SFWOA in jeopardy?

Wow, guests do stupid things but generally speaking they're there excited to ride something and have a good time, not be looking for trouble. That kind of crap from ride ops is unacceptable, and at many other parks you'd get fired that day for saying crap like that.

I disagree that SFWoA has great value on their side, because part of value is being treated right. How many horror stories do we have to read before they get the right idea? I'm astounded by the general negative image of the park held by non-enthusiast family, friends, etc. in the area.

I still maintain that having kids under 18 run the rides is a bad idea. Is being a ride op a difficult job? Of course not. However, it does carry with it a lot more responsibility than flipping burgers, and I'm not convinced high school kids are mature enough for that responsibility. That's not a slam on them, I know I didn't have the right head to do it when I was 16. In fact, I know it would've gone to my head.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

I have a theory....

For example, stereotypically speaking, take a child who is brought up in an abusive household, well he may turn out to be abusive as well. Or take someone who hangs around people that steal...well they will too eventually.

Could the management be there to blame? Do they treat their employees rudely? Do the employees watch how security handels the crowd? or is it the crowd that has the issue?
From what you point out there ProgRay, it sounds like everything combined......

I had a parking lot attendant be very short with me... and she was the manager.

I firmly believe that the lowest employee on the ladder reflects the image, ideals, philosophies of the highest rung on the ladder.  I do not think that the salary/wage has that much of an impact.

At Disney I made $5.30 an hour (the lowest paid employee in the company).  Their corporate climate, training, etc had me beaming with pixie dust.

There is a lot of middle management at SFWOA who do not have a lot of good things to say about the executives.  Many of the full time Sea World employees left out of frustration, having tried hard to assimilate.  To me, that says volumes about the corporate climate there.

wahoo skipper, you are SO right, I'm going to "retell the tale".  As I was leaving SRM on day 2, I saw Will Koch walking and chatting with an employee.  I wanted to thank him for hosting this most tremendous event, so I waited.  As they were talking, he was telling this particular employee (paraphrasing) "bring your family, don't worry about admission".  That's treating your employees like family.  While he was talking, he stopped to pick up a cig butt.  Now seriously, what kind of messages did this employee "get"?   1)  You're a member of the HW family, 2) nobody here is above working for a living, 3)  we CARE about cleanliness.  I'm sure there's more I could come up with, but I think my point is CLEAR.  Employees draw from their experiences with those in management, and this one was a perfect example of how to deal with people.  It's not so much what job you do, it's HOW you do it...

Employees treat customers as guests at HW, and that means ALL employees.  Paula, Will, Mrs. Koch, everyone I met from HW showed the same (exceptional) level of enthusiasm and friendliness.  If the Koch family was indifferent to guests (heaven forbid), the employees would reflect that, too.  

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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

I have to agree with you Jeff, 18 should be the minimum age to be an attendant at a ride.  Many people often forget that in addition to running a ride, they're also the front line of the park's reputation.  There's just not enough maturity and job experience with people when you're 16 or 17.  SFWoA sounds so bad, I don't think I would ever like to visit it.

I personally have not been subjected to any kind of rude behavior among SFWoA's employees towards me. Maybe a little slacking but nothing that I haven't seen before at other parks I've been to.

People are making SFWoA out to be more than it really is. It isn't as bad as some have stated on this thread. Sure it sucks at times that there was only one train on Villain while Batman was running at least two. The BKF crew got their act together this year. And litter wasn't as bad as 2000. So before you say you won't go to SFWoA, at least go to the park with an open mind and experience it for yourself.

Yes, management needs to take more action in improving the park as well as employee morale. That's a given. And what may appear as an employee being rude to a guest is perhaps the operator has had to tell the person more than once to not sit on the rail. So before you complain about ride operators, think about some the guests who leave their IQ's at home and what the ride ops deal with every once in a while.

X Factor

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SFWoA: An Unofficial Guide
http://sfohio.tripod.com

Don't forget that people trust their lives with a ride op.

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Buckeye Lake's coming back! :)
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
WoodenCoaster.com

I worked at a Six Flags park, not WoA, but here's what would happen.  Every five minutes you'd have to do a little spiel to tell handrail sitters to not do sit there.  Yes, it was frustrating and redundant, but we never let it get to us, and employees at any other park should have the professionalism to do the same.  In fact, I am surprised a guest hasn't given one of the above-described attendants a nice kick in the shins, which is exactly what they deserve for such discourtesy.  There's no excuse for it, at all.

I stopped buying a season pass, and I won't go to SFWOA unless it is 1)free 2)some type of work related event.  I am so disgusted with the cleanliness of the park and the horrible service you get from the staff.

They need to wake up and realize that these issues must be addressed to have return business, or any business at all.

The park has tremendous opportunities to be a great park, but they continue to drop the ball.

MisterX, I'm glad to hear that SF employees at other parks have common courtesy. I wonder if SFWoA workers are leftovers from Geauga Lake, either pre SF (branding), or pre Premier.
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CP! Still the coaster capital of the world in 2002!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
WoodenCoaster.com

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john peck said:
Even during economic distress (the Great Depression is a good example) Parks will succeed and do well.

