SFMM could be the premier park in the chain, but it seems like it's mannaged by a bunch of monkeys.
Just my 2 cents.
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Why?
I found the employees and the state of the park to be far and above last years version of SFWoA, and above PKI per my last visit. I thought that although again, they're still just local kids and I apparently give people much more of a break than most on this board for the toughness of their jobs, they were very pleasant and efficient. I don't need an employee to talk to me and make me feel like the only one riding to make my day complete. So, although I can understand your concerns, cause I can see where problems could have happened, my 4 days (only 2 were full days) in the park were great and I came away with a great impression of this park.
Just my two cents - I don't think its a lost cause, I think that it either has potential that I was lucky enough to get the full effects of, or people are just being spoiled.
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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett
The park ANTICIPATED X being up and running for Friday morning. The fact that you were right there, cell phone in hand, pestering them about what you saw only makes it seem like they were being less than truthful. If downtime on X surprises you, then you must not be paying very close attention. X has problems, it opens when it's ready to run, that's the way it goes. I had the exact same thing happen to me for Son of Beast in 2000. I was pissed, but I didn't hold the grudge against Paramount.
As for Colossus and Scream, something tells me (as someone else already mentioned) that both of these rides were running after your hasty retreat.
Lastly, no matter where you go there will be a teenager who dislikes his/her job at a park. It happens at 6 flags, Cedar Fair and Paramount. I sure as hell wouldn't want such a repetitave job. I've also seen trash on the ground at parks other than 6 Flags. If you continue to focus on the negatives you will only continue to have bad experiences. Focus on the positaves, you may well find yourself actually having fun, instead of looking like a crybaby.
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SCREAM with me... in 2003!
Crybaby? C'mon, educated consumer is more like it, IMO...smart parks and executives will know how to get the most out of this (FREE) *research*, others will not.....
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your company's name and logo HERE...effective advertising at great rates!
Coaster Art Guy said:
SFMM could be the premier park in the chain, but it seems like it's mannaged by a bunch of monkeys.
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Why?
I resent that Remark ;)
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Ramming your face into the bottom of a swimming pool is not very fun.
Soggy said: Focus on the positaves, you may well find yourself actually having fun, instead of looking like a crybaby.
I think he did focus on the positives, otherwise he wouldn't have gone back to the park after numerous bad experiences. So, how does criticism of a park equate to being a crybaby??
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100th coaster....Dania Beach Hurricane!
Jeffrey R Smith Said:
"At this point, my frustrated companions and I leave the park and vow never to return! I, as an enthusisast, will of course return IF there is something BIG and NEW! But I will not be back to any SF's unless new attractions are added. Even then, it will only be for a particular ride. I pray this terrible chain of parks is forced into bancrupcy and other bidders can take over. It cannot get any worse than now!(then in a later post) We should pray that this chain goes belly-up!"
Swearing off of all Six Flags parks because 3 rides at SFMM were down, then praying that the whole company goes bankrupt? If that isn't a juvanile knee-jerk reaction to an hour or so of bad luck, I don't know what is.
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SCREAM with me... in 2003!
Soggy said:
The customer relations people on the phone have no idea what's wrong with any given ride, they only know wheather or not the ride has a planned downtime.
Problem #1. This, as much as you want to be a fanboy about it, is not our fault. It's not our responsibility. I expect that all employees of a company, from the sweeper to the customer service rep. to the CEO be aware of what their company/park/business is doing. Always. There is no excuse for ignorance but laziness. I don't appreciate laziness, especially when it negatively affects my experiences.
The park ANTICIPATED X being up and running for Friday morning. The fact that you were right there, cell phone in hand, pestering them about what you saw only makes it seem like they were being less than truthful.
If someone lies in a forest and nobodies around to hear it, is it still a lie? What's your point? The he "pestered" them is of no consequence because the park and company's customer relationships should not operate under the assumption that people don't know when they've been cheated, lied to, or insulted.
If downtime on X surprises you, then you must not be paying very close attention. X has problems, it opens when it's ready to run, that's the way it goes. I had the exact same thing happen to me for Son of Beast in 2000. I was pissed, but I didn't hold the grudge against Paramount.
This is acceptable, but the park should be forthcoming with that information. Did Mr. Smith identify himself as a coaster enthusiast who should "know better?" Probably not. Should he have to? No. That an enthusiast is involved doesn't make the park's actions excusable. I understand the challenges of running a park and operating rides better than most, both because I'm interested in it and because I've done it. However, I'm not about to write them a free pass because of that knowledge. The general public-type folks certainly won't.
Lastly, no matter where you go there will be a teenager who dislikes his/her job at a park. It happens at 6 flags, Cedar Fair and Paramount. I sure as hell wouldn't want such a repetitave job.
Problem #2. It's not my problem if Average Teen doesn't like their job. I am paying their minimum wage behind to make my day at the park enjoyable and fun. If they don't want to be there, they can quit. When their rude, lazy, ignorant behavior and disregard for their customers starts to impact the customers' days a t the park, it's the responsibility of the park to replace that individual with someone who does a better job.
If they can't find better minimum wage lackeys than what they have, raise pay. That'll attract better workers who have a stake in their job. Oh, that hurts the bottom line? Well, y'know, when people stop coming to your park because of all the other cost-saving measures and oversights these parks are making, that really hurts the bottom line.
It's really that simple.
I've also seen trash on the ground at parks other than 6 Flags. If you continue to focus on the negatives you will only continue to have bad experiences. Focus on the positaves, you may well find yourself actually having fun, instead of looking like a crybaby.
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SCREAM with me... in 2003!
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--Maddie--
What do I Listen-To?
May the Schwarz be with you.
*** This post was edited by Chernabog 7/28/2003 4:10:07 PM ***
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SCREAM with me... in 2003!
Seriously, it's really inexcusable for a 'flagship' park to have a-half-a-dozen or more attractions down on a Friday in July, not to mention the problems with the other rides.
I'd normally write off such a report as being a bit over the top, but I have to agree that SFMM's operations are a joke.
EVERYONE working for the company may not need to know, but those that DO have a "need to know", they SHOULD know...;)
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your company's name and logo HERE...effective advertising at great rates!
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This is the race that straps you into the driver's seat and counts down to GO!
I went 3 times earlier in the week. I also hit DCA and Disneyland! I have nothing but good things to say about all 3 parks! Xcelerator ws great, Ghostrider has been and continues to be one of my favorites!
The reason I hit SFMM was that I was in Westlake Village as a Best Man in by buddy's wedding. This is within 40 minutes of SFMM! On Friday am before the rehersal dinner one of the groomsmen and his girlfriend wanted to go try X! They were from Illinois! I warned them it might not run! That was the reason I called so many times! I took the whole week off before the wedding for a CA vacation (I live in Vegas)! I spent the better part of 6 days at the Red Roof right next to Knotts! We had a blast!
Needless to say the Illinois couple were not too happy with SFMM! They much preferred Zuma beach! It was free and the waves never broke down!
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Give me wood! :-)
328 and counting!
*** This post was edited by Jeffrey R Smith 7/28/2003 6:01:30 PM ***
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"SOME people have NO class!" - Mom from the Whizzer queue
This year I thought it was a little better, but it seems they have regressed. Its a shame. The park is in such a beautiful setting and has so much potential.
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Song for the month - " I got the Magic Stick"
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