Disappointing Check-in at Breakers Express

RonAnnArbor said:
there is just absolutely nothing CedarFair can do about it that they aren't already doing...they can't just "add another person" because there ARE no other persons...take a look at their job listing -- they are practically BEGGING people to come work for them

They could pay more.

I'd rather wait longer at check-in than pay higher prices to support higher pay for the workers.

That would be a straw man assuming that adjusting pay to handle seasonal surges would result in higher prices.

Sure, they could pay more. But why would they? Even with the small, often incompetent staff they have in the fall, people continue to turn out in huge numbers, year after year. If guests don't seem to be bothered by it on any large scale, there's no reason to change anything.

That's a really good argument against a question that wasn't even asked. Ron claimed there was absolutely nothing at all CP could do to get more people in there, and I merely suggested that there was.

You may not have asked a question, but you did pose money as a solution to an issue being discussed. I merely pointed out that there may be no real issue to begin with.

No need to be so defensive.

If they adjust pay upwards in the fall season, or full season, it would be an across the board increase. While they may find it easier to get staffing, I doubt they will absorb those costs without passing at least some of it on to guests, either with higher prices or a reduction in available discounts throughout the entire season.

I'm sure they have price points for products and services they want to hit to maximize profits, so that is why they make an effort to keep labor costs low and use some creativity to staff the park. Just throwing money at something may be the easiest thing to do but not necessarily the best.

If you pay desk clerks double on Fridays in September and October, I'm pretty sure that's still a rounding error against the revenue.

I doubt they would increase pay to desk clerks only, if they increase seasonal wages it would be park wide to address the staffing problem. Probably for the entire season. That's not an insignificant part of their operating costs.

For pretty much any business, there are additional amounts that could be spent on a host of different aspects of the business that would result in some marginally better service/experience/product for some portion of its customer base. Trick is finding the right balance that maximizes profit in the long term. More of an art than science. Constant adjustments are often made. Some companies get it wrong. Presumably at this point, Cedar Point has made the determination that paying more to increase the staffing at the registration desks of its hotels isn't worth the additional costs.

How many computer stations does CP have at its hotels? THAT is what determines how quickly they could handle a rush even at 100% staffing

I checked in to Express without a reservation after the park closed, I got there about 12:15. I was braced for a long line at the desk, but to my surprise there was nobody, and a few showed up right after me. The clerk quoted me a rate of 148 for the night. I had checked from the park earlier in the evening and was quoted 114, I think. So I argued for a second, then gave up and decided to stay anyway, I was so tired.
The check in process got longer from there, as only one computer out of three seemed to be working. Clerks had to double up, wait for their turn and ask each other for help. Then, it turned out at 12:30 the rate went down to 104.00 plus tax, so the delay wound up being a good thing.

I've stayed at every property at Cedar Point (except Lighthouse) at one time or another, usually at the beginning of the season or at the end, and it's always the same. Lines are long, the process is long, and the clerks are young and act like it's their first day on the job. I guess complaints about it are legitimate, but I'm not sure it's going to change. As others have pointed out, it's the nature of the beast.

When I think about other busy places I've visited, from Orlando to Vegas, the experience has on occasion been similar.

I always try to get to the park with 2 hours to spare. You never know especially with all the farm machinery on the road during harvest or some other slow down on the highway. Railroads and red lights. If you get there early you just walk right up there. I'd lost some ERT by not getting there early and learned my lesson. If you try to check in an hour before you have to preregister your room and get your pass and tickets. If your rooms ready then you unpack the car. When you get to the gate there's a long line. There's a long line into the park gate at opening of ERT that holds people up. You gotta be at the gate at least 15 minutes early not to be held up there. I always enjoy the 2nd and 3rd days of my trips much more than the 1st day.

How much did you save on your ticket purchases and parking?

Can't say I know a lot about hotels, but is it normal for a rate to go from $148 to $104 just based on the hour of the day. That's quite a large variance.

I've never heard of the rates doing that at the CP hotels. In my experience staying at the on site hotels their rates do not fluctuate based upon availability or occupancy. They are basically set pre-season and that is that.

Chuck Wagon said:
Can't say I know a lot about hotels, but is it normal for a rate to go from $148 to $104 just based on the hour of the day. That's quite a large variance.

Yes, the rates can and do fluctuate throughout the season. I was on the phone one time with a rep checking out dates and a room rate changed while we were talking.

I stayed there in September. They absolutely sucked at the desk. There were only 2 people there, and they had a care less attitude. The hotel Breakers is completely different. They actually yell to you as soon as they're done with the people in front of you.