Good point, but only the good ones!  Remember how many parks there were before the Great Depression.  There were probably a dozen in the Pittsburgh area alone.  For a long time after, there were 3 here (with West View), now there are 2 (KP and Idlewild.)

The good parks will find a way to survive, and that way ISN'T just from adding a big new ride every year.  WWII-era Kennywood hardly added anything, but no one today is saying "see that donut shop, I remember when the Jack Rabbit still stood there."

There were some great parks with some great coasters that aren't here, but lesser ones survived.  It's all in the operations.

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"Reality" is the only word in the language which should always be used in quotes.

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*** This post was edited by kpjb on 12/8/2001. ***

looks like asomething, "BIG" is coming next year anyway.

 

coastermatt17.tripod.com

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HurricaneGeauga- Just in case

Very good point, as always KPJB. They may not be the largest park, but as long as great customer service is an issue, people will always flock back to them.

That's not always true. Great customer service does not guarentee that people will come. There has to be something there that the public wants other than smiling faces. Otherwise we wouldn't have so many smaller parks stuggling to stay open. Customer service, location, convinence and a sellable product all play a part in business.

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"Time flies...Whether you're having fun or not". -Mary Engelbreit.

*** This post was edited by DWeaver on 12/11/2001. ***

*** This post was edited by DWeaver on 12/11/2001. ***

However, it takes more than just 10 coasters and a slew of rides to make the same guest return.

My Co worker, who had never been to SFWOA went once this summer. They were rude to him, he found the place filthy, the lines at a standstill, and the prices (in his opinion) horrible. After rideing one ride, he left in discust. He said to me: "I'll never go back there again"

True, and once you've turn off the GP, it's going to take alot more than customer service issues to get them back. They will not only need a change of management(look for this to happen soon) and complete overhaul of their current standards, but now they will need a whole new marketing stategy, as well as a Blockbuster new attraction. It all will have to come together at once for them.
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"Time flies...Whether you're having fun or not". -Mary Engelbreit.

As has been mentioned here before, the employees always seem to start the season off on a great note. On my way into the park on a May weeknight, the girl who checked my season pass (pre-scanning days) smiled and said "Enjoy your evening". A ride op on the Villain asked if I was okay when I came off the ride with my back hunched over a little (I kind of looked like Mr. Burns from "The Simpsons" that day). And the girl at the Six Flags Shoppe that rang up my X-Flight shirt started up a conversation and asked what I thought of their new ride. It's the little things that make a visit to any park more enjoyable.

On visits to Kennywood and Knoebels this year, the staff at each of those parks tried their darnedest to make you feel like a guest at their park. We waited 45 minutes for our food at The Alamo restaurant at Knoebels, and while I was slightly miffed because I only had 6 hours to spend at the park, the employees were all very apologetic and seemed genuinely concerned that there was a problem. At Kennywood's gift shop near the Small Fry food stand, the people working there were all exceptionally polite and seemed amazed that I had driven three hours just to ride their rides when I have "Six Flags" back home. Again, it's little things that just make for a pleasant day. In 1999 at another Six Flags park (I won't name names, but it is near the Buffalo/Rochester area), I purchased a Superman key chain from one shop that simply said "Superman: Six Flags". On my way out, I stopped at the Main Gift Shop and saw they had Superman key chains with the actual park name. I asked the woman working the shop that since I just bought the keychain no more than 20 minutes ago (I kept my receipt), could I please exchange it for this one. She glared at me and said "You didn't buy it here, did you?" That was all it took for me to go off on one of my patented rants about the horrible service I received all day, which seemed to legitimately frighten the poor woman. She immediately changed her tune and asked if I would like to speak with a manager, but by that time, I was already beyond upset. (There were MANY other issues that day which I won't go into detail about).

I'd like to see SFWoA get some friendly people to work there. I really would. Add in a few hundred trash cans (that would hopefully be used) and you've got a park that COULD be a top notch destination. It's my home park and I'll continue to visit, but they really do need some help in may areas.

ProgRay

It'as my homepark too, but I have no need to go back.
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CP! Still the coaster capital of the world in 2002!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
WoodenCoaster.com

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DWeaver said:
"Great customer service does not guarentee that people will come... Otherwise we wouldn't have so many smaller parks stuggling to stay open. Customer service, location, convinence and a sellable product all play a part in business."

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I used to think just that, but how do you explain that a little park in the middle of nowhere in Southern Indiana thrives as it does? It isn't just a couple of wood coasters (remember that the public generally prefers steel coasters).

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

I visited SFWOA for the first time and probably the last time this last season.  While I loved the roller coasters I was highly unimpressed by their customer service.  My wife and I felt that many of the park employees(not all)did not really like their jobs and were just going through the motions.  Just my observation.  My wife made the joke that they were probably people who were let go by Cedar Point and hired by Six Flags.

There were some exceptions to the rule in the park but precious few.  I have not been to many amusement parks yet and still have a few to hit in my general area like Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.  My wife and I will probably skip SFWOA and hit the new parks while redoing Cedar Point year after year because of their outstanding customer service.  If everything I have heard about Holiday World is true, I will be returning there after we visit next year for SRM.

To me customer service is number one priority.  With a wife who doesnt do coasters, the way we are treated goes alot further for us.

Cheers,

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Bob Hansen

"Excuse me while I kick the sky!"
kickthesky@hotmail.com