Park closes 3 hours early tonight.

Hmmmmm...

I think I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times the park has closed early (honestly I can only think of one other time...) and when it happened before, the park offered some form of compensation.

But I suspect that a critical difference this time around, and a possible argument for why the decision was made to close in the first place, may be the fact that only half of the park was open to begin with.

It's just something I thought I'd point out...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

The weather was horrible during Monsoon Mania, and I rode The Force 26 times, so what was the problem with Friday?  I mean really, it was raining cats and dogs and The Force didn't stop at all(except the hesitations at the top of the hill, hehehehe).

Because it was COLD too.  Very COLD.  Rollercoasters do not agree with COLD.  Rollback WHAT?

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Natalie
Mine Ride '99 (RIDE MINE!)
Thunder Canyon '00 (TC2K 0\/\/Nx0rZ j00!)
Millennium Force '01

Whether or not there was anything to do is irrelevant – the park advertised their operating hours and they should stick to them or offer a refund. Sure, you assume the risk of inclement weather at any outdoor event, but that is what rainchecks are for.

It really surprises me that CP didn’t offer compensation – they refunded Millennium Mania tickets, why not refund these?

And I’d like to reiterate the point made in a few other posts – not everyone can go to CP on a whim. If you just drove 4 hours, or booked a plane flight, only to find the park closed when you got there (where is the Moose…) you have the right to be upset. Bear that in mind before throwing out the "common sense" remarks.

If you only go to CP once a year, and you pick a HalloWeekend Friday for that day, when the park is in limited operation and for 6 hours............

NO, common sense has NO bearing on this issue...

Hrm, anyone need sarcasm tags?

-Natalie
Who's NEVER sarcastic....

*** This post was edited by Ride of Steel on 10/8/2001. ***

 I still think CP made the right decision to close early. I too was not going to hang around all that long, although if I bought lots of quarters I could have spent the whole night in the arcade :).I did not want anything but judging by people in the park who paid and by the majority here, a little guest service would have been nice.

As Rideman said, in the past they offered compensation. SFWoA was very generous by offering tickets not only on Friday night, but Sunday when people got the majority of the park times and rides! Somebody standing at the exit compensating people and saying a simple "sorry" and perhaps handing out coupons or ride agains (not necessarily tickets) would have gone a long way in guest service in my opinion. I think that is reasonable to expect something like that from "the worlds #1 amusment park." Instead there was nobody even around the exit gate except a security guard who was nice and warm in his little booth.

Me on the otherhand found something in a gift shop for $5 which was worth the trip alone! (hint, I've seen one go on ebay for >$30) :)

Think of this.  They close the park early and offer passes to come back on another day.  For arguments sake, lets say Jeff is right and people would probably have left anyway (thus spending no additional money).  But on this night, they close the park and offer passes to return at the gates.  The people with passes get to come back and what do you know, they have to pay for parking, they might actually eat something, and who knows, they might even bring someone with them or buy something.  This means people who were not going to spend any additional money, now spend more!

Was it a "good" business decision to close early.  I would have to say yes even though I was not there.  Was it a "bad" decision to just tell everyone "go home!  We want you out!" with no teaser to bring back the people who were being forced to leave and probably not really happy about it?  I think so.  I don't have a clue how many people were in the park but I would think that if you look at what those people would spend to return, they would at a minimum break even.  And a gain on word of mouth advertising.

Now it sounds like if you complained, you will get something.  The question I have is should you really have to show your anger?  The people in Guest Services put up with enough unjustified crap through out the year.  Why make them put up with justified?  So basically screw the customer, screw the employee. 

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Joe, I found a treasure of my own in that same gift shop for $5, however I wouldn't be caught dead wearing it. Maybe when Corkscrew t-shirts (which by the way have been in that gift shop longer than I've been alive and have two different colored sleeves) come back into style I'll go snatch up that bargain. Until then, it can stay in the bargain bin. :)
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I thought that shirt would have looked good on you. You should have got that or the sleeveless sweatshirt. Talk about style!
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2001 Force- 275  Magnum-454
I rode Gemini more than once during a day.

Anyone who did or did not go to Cedar Point on Friday and have a problem with them making the call to close early are ignoring common sense...It was a LOUSY night,it was LOUSY at 6pm and it got worse later at times,if you arrived at 6pm and were shocked they closed early...why? For those once a year visitors who planned,saved,drove or flew,plan a extra day next year just in case.And yes common sense does apply here and Cedar Point used it. "Dates,hours,prices and schedules subject to change.No rain checks or refunds" This is on every brochure and it's posted on their web site and out there for anyone who is interested,they owe nothing to anyone.Heck I could see if someone drove across the country and found Cedar Point closed Friday at 6pm..that would be different.Anyway Sat & Sun were sunny days oh well....

