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2018: Park Operations & Ride Availability

bluesonichd said:
"We are re-validating tickets at the Admissions gate upon exiting the Resort - allowing you to return any day before 31st October 2018!"
At least they are letting all the unfortunate people who went today a chance to come back and be miserable again :)
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Fat lot of use that is for those who travel long distance and coming back is not an option. I'd like to think those who demand a refund on days like today would get it without argument.
 
AstroDan said:
Thing is, as much as ATR has seen a great many cuts - I don't believe there have been cuts in this department.

I am baffled about why technical services are unable to get rides running this year.
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Have they lost experienced team members, certainly heard that the mood amongst a lot of shop floor staff is fairly low (not tech services)
 
Purely speculation but maybe tech services are working to rule over wages or conditions and refusing to work overtime etc.

Management can't put pressure on them as it would bite them back big time if there was another unfortunate incident.
 
It's very strange,. I've heard that today's issues were caused, in the most part, due to a power surge.

This weeks seems to be, one good day, one bad day. Tuesday was great, nearly everything working and quick dispatches
 
Austin Towers said:
Purely speculation but maybe tech services are working to rule over wages or conditions and refusing to work overtime etc.

Management can't put pressure on them as it would bite them back big time if there was another unfortunate incident.
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I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure unions are not alowed near Merlin property.
 
I believe their is a union but it's VERY quietly managed. Maybe somebody could confirm?

If they are working to health and safety (Work to rule is frowned upon as a term with unions) then it's having a great effect.
 
Croftybaby said:
I believe their is a union but it's VERY quietly managed. Maybe somebody could confirm?

If they are working to health and safety (Work to rule is frowned upon as a term with unions) then it's having a great effect.
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I wouldn't say it's to great effect if Merlin don't respond properly

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Remember in the early 2000s during January and February there were weekends on park where tech services would get a few rides open in ice and snow and bad conditions.

Fast-forward to 2018 and they can barely get all the rides open on the best day of April weather in 20 years. And the bloody splash battle conks out!?
Someone is having a laugh at Altons expense and its sad guests are suffering because of it.
 
ihaveaspergers said:
Just because unions aren't allowed doesn't prevent union action.

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I don't think it's down to Union Action or anything like that, I think it's strictly down to budget and as such workers either aren't allowed or don't see the benefit in staying later than they have to because they won't be paid any extra.

There's technically no such thing as 'overtime' at Merlin either, on a frontliner perspective, the duty manager will tell you if the rides are opening later and you're then expected to stay later, but you won't get 'overtime' rate of pay, just your standard hourly wage which will have been accounted for in the budget for that day or it will come out of the 'unexpected budget'
 
Tuggerz said:
I don't think it's down to Union Action or anything like that, I think it's strictly down to budget and as such workers either aren't allowed or don't