If you could implement or add something to our theme parks to improve the customer experience, what would it be? Not a new ride or attraction. As an example, in park queue time monitor.

Much friendlier staff!

Dreamworld generally has this one pretty much right. The other parks don't! 

Pineapple Soft Serve. Do it, do it now!

I'd love to see executive-level management sweat the small details again like their predecessors did. Back in the day, both Longhurst & Menzies would roam their respective parks looking for the little inconveniences that inevitably added up if left unresolved - in Longhurst's case he'd sit in the IMAX Theatre and watched throughput when the film finished, he'd jump on the train and listen in on the narration whilst checking how clean the trains were and would be so fastidious about how well kept the gardens were that people would come to Dreamworld just to see the flower-beds. In Menzies' case, it's somewhat well known that he would go to the parks with his wife on Christmas just so he could see the parks without anyone hassling him.

Basically it's all about fine-tuning every possible moment of the customer experience. Until you've sat in every seat at Green Bean, you won't know how many table-sets are in the glaring hot sun or which tables are too close to the speakers. Until you've lined up as a guest for Tower of Terror, you won't realise how hot, sweaty and smelly the queue line stairs are. Until you've walked up to the Aquaman Exhibit as a punter, you won't realise how the entrance is very un-inviting etc. etc. etc. etc.

It's such a simple thing to do and yet no one does it often enough.

Edited February 18, 20197 yr by Slick

I agree 10000% Slick. I know for a fact Sir Billy Butlin did that, and I'd be very surprised if Walt Disney didn't also. 

It's about basically taking pride in what you're offering your customers, and it makes ALL the difference. 

We need better communication between the parks and the public. For example, DW needs to give us some indication as to when we can expect SV (because “the coming weeks” just ain’t cutting it). Similarly, MW have been tight lipped about a lot of their recent projects, a bit more open communication would be great instead of keeping everything secret. We didn’t hear any confirmation of DC rivals until just a few months away from opening (while most parks would announce something that big a year or even two years ahead of time). Similarly the Aquaman exhibit was a big secret until only a few weeks before opening.

2 hours ago, Slick said:

It's such a simple thing to do and yet no one does it often enough.

Totally agree - it's something i learned working in a fast food chain. They had a procedure that managers had to do a walk around of the store every hour inside and out. Not saying it always happened every hour, but you could easily tell when it wasn't being done.

DW need to work on the smaller details to bring back the magic the park once had

VRTP needs to work on its staff, the majority are either rude or don’t care. I understand it isn’t always the most exciting job or best working conditions, but theme parks are designed for happiness, memories, entertainment and fun, and when you have a poor interaction with a staff member, it really brings the experience down 

I think DW is past “smaller details” being able to bring back people. DW need big, audacious “you can’t help but pay attention” changes and additions to bring people back.

 

agree on staffing at MW, it’s terrible, they need to invest in training, or recruit the right people to start with. I had someone tell me at Gotham Burgers the other day that my premium membership is no good for the monthly pass discounts - these only apply to one pass holders, despite the memberships being the highest level pass, and the website clearly stating “‘memberships and one pass”. Despite this, and showing them the website wording, they still refuse to discount. Needless to say I wasn’t impressed 

Honesty/Communications has probably been the biggest issue over the years. There are always the generic responses that don’t actually help the situation. Especially when it comes to extended maintenance or issues. Hiding this stuff makes it feel untrustworthy. And I’m sure the general public would appreciate knowing this info too

9 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

I think DW is past “smaller details” being able to bring back people. DW need big, audacious “you can’t help but pay attention” changes and additions to bring people back.

You can never go past the smaller details. Sure, DW needs to do something bigger than they are doing, but if that comes at the expense of the smaller details it still won't be enough.

What point is it building a big audacious coaster (for example) if there's rubbish blowing down main street? if the toilets are broken? If it's literally the only operating ride at the park at opening? If in 6 months time the maintenance and care of the attraction causes it to fall into disrepair and is shutdown for months at a time?

