Six Flags Gets A Clue - Huge Improvements to Customer Service at SFGAdv

To prepare for Kingda Ka, SFGAdv is going to overhaul their customer service. First and most importantly, they will have every ride, and every track, and EVERY FOOD SERVICE PLACE WILL BE OPEN! They will also hire more security guards and bring back the tall lifeguard chairs to monitor the que lines!

http://www.screamscape.com/html/sf_great_adventure.html

Hmm, park talks to a bunch of enthusiasts and tells them exactly what they want to hear. I am not holding my breath until I make it back there, which will be when I am in the area and have a $50 season pass. :)

I'm with 8.3. I'll believe it when I see it. They promise this right now, but when the numbers start to slide let's see what gets cut first.

I thought the same thing when I first went to SFA last year. There were changes in the park, in fact, here is my trip report from that day:

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=37352

However, by July, the improved customer service level was no longer improved and things spiraled down until about Fright Fest. Rides weren't running (Iron Eagle sat for a good couple of months), the wave pool ran one blower down the middle, the water canons on Renegade Rapids didn't work over the summer and Superman didn't open until two weeks into the season.

So, this year, my trip report will not reflect a improved customer service level (if one exists) at SFA. My trip report will focus on what's new rather than a figment of my imagination.

Just for the sake of fairness, Iron Eagle (rotoshake) has been a nightmare from an operation point of view. I dont claim to know what is wrong with it, but I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the time it is closed, it's a mechanical/electrical issue and not staffing.

That would be a maintainence problem not a lacking in customer service.

lata, jeremy

--of course you could say it was a purchasing problem 'cause someone had to authorize buying that POS (I rode twice....two times too many)

Iron Eagle received a new motor in September and operated most of Fright Fest. However, by the end of Fright Fest it was down again. I agree on the whole purchasing issue.

There's such a thing as Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) and after so many hours of use, the change of failure increases dramatically. If this information is used properly you could plan to have a replacement standing by.

It doesn't look like SFA took this information to heart and had the parts ready. Same thing with the blower for the wave pool. The parts were ordered in March and didn't arrive in time for the opening of the water park. Same thing for the "special" parts needed for Two Face. *** Edited 2/7/2005 4:21:34 PM UTC by coasterguts***

Or how about the motor on the Wild One lift that seems to strand a train or two a day on the lift?

Well SFGADV promised lots of changes last year. And why all changes were not met, they did make and overall try and did clean the park up and making improvements I've noticed on every visits. I hope they keep in this upward route. I guess they release that with the biggest coaster in the country that its gonna double if not triple park attendance. I think they should leave Viper Open this season and just let everyone get there last rides on it. I know it sucked. But until Its gone I won't beleive it.

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eightdotthree said:
Or how about the motor on the Wild One lift that seems to strand a train or two a day on the lift?

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Did ya ever look to see if the other train is out of position? IF the other train overshoots the station that would stop the lift, almost every time i've seen it "set up" it's been due to the movement of the other train, and not the lift hill motor.

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The Mole said:
To prepare for Kingda Ka, SFGAdv is going to overhaul their customer service. First and most importantly, they will have every ride, and every track, and EVERY FOOD SERVICE PLACE WILL BE OPEN! They will also hire more security guards and bring back the tall lifeguard chairs to monitor the que lines!

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The verbage the park officials used was.....

All Rides are scheduled to be open

All food shops are scheduled to be open

I do not recall the "every track" comment, but I do recall them saying both sides of RT and Chiller.

Remember folks we can schedule a rocket to Mars for June 25th, but making it happen is gonna be difficult. So is making all rides and shops open. I think they can do it. Lets keep optimistic!

SAM

Why did no-coaster get jr geminii passes and we didn't??????

The thing with shops and food stands is you dont really need them all open if the crowds are light.

Sam, I have seen it fail even with one train. But even if that was the problem, the second train overshooting the station, shouldnt it be fixed? I had a hard time actually getting a ride on WO in my few days there last season. Everytime we would make our way over it would be down again.

eightdothree...

First, I don't think I have ever seen Wild One run with one train. In fact, some of the complaints I've read were they were running one train full and running the second train empty.

Second, I go to SFA between 10 and 15 times a year. In the parks defense, only once last season did I ever see Wild One stuck on the lift hill longer than an hour. Wild One is one of the more reliable coasters in the park.

I thought IE recieved a new motor during the 2003/2004 off season, after all they did take the time to repaint it since all the pieces were on the ground but still the thing sat idle almost every time that I visited the park.

Also I've never....or rarely seen WO have any major problems with trains stopping on the lift IIRC the blocking problems were solved for the most part when new brakes were added for the 99 season.

I agree with Coasterguts in that guest service went downhill quickly after opening,in april the staff were very courtous(especially the GC games attendants) but by as early as mid may things were back to normal with the usual slow staff & line jumpers a plenty.....why should the upcoming season be any different?

Those Zamperla rotoshakes are a mess. Hammerhead at Knott's used to do the same thing until they got rid of it.

As for SFGADv, I hope these changes do indeed occur. This is what people want when they go to the park, (or should I say that this is what will get them to return). People want good rides, good service and short lines (helped by having everything open).

IMO, its worth a try. Combine this with Kingda Ka, and you might have a great season!

Wow, coming from a park completely managed by former SFWoA managers, who wouldve thought it? I guess they suck that much after all.

This is a carry over from last year. A lot of rules ( Not Public) were made before my park AW, and all of the others parks opened for the season.

I dont know how the other parks did but we saw a lot of improvements, however AW was not able to keep up with all of the new rules list for what ever reason......

Sam, because we are special. ;)

So does that mean that RT is getting retracked? That one side did not look like it could be used when I was there. If they do retrack that ride, it looks like it could be good.

I know what you mean Matt & I think that SFA's roto-shake will be the next to go,I'd say in a year or two at the most it'll probably be gone.

When i went their i felt that the customer service was pretty darn good. I know you guys will probably think i am crazy for saying such a thing, but i have a reason. On my visit my cousin lost his cell phone on Medusa. Anyway, even though they say that they are not responsible for lost items, after he got off the ride, one of the ride operators then latera custodian of some sort looked on the track and around in the pitch black with a flashlight after the park had closed for about 1 hour and they actually found it. Anyway i thought that was very nice of them...