Pushy Sales People near Magnum

I would be curious to see statistics as to how popular these sort of timeshare sales are in the Six Flags and former Paramount Parks. I assume it has to be profitable or else parks would'nt keep adding them. It's either that, or it's some form of desperation to increase revenue... I just think there are so many better ways to increase cash flow, without making me feel like I'm being mobbed before I even get 15 feet into the park...

And I remember when I thought the photo people were bad...geesh.

You're assuming there is a cost to the parks. I wouldn't be surprised if the park gets X percent of any sale, and in return, they just give them a spot in the park. That is %100 pure profit. The problem is that the park hasn't put any limits on them, and they are actually costing the park guest enjoyment. But the "cost" is not a direct number tied to the sales people that the park would need to overcome with some number of sales.

I didn't think there was a cost to the park. I guess I was just wondering how much of that profit was really being brought in... Although there is no financial cost to the park, I completely agree with you that there is a cost paid in the enjoyment of your guests. I would hope there would be a tipping point where the cost of guests feeling uncomfortable/pressured/annoyed would outweigh the small amount of profit I assume they actually make. That's why I wanted to know the dollars the park makes off of the kiosks... I wanted to see how much a positive guest experience meant to (cost) them.

Now if the park is making a large sum off them, then that is another story... but every time I have seen one of those people in the park, the guests are doing everything they can to ignore them.

My guess: the park didn't realize just how pushy they would be. And knowing that management does read these boards, I wouldn't be surprised to see them curtailed in some way soon. Although, who knows what is in their contract. For all we know, the park signed a bad deal, and their hands are tied in regards to removing or limiting these leeches.

Has anyone filled out a comment card or emailed the park about these guys?

Again, if Cedar Fair OWNED timeshares that THEY were selling then this is a different discussion. I'd still be offended if they utilized hard sales tactics that you find while walking down the boardwalk at Atlantic City or in the malls of Cancun.

I don't think my credit card example was off base. This is an unrelated business pitching unrelated products in a hard sell way. Sure, when you go to Disney the Lego brand is thrown in your face here and there but you don't have some knucklead from Lego trying to hard sell you into buying the latest Star Wars action set.

I guess I wouldn't really have a problem if Timeshare Company A had a kiosk in the park with pictures of their resorts and you just wander in to take a look at them.

If the periodic John Deere displays that were common had sales people harassing you to buy a tractor that would have offended me too.

I agree Chief... Trying to bring in revenue by allowing a third party vendor doesn't bother me. The issue I have is with the tactics. The sad thing is that I'm sure these workers are on a heavily weighted commission pay (hence the hard pressure sales tactics). So in the end, we are annoyed by them, and they aren't making any commission, and everyone (except for upper management) ends up unhappy.

I sure hope what you (Jugga) alluded to will come true. Hopefully the park will realize that this is really bothering guests, and either limit the sales people to their kiosk, or keep them in a much smaller radius, giving people the option to walk in an area where they won't be harassed.

If I were to approach their kiosk, I would have no problem hearing their spiel, but there is no reason that I should be walking against the fence on the other side of the midway, purposefully looking away, and still have them following me rattling off their "great deal".

Chief - that is what I am wondering. Did the park bring in this company knowing full well that they were going to chase guests down, or did the park think they would set up a booth and just answer questions for interested parties?

If it was the latter, then the park got duped and needs to do something about it. And they should be given a chance to do something about it.

If it was the former, then DK has finally fallen off the deep end.

The first time I got off Magnum, I didn't even really realize that theywere selling time shares. One of the sales people just wished me anice day, and I was around the corner, back to ride Magnum a secondtime. The second time around, I just tried to ignore them and didn'treally know what they were trying to do.

I have to agree with everyone here. If it were just a small kiosk where people, if interested, could see what they had to offer, then it would not be a big deal. However, they did seem a little pushy to have to listen to after paying admission to the park.

Not only that but the photo people, and yeah those people setup to try and sell stuff.

Maybe they made a few sales though?

The photo people aren't bad. And at least from that you can get a Cedar Point souvenir.

* EDIT - I'm a retard *

I've never had a problem with the photo folks. While they do try to "group" you for the picture you know that there is no commitment to anything and as soon as they snap you can get on your way. And, if you pass they just move on to the next folks walking in the gate.

There are no time share people at Busch Gardens.

Jeff said:
What is it with people giving CP a free pass because "they're not Disney?" Who cares? It's where I'm plopping down a lot more money these days, because I feel like I'm getting more value out of what I'm paying for. Let's do the math here... Cedar Fair has flat or decreasing attendance while "offset by slightly higher per cap" year after year, while Disney keeps seeing attendance and revenue going up. I don't have to agree with you because I think ignoring what Disney does is like burying your head in the sand.

And for the record, I wasn't defending Cedar Fair for these slugs on the midway. I took issue with you describing them as "money grubbing" which is silly because every business exists to make as much money as possible. Those that don't are something we call "bankrupt."

I didn't mean to sound as if I was giving CP a free pass, or ignoring what Disney is doing. I was just trying to say that the perception of what CP is doing in this case, is only adding fuel to the fire, whether fairly or unfairly in some circles, that they are "money-grubbing".

I understand that businesses exist to make money, otherwise I'd have been out of business a long time ago, but I also understand that sometimes perception can have an effect on reality.

Look, I don't mind paying for something, and paying well, as long as the seller makes me feel as if I am a valued customer, and not just an ATM. That is why I have a problem with what CP is doing here. This is just another step backwards in a steady decline from the kind customer service that had been the staple at CP, imho. At Disney, or Holiday World for example, I feel valued, but over the past few years at CP I don't feel that way as much.

I guess I just want to be loved. :)

-Tambo

You're responding to things that weren't even in response to you in the first place.

Just got to deal with these pleasant folks. They needto go before I punch em. :)