Commercial Shoot: Dragster May Be Down
Look, I commend CP for having the ride operational which alot of parks would not be able to do consistantly. My posts were more of a response to those of you that are aghast that some people might actually be disappointed and upset with CP for closing the ride to make commercials while they are there. OR that they are somehow stupid for expecting the ride to be running. I think having it shut down for any significant amount of time, on purpose, during normal operating hours for non mechanical/weather reasons is bad customer service any way you slice it. Now from what Jeff is saying it will be approximately 2 less hours the next two days. That may be significant, it may not be. But considering the newness (mechanical problems) and capacity problems of the ride right now I think it is at least somewhat significant. I would also be surprised if the ride opened right at Noon because what photo shoot goes on schedule without any problems, not many. If it does, again, it is commendable by CP for getting it running.
Brian: your post summed up my exact point. You have been there TWICE already this year and I assume you are going back. Not everyone has that option due to finances and distance. Read the first line of my first post again please. Also, I never said I wouldnt have fun, I just said I would be disappointed and upset if it was not running, ESPECIALLY if it was because they are shooting a commercial.
Your analogy of Excelerator does not apply to what I said. I said that it being shut down to shoot a commercial is what I would find the most upsetting. Mechanical problems are expected, as my post specifically states. Please read it again, it is obvious you just skimmed over it.
Still though, do you think the gen. public knows that Xcelerator was down all the time. They see a commercial and want to go to ride it. When its not running, they dont care they are upset and they certainly are not familiar with the mechanical problems it has been having. You and I understand the mechanical problems but they do not. Coaster fans tend to forget that the GP could care less about most of this and they are the major revenue crowd, not enthusiests.
*** This post was edited by CPTwister 5/14/2003 2:58:40 PM ***
*** This post was edited by CPTwister 5/14/2003 3:06:00 PM ***
With that aside, did you have fun last year? TTD wasn't there last year. I know I still had fun.
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-Mike
The Fast and the Fearless
2) Other folks are stating that CP had to do it sometime. Why not choose now, the sky was blue on Tuesday, the trees were green and I'm sure the ads will look great.
Here's the problem though, these folks still paid $43 dollars (or whatever with their discount if they are smart) and CP decided that their time was less important that other riders. Low volume vs. high volume days, it's still customers. Period.
I'm not upset that CP shut down the ride by their own choosing because this has to happen for certain things (I also understand mechanical failure, weather, whatever), rather, I'm upset by their attitude about it. Jeff seems to have summed this up in the perfect non-customer service attitude that CP took yesterday, "...Who cares?" We spoke with someone who said he was the VP of Operations. He pretty much acted annoyed that we would ask why the ride was down (there was no communication, no signs on the ride, no indication when it would be back up. There was one sign at the gate, but I would have expected that sign on a new ride on a windy day.) He said, "If you want to ride, I would suggest you get in line now." and walked away. The ride opened 4 hours later.
Nice guy. Great service.
All in all, I will always be a CP fan. Always have been. But you can't just "build it and they will come." You have to treat your customers with respect, talk to them, COMMUNICATE. None of that occured yesterday.
After the ride finally did open, it was up and down (no pun intended) for the rest of the day. They seemed to be still filming. There were quite often, 20-30 minute periods between cars. Many folks left. While trapped behind the infamous 'wall' where we couldn't see anything, no one from CP told us anything. After several hours (and coincidentally, after folks went and asked for an update) did anyone come down to address the folks in line.
Again, I can understand the need for promotion, the need to choose a low volume week and all that. And I also recommend that anyone in a similar situation make the best of the day. BUT, CP choose to screw each and every one of the folks that came to the park yesterday buy not communicating the intent on their site, in the park and with the riders.
That's just bad customer service. Period.
I'm not aghast at disappointment. Heck, I'd rather have ridden the ride myself by now, but circumstances have prevented it. My point is simple: if you hang all of your anticipation on one single ride at *any* park, you may just have a bad day. Getting really upset when that one ride isn't running half the day, or has a long line, or has slow dispatches, or ... is simply not useful.
All that said, the poor customer service is inexcusable, and deserves to be called to the park's attention. It is one thing for the ride to be down. It is quite another for anyone to feel as though they were treated rudely or dismissively.
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It's not war, famine, or pestilence; it's only downtime.
*** This post was edited by Brian Noble 5/14/2003 3:43:00 PM ***
And the bad customer service? Even the best (and I'm not saying CF is the best) have weak links. I'd like to see how all the complainers do at their jobs daily. I'm quite sure there are days when you could care less if you get your job done or think about how you are treating a fellow employee or customer.
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
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tambo
*** This post was edited by tambo 5/14/2003 3:41:05 PM ***
On the bright side, my trips this year have had great customer service, which is why I'm happy to keep going back.
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It's not war, famine, or pestilence; it's only downtime.
