SFOT opening weekend - new policies

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CatPurrson said:
I kind of agree that the pay-for-lockers idea just sounds like more of a money-making idea than a real convenience for patrons.

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Then don't think of them as a convenience, because they're not. Nor are they a money-making scheme.

Consider the dollar fee a tax for the stupid who continue to bring loose articles into line after the policy has been changed to disallow it.

Also, I doubt it has anything to do with safety and everything to do with ease of loading, convenience and lack of liability.

All that's happened here is the park has changed their policy of allowing loose items into the station. It's really no more complicated than that.

I really don't think that if it is done right loose articles affect the ease of loading from a guest perspective. It may be more cumbersome and harder for the ride operators, but from a guest standpoint it is just as easy to hand your things to a ride op than to secure them before getting in line. As said before, there are things that I will want to have with me in line (camera, mp3 player, etc.) that this policy forbids.

No, it forbids you from leaving them on the ride platform. Put them away in a secure pocket and there is no problem.

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eightdotthree said:
No, it forbids you from leaving them on the ride platform.

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Exactly.

The policy doesn't seem to forbid these loose items from the queue, but rather the platform / loading station.

If you insist on carrying items than cannot be secured, then you pay the 'tax' of one dollar.

The funny thing to me is that the things people are mentioning (cameras, mp3 players, keys, etc) are things I'd NEVER leave in a bin on the platform.

^Exactly, in fact unless I have zip pockets on I will buy a locker in order to get rid of stuff I cant leave behind, that means my wallet (except for my SP, $20 bill and a credit card,) phone (if Im not with a group,) and car keys. Its so nice not to worry about anything falling out of your pockets/getting lost in a bin (I have a "change purse" type pocket in shorts I wear at parks or a cargo pocket to secure that stuff.)

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Lord Gonchar said:
Consider the dollar fee a tax for the stupid who continue to bring loose articles into line after the policy has been changed to disallow it.

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I don't understand what you are trying to say. The lockers are at the entrance to the queue and so is the attendant. No one is allowed to have loose items in the queue. I don't see how you can consider the dollar for the locker as a tax for people who bring items into the queue, when the dollar must be paid before you enter the queue.

Among the things that someone might carry would be an umbrella or rain poncho if there is a chance of rain. Is it really necessary to charge someone a dollar to stow their umbrella each time they want to ride? Do you think you're right in calling those people stupid?

*** Edited 3/5/2008 8:17:25 PM UTC by Jeffrey Seifert***

My mistake. I misunderstood the location of the lockers in skimming the thread.

But in the end it still works out the same - nothing in line that can't be secured.

Aside from my misunderstanding of the locker location, I stand by my comments.

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If u cant follow the RULES GO SOME WHERE ELSE!!!

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If Six Flags continues to alienate its guests, that is exactly what is going to happen. Your former park patrons will simply spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere.

*** Edited 3/5/2008 9:49:00 PM UTC by Jeffrey Seifert***

I'd believe it was all in the name of safety except for some other developments;

Before SFOG instituted the new locker policy they scrapped the old lockers system which gave you a wristband and you could use any open locker all day for a one-time fee ($10 or so). This would have actually made more sense if they wanted the guest to use lockers at each ride to stow loose articles.

But step one was to remove the wristband option and convert them to one-time use.

Step two was to move them to the ride entrances.

Step three was to forbid loose articles in the station.

If safety really was the issue, then they would have left the wristband option in place before moving them. However, I can also see the argument that if a person only wanted to enjoy one ride the wristband was a more expensive option which (to give SF the benefit of the doubt) may have been the argument to not use the wristbands.

However I think with an all-day option this entire discussion would be less heated. $1 per ride is a bit much.

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ThrillRider22 said:
As a ride op for SFOT this year

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Your boss is reading this, just think you should consider that.

You know, you all might live longer, happier lives if you weren't looking for the "someone is trying to rip me off" bogeyman around every corner.

I just think that there is a better way of handling loose items and this way does not make sense to me.

