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

8.3, I've seen them run two trains on those coasters... many times.

I'm not convinced at all. I've seen security stand and watch people cut in Nitro's line, literally within 3 feet of the guard and he didn't say a thing. Without better policies or a completely different philosophy, throwing more money at the problem will not help. Especially for those guests who expected KK to be open when it wasn't, customer service is going to have to be TOP NOTCH to salvage their day.

Sam, but what possible reasoning would "The State" have for making this a requirement? I mean, they (obviously) didnt force an extra braking section on ROAR. It makes no good sense that they would do such a thing on Wild One.

But if it *is* a requirement of "The State", that is just one more asinine policy of Maryland (in general)/ Prince George's County (specific) govenment....and one more reason I'm glad I live in Virginia!

lata, jeremy

Rob, I have too, but that doesnt mean they are run to capacity because they have two trains on. That was my point.

LOL Andy, I saw a security guard in Nitro's line HELPING someone line jump...but I got on the topless Batman:Chilla, so the day was a success...:)

jeremy, check yer PMs...;)

True but I can't remember ever seeing slow operations on Batman and Superman. There are very few parks that don't stack trains to some extent.

Gator, are you sure they were necessarily "cutting" in line? Perhaps there was some kind of emergency and they needed to get up to a family member in line? Or maybe they had lost something in the line and went to look for it with the guard? You can't "always" assume that it's cutting...

If it was an emergency, they were the *calmest* people I ever saw...LOL. Meh, not a big deal to ME (although I wish they'd had a single-riders line...;)), but I figure it just LOOKS bad to all the GPers waiting for a ride....and I thought Columbus Day would be quiet at GAdv, since it had been in previous years...;)

I am really happy they seem to always be open that day, makes for a nice add-on day to PPP...

Having the woodie RACING, no matter the condition, would help a LOT...sucks waiting a long time for a woodie that, well, needs a visit from our Canadian friends....badly....

All things considered, it IS the park with ther biggest UPSIDE (hoops-speak, LOL)....really, with this park and SFGAM, they could carry some under-performing parks for a couple years until the chain can EARN a "positive public perception"....that's the *other PPP* for da n00bs, LOL....

If it's a state ordered requirement then how come I've seen superman dispatch a train(loaded) while the train out on the course hasn't even gotten through the non inverting corkscrew section on at least two occasions last season?

The brake run just up track of the station is probably used to slow the train as it enters the station & not really intended to provide blocking capabilites,after all the track & station are on somewhat of a downslope to begin with.

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eightdotthree said:
Medusa and Batman were stacked sometimes up to three trains. One loading and two in the brake run. Seriously. I sat in the hot brake run of Batman, waiting for two trains to load

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That's amazing, considering Batman doesn't even have three trains.

-Nate

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eightdotthree said:
. Seriously. I sat in the hot brake run of Batman, waiting for two trains to load,
They have a long way to go, I hope they get there.

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Lying lil' sh!t ;) In addition to Batman only having two trains the brake run is in an air conditioned building. Next!

*** Edited 2/9/2005 4:25:57 AM UTC by Antuan***

I see their getting ready for the bigger attendance that should be comming in this season.

Yup, I lied. More like maybe I was mistaken. I guess I must have smoked too much pot that day. Or maybe it was sitting in the sun for too long.

RCDB says two but seriously I could have sworn it had three trains. Because after our ride we moved up in the que twice before arriving back in the station.

I was wrong about stupid Wild One too. But I still stand by the fact that everytime I tried to ride the sob it got stuck on the lift.

/eightdotthree sneaks away quietly.

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Or maybe it was sitting in the sun for too long

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I hear AC does that to you, too. ;)

First off, i never read any of this before responding this way. It's all based on the headline.

How can the claim of improvements be varified if no one has actually experienced the better service?

Every ride, every track, and every food stand will be open. Congratulations on a job that should already be done anyway. It's pretty bad that they have to promise something like this, and also bad that few people believe them. As for Kingda Ka, I'm skeptical about it running smoothly as well. If Cedar Point, one of the best parks in terms of maintenance, has a hard time keeping Dragster up consistantly, than why should I believe that Six Flags, the absolute worst in terms of maintenance, can do the same with Kingda Ka. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't open until June. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that they are taking these steps, but haven't we heard this all before? Just like most others, I will believe it when I see it.

How are we defining who is "best" in terms of mainenance and "worst" in terms of maintenance? Broad claims like that are more than a little bogus, IMO. I've been to SF parks that were well maintained, and Cedar Fair and Paramount parks that didn't seem to be. I certainly think Six Flags seems to take better care of their wooden coasters (on average) than Cedar Fair does. So, what makes Cedar Point "one of the best" and Six Flags "the absolute worst?"

-Nate

Nate?

Because it's Six Flags. They can do no right including maintaining rides and keeping guests safe.

Didn't you know that if you are an SF maintenance employee, you agree to be the worst in the business and make sure that the rides you work on, don't operate consistently?

"Sarcasm posting has now ended" :)

Well, I'm from the school of I'll believe it when I see it. Though I have to say I thought Gradv did a better job last season than the previous one. But by FF they had lost control of the situation. One of their major problems is the line cutting. They need to enforce their own ejection rules for line cutters. And I hope they can run every line like they run Nitro. It is very efficient. I've never waited more than 20 minutes to ride Nitro.

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Charles Nungester said:
First off, i never read any of this before responding this way. It's all based on the headline.

How can the claim of improvements be varified if no one has actually experienced the better service?

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I noticed a marked improvement in 2004 for the first time in about 8 years or so. Customer service was friendly (gave me a voucher for a free souvenir bottle @ a food stand when the one I bought got knocked out of my hand and under Chiller's station track by another guest as I was exiting the train. Not to mention that they handled the situation in a professional manner). I noticed shade structures being constructed in ride queues, as well as the paint job on B:TR for the first time ever.

Don't get me wrong, you can mark me down as the 'I'll believe it when I see it' camp, but I have a very positive outlook that it is very possible given their upturn this past season.