From little things, big things grow.

The small things matter.

Of course the small things matter - but they currently don’t have rubbish blowing down the streets and broken toilets, so my suggestion is not - “let’s no longer collect garbage and fix broken amenities in favour of having a big coaster”, it’s made on the assumption that the status quo in “small things” currently is upheld with the addition of something big. 

DW probably knows better than anyone that from little things, big things grow.... faulty water pump wasn’t it..... 

 

 

 

 

14 hours ago, Slick said:

I'd love to see executive-level management sweat the small details again like their predecessors did. Back in the day, both Longhurst & Menzies would roam their respective parks looking for the little inconveniences that inevitably added up if left unresolved - in Longhurst's case he'd sit in the IMAX Theatre and watched throughput when the film finished, he'd jump on the train and listen in on the narration whilst checking how clean the trains were and would be so fastidious about how well kept the gardens were that people would come to Dreamworld just to see the flower-beds. In Menzies' case, it's somewhat well known that he would go to the parks with his wife on Christmas just so he could see the parks without anyone hassling him.

Basically it's all about fine-tuning every possible moment of the customer experience. Until you've sat in every seat at Green Bean, you won't know how many table-sets are in the glaring hot sun or which tables are too close to the speakers. Until you've lined up as a guest for Tower of Terror, you won't realise how hot, sweaty and smelly the queue line stairs are. Until you've walked up to the Aquaman Exhibit as a punter, you won't realise how the entrance is very un-inviting etc. etc. etc. etc.

It's such a simple thing to do and yet no one does it often enough.

The whole Longhurst has rays of sunshine coming out of his bum doesn’t do it for me.

  The truth is Longhurst got bored and didn't want to do it anymore.   I do agree that little things do matter but I also believe big things matter too.  If DW is overly focused on the little things the big things will never get done.  Balance is the key. 

10 minutes ago, Skeeta said:

The whole Longhurst has rays of sunshine coming out of his bum doesn’t do it for me.

 

  The truth is Longhurst got bored and didn't want to do it anymore.   I do agree that little things do matter but I also believe big things matter too.  If DW is overly focused on the little things the big things will never get done.  Balance is the key. 

 

Having spoken many times with Longhurst and asking him point blank why he sold it (and subsequently writing about it) I can tell you that's not it.

But you are correct in that focussing on one thing shouldn't come at the expense at the other - in Dreamworld's case, without a large roller-coaster it's a little bit like re-arranging the deck chairs while the Titanic sinks.

48 minutes ago, Slick said:

Having spoken many times with Longhurst and asking him point blank why he sold it (and subsequently writing about it) I can tell you that's not it.

Looks like he told one of us different recollections.

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HaHaHaHaHa sorry,  I couldn't help myself.  Longhurst didn't tell Skeet a thing.  😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Edited February 19, 20197 yr by Skeeta
Playing jokes on slick.

1 hour ago, Brad2912 said:

Of course the small things matter - but they currently don’t have rubbish blowing down the streets and broken toilets, so my suggestion is not - “let’s no longer collect garbage and fix broken amenities in favour of having a big coaster”, it’s made on the assumption that the status quo in “small things” currently is upheld with the addition of something big.

If Dreamworld continues with the current status quo on the little things, then something big is pointless, because the status quo is they don't give a shit.

Of course rubbish and toilets aren't the current issues, they were just simplistic examples. The actual "little things" at the park are a little more subtle, yet still very noticeable.

Its the little things like having your rides open for the same amount of time that your park is open.

Its like operating a ride that has 40 seats with 20 empty seats because if you load it any more, you'll break it, and if you load it any less, its too expensive to run.

its like having a brand new ride working, staff trained, everything ready to open, and not opening it, and not telling anybody why.

its like cutting off the walkway to half of your park, making everyone walk the alternative, much longer way around, and then not operating your lone transport ride to help move people around the park a bit easier.