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Later Wally

Pete said:
I bet they would give anyone in the park who complained about the early closing a free ticket. I know a couple of years ago, Six Flags Ohio closed early and guest relations gave out return passes to anyone who asked.
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Well...they DIDN'T

my friend was in from California, and he rode Power Tower, and Draggin Iron. he spent the rest of time time arguing for a pass or his money.. no such luck. all he got was a "you knew it was raining, it was your choice to spend the 24 bucks"

 

-Josh

There is one person never going back to CP. :(

Oh so THAT'S what has big 'G' pissed off!

Joe, that cat will be back at least one more time cause he still hasnt ridden Millie or Raptor..but no big loss there (sorry JoLuv too easy :))

I just want people to recognize that CP doesnt *always* take the high road (though their reputation is usually above average!)
lata,
jeremy

*** This post was edited by 2Hostyl on 10/8/2001. ***

Sure, CP wasn’t obligated to give refunds or make compensation of any kind (we’re all aware of the "no refunds or rainchecks…") but would it really have killed them?

By all reports there were maybe 300 ticket buying guests and I’ll guess 1500 (tops) pass holders. Give them all free tickets when they leave. So what if you loose money on admissions – (as has been said before) these people come back, pay for parking, bring friends, etc… And it’s good PR.

Raven-Phile, I really feel bad for your friend… he got screwed. And while I’ll admit that only a handful of people are traveling long distances to get to CP (especially on a Halloweekends Friday) but some people do. I’m sure if I were a season pass holder who lived 10 minutes from the park, this wouldn’t bother me at all – but not everyone at CP fits that description.

CP can be uncaring to guests at times. It is in the business of making money. I guess it felt that the 300 or so one-time paying guests wouldn't mean so much to the bottom line if they never came back to CP. If you don't like the park or its policies, then don't visit CP (Go to Six Flags or PKI instead). If you traveled that far to come to the park, stay an extra day and go on Saturday instead of Friday.
I feel sorry for those people, but the bottom line for a lot of businesses nowadays is that if one or two (100 or 200) customers doesn't come back, many others will still come. If you love coasters you'll always be back to CP no matter what happens. CP sticks it to customers sometimes in their treatment of them, but just bend over and take it. Otherwise, stop coming!!!

*** This post was edited by coasterkingoftheworld on 10/9/2001. ***

Well, if they didn't offer return passes, than I think that stinks. I understand the no raincheck policy, provided the park sticks to it's advertised schedule. If they don't, they owe every guest in the park the three hours of time that they lost by closing early, a return pass would take care of that. The early closing wasn't advertised in advance, it was a decision made that evening.

A return pass could only help the bottom line. It costs CP nothing to let those people in again, but once in the park, most will buy food, drinks, merchandise, games, etc. All stuff that will help the bottom line. That's the theory behind a season pass. Get them to buy a inexpensive pass, let them in all year so they keep buying stuff inside the park.

I've heard on good authority that people who went to guest relations or park op were compensated in some fashion. If you didn't do it, you should have.

And even then, I still think they'd be compensating you for something they had no control over (weather), and that's silly.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP
Watch my grass grow: http://www.sillynonsense.com/subdivision/

Like I sad I didn't (and still don't) want anything. I'm just concerned about the other people and six flags showing CP up a bit in the GR department.

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Pete said..

A return pass could only help the bottom line. It costs CP nothing to let those people in again, but once in the park, most will buy food, drinks, merchandise, games, etc. All stuff that will help the bottom line. That's the theory behind a season pass. Get them to buy a inexpensive pass, let them in all year so they keep buying stuff inside the park.

Exactly

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*** This post was edited by Joe E. on 10/9/2001. ***

Wow, that is a good philosophy coasterking.  Man I want you running my business???    Any service related business or industry that thinks it is ok to screw their customers is not going to be a business for very long.  I dont think CP wants to do this.  I just think they made an error in not providing passes at the gate.  They are not perfect despite how some of you come to their defense at every turn.  Its also easy to say stay an extra day.  Well what if you have other plans for Saturday?  Not to mention that means another night in a hotel, which in turn means more money. 

Jeff, your right, CP had no control over the weather.  They did however have control of closing the park.   The WHOLE point of this thread was that CP should have been handing out passes at the gate.  You should not have had to seek out the PR office to get them.   Its called supplying good customer service when the chips or down or something negative happens and making that service VERY visible to your customers.  This is how you get customers to come back despite a bad situation.   I still say CP failed in the situation.  That being said I dont think they are a bad park and "normally" provide a very high degree of customer service. 

Jeff said:

I've heard on good authority that people who went to guest relations or park op were compensated in some fashion. If you didn't do it, you should have.

CP employee to customer: "Here is a free poncho for your walk to your car.  Have a nice evening."
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*** This post was edited by putergeek on 10/9/2001. ***