Stuff happens, get over it. Your ticket guranteed you access to the park. It doesn't guarantee you one particular ride and I am sure there are signs out front letting people know about the late opening.
People who like to bit** don't listen to reason anyway so what is the point?
NorthCoastRider said:
We spoke with someone who said he was the VP of Operations. He pretty much acted annoyed that we would ask why the ride was down (there was no communication, no signs on the ride, no indication when it would be back up. There was one sign at the gate, but I would have expected that sign on a new ride on a windy day.) He said, "If you want to ride, I would suggest you get in line now." and walked away.
If it's who you say it is, that would be Bill Spehn, and I doubt very much he would blow anybody off unless they were being rude or obnoxious to him. People want concrete answers to things for which the park often has little control. (Do you know when it will stop raining?) They knew they'd open the ride when the shoot was done, and they did, even if they weren't precisely sure when that would be. Given their policy of allowing everyone in line at closing time to ride, everyone who wanted to ride, did.
Furthermore, if you saw the sign at the gate, what are you complaining about? You knew going in what the situation was. I don't think anybody owes you more of an explanation. The ride eventually opened, everyone in line got a ride.
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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM
What is amazing to me is when some criticism is directed at CP some of you take it as some sort of personal attack? Why? I love CP, its the best park on the planet as far as I'am concerned. But they certainly are not above criticism. Whether you think it is deserved or not. As a paying customer my opinion is just as important as any other paying customer. Isnt a forum for discussion? I didnt think it was to jump down someones throat or belittle them when their opinion is different from yours or they have a different perspective on things.
*** This post was edited by CPTwister 5/14/2003 4:20:14 PM ***
Isn't that what's happening? A forum is for discussion - whether it's discussing a topic, discussing an event, or, yes, even discussing opinions. If this forum was just a place to type opinions without discussion on those opinions, it wouldn't be a forum ... it would be an editorial.
CPTwister said:
Isnt a forum for discussion?
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Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com
*** This post was edited by Gemini 5/14/2003 4:27:24 PM ***
My point again is that it is easy for those of you that can get to CP several times in a year to be non chalant about it being down. Its not the same for those of us that are lucky to get their once a year. I think CP's reason for having TTD down the last couple of days is not a good one and is worthy of throwing some criticism their way. That is all.
Hopefully, later this summer I will have the opportuninty to go back with all my friends again. I was highly disappointed to miss the chance to have our fairly large group of friends - around 15 people - nearly take over a whole Dragster [train].
I'm not totally complaining though - having flat out nobody in the Wicked Twister queue was nice, along with a mere 5 minute wait for Raptor. :)
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Tommy Penner - YoYoBaybeeMan
The Matrix: Reloaded and Cedar Point in the same week - Sensory Overload!
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Tommy Penner - YoYoBaybeeMan
The Matrix: Reloaded and Cedar Point in the same week - Sensory Overload!
*** This post was edited by MiLLeNNiuMRiDeR 5/14/2003 4:47:00 PM ***
CPTwister said:
I dont care what you say, I think shutting down a ride that is your marqee attraction to shoot a commercial is not good for the customer that is there.
...and did you bring this to the attention of customer service?..Probably not, I guess. I understand where you're coming from, but the point everyone is making is that..There are other rides at the park that are just as good and you are making it like if you didn't ride Dragster that there was nothing else left to visit....
It amazes me how people can go on the internet forums and voice their concerns, but never towards the ACTUAL person/place.....
*** This post was edited by FireDragon 5/14/2003 4:49:03 PM ***
However, I think things through before I criticize. Commercials are a business necessity. Commercials can't be filmed in the dark. Commercials for the ride couldn't be filmed three weeks ago b/c the ride wasn't operating.
Did the ride get open? Yes. If it doesn't get open today due to maintenance is there much they can do about it? Probably not. Should you get a refund on your ticket b/c 1 ride out of 60-some wasn't operating? No.
Is it bad customer service because all of this happened? I don't think so. Hey, if you are upset nothing we say is going to change that. Maybe you'll be able to catch it next year. If I got to ride MF, Raptor, Maggie and WT with fairly short waits I would have been ecstatic.
How about that for marketing and advertising!
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I was super before Superstew was cool!
tambo said:
loriu said:
I would call Park Operations but I live 3 hours away and they don't open until 9 am, I'll be an hour from the park at that point so what good is that going to me.-----
What's the matter? Won't your phone work the day before you leave? Can you only call while you are already driving?
Well, her point was that she was posting this on Tuesday night after the park had closed, and was driving out Wednesday morning before the park opened. It was already too late on "the day before she left".
I can see Lori's point in all this -- yes, it's a light week, but things like filming commercials should be done before the park opens, if possible. Now, the park was doing other things last week, like getting the ride in gear, that may have prevented that.
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--Greg
My Home
MF count: 54 TDD: 4
Closed topic.