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Brian Noble said:
You know, you all might live longer, happier lives if you weren't looking for the "someone is trying to rip me off" bogeyman around every corner.

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:)

Ok, its one this to support safety, efficiency, and a companies decision, but...

I don't see how it is cost effective then.

As stated earlier above:

• LOSE money hiring extra staff
• LOSE money buying new lockers
• LOSE money on people playing games and buying souvenirs because they then have to pay to use lockers
• LOSE some guest satisfaction because they can't take a purse through the line or get told they can't keep their stuff at the station
• GAIN people attention in line
• GAIN time during loading process

But here is where it gets tricky. Shorter lines are great, yes, but most guests expect lines a park. (They hate them, even if they are 5 mins.) But most people also expect that they can leave their stuff at the station.

So, to sum things up. I am saying that I think that yes, there are some good points to trying to start a policy like this, but I think the way it is being approached is wrong and I think that there are other more important things to focus efforts and money toward.

What is so wrong about it though? Them staffing an attendant at the front of the line serves more than one purpose. That person can check and make sure no one who can't ride gets in line, they can monitor the line's length, look for line jumpers, they can shut down the line quickly when the ride goes down etc. Most parks have this person, Six Flags is just catching up IMO.

The staff on the platform should be worried about one thing. Getting the riders on and off the ride safely. They don't need to worry about our crap. *** Edited 3/6/2008 12:58:56 AM UTC by eightdotthree***

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Brian Noble said:
You know, you all might live longer, happier lives if you weren't looking for the "someone is trying to rip me off" bogeyman around every corner.

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No one really has to look when they go to Six Flags. $15.00 just to park, $46.99 to get in, $31.00 for legalized line jumping, $3.00 for a coke or bottle of water, $11.00 for a hamburger and fries, $1.00 to check your items every time you want to ride a coaster. It's not that we're looking for the bogeyman, he kind of smacks you in the face from the moment you pull into the entrance.

No one bitches about prices like an enthusiast.

We've been over and over this, but a day at Six Flags is no more expensive than most other amusement parks, a day at a ball game, or any one of a number of other summertime pursuits.

I don't know what people expect. A family of four at SFGAm: tickets via the web site $160. Parking $15. Lunch $60. A souvenir for each kid, another $30. Total: $265.

Compare that to the 2007 Fan Cost Index for a Cubs or White Sox ball game, which includes four tickets, parking, two beers, two soft drinks, four hot dogs, and a couple of hats: $220 for the Cubs, $205 for the Sox.

(You can get other teams and sports here:
http://www.teammarketing.com/)

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Brian Noble said:
No one bitches about prices like an enthusiast.

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I can assure you, it's not just enthusiasts that notice. I'm not concerned with how the prices affect me personally, I have a season pass pass, and I don't buy food or drink at the park. I'm concerned that as they continue to gouge guests, those guests will simply stop coming. The way things our going I fear for the future of my home park, particularly when I see comments like the one above from an alleged employee.

^^I understand the comparison but can't agree with the math. You are comparing discounted tickets to SFGAm to non-discounted average ticket prices for a baseball game.

If you want a true comparison: Sox tickets can be had for $13 a piece on Mondays. Also, if you buy hot dogs within the first hour the park is open they are buy one get one free. With all the same items you are now looking at $129 for a family of four. Certainly that is a significant difference from $265.

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ThrillRider22 said:
GO SOME WHERE ELSE!!!

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The spirit of customer service is alive and well! I'm REALLY looking forward to my visit in April.

Re: price gouging: there is no evidence that the guests are overly price sensitive. Cedar Point dropped prices on admission, food, and several other things two years ago. What happened? Nothing. Attendance was totally flat.

Re: discounted tickets. I'm just going by the prices I see on the web site. I'm not scouring some special locals-only weekday deal. That's any day of the week.

The one thing I will agree on is that operator's attitude is not helping. The parks are selling service, ultimately. They are selling a good time. The rides themselves are a surprisingly small portion of that good time---the employees play a big big role.
*** Edited 3/6/2008 3:35:25 AM UTC by Brian Noble***