Its like having multiple alternative locomotives you could run to keep a train operating, but opting instead to shutter it, because the alternatives are more expensive

its like identifying a risk of injury to riders and bolting on a homemade contraption rather than talking to the industry to use the same device far and wide about how they managed it.

its like resetting a pump for the third time, by a technician who wasn't supposed to reset it, to keep a ride running that policy says shouldn't run if it needs resetting more than twice in a day.

its like not bothering to upgrade your rides to modern safety standards like having properly functioning e-stops.

its like having numerous incidents where people could have been killed, and not making any changes, until someone IS killed.

The current status quo in small things means they have no business building big things. Its bigger than garbages and toilets - but I guess even Dreamworld can't fuck up trash and shit.

13 hours ago, themagician said:

DW need to work on the smaller details to bring back the magic the park once had

VRTP needs to work on its staff, the majority are either rude or don’t care. I understand it isn’t always the most exciting job or best working conditions, but theme parks are designed for happiness, memories, entertainment and fun, and when you have a poor interaction with a staff member, it really brings the experience down 

Hire the right staff, and treat them well, and they'll treat the customers well because they'll WANT to! 

4 minutes ago, pushbutton said:

Hire the right staff,

Do you not think the parks don't try and hire the right people?

7 minutes ago, Skeeta said:

Do you not think the parks don't try and hire the right people?

No I don't think so, but then again I know nothingwhatsoever about how businesses recuit staff, having only about 10 years experience in recruiting staff myself. 

I'm also a bit simple. 

33 minutes ago, pushbutton said:

I'm also a bit simple. 

Quoted for truth.

21 hours ago, elemist said:

Totally agree - it's something i learned working in a fast food chain. They had a procedure that managers had to do a walk around of the store every hour inside and out. Not saying it always happened every hour, but you could easily tell when it wasn't being done.

Some of the things I saw when on my "Travel Path" where actually quite interesting. 

Don't get me wrong. The vast majority were very boring, but just one or two were interesting!

 

On 18/02/2019 at 6:53 PM, Slick said:

I'd love to see executive-level management sweat the small details again like their predecessors did. Back in the day, both Longhurst & Menzies would roam their respective parks looking for the little inconveniences that inevitably added up if left unresolved - in Longhurst's case he'd sit in the IMAX Theatre and watched throughput when the film finished, he'd jump on the train and listen in on the narration whilst checking how clean the trains were and would be so fastidious about how well kept the gardens were that people would come to Dreamworld just to see the flower-beds. In Menzies' case, it's somewhat well known that he would go to the parks with his wife on Christmas just so he could see the parks without anyone hassling him.

Basically it's all about fine-tuning every possible moment of the customer experience. Until you've sat in every seat at Green Bean, you won't know how many table-sets are in the glaring hot sun or which tables are too close to the speakers. Until you've lined up as a guest for Tower of Terror, you won't realise how hot, sweaty and smelly the queue line stairs are. Until you've walked up to the Aquaman Exhibit as a punter, you won't realise how the entrance is very un-inviting etc. etc. etc. etc.

It's such a simple thing to do and yet no one does it often enough.

Well said Slick.  It's like when Disney used to bend down on his knees and get the designers to do the same. pointing out the view of the shop window thro the eyes of a 6 year old.  When you get all the details right, people don't consciously notice, it just feels good on a subconscious level. If parks are supposed to provide fantasy and escapism from the real world, you can't have conduit pipe sticking out of the flower bed or dirty toilets/scraped paintwork. 

Mark for new ceo for Dreamworld..

@T-bone, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.

Edited February 19, 20197 yr by strop
Weird paragraph break for no reason

Mark seems intelligent enough to not jump on the Titanic 100m out from an iceberg..

Also, having had direct, sustained and successful theme park experience makes Mark far too qualified for the job.... 

Edited February 19, 20197 yr by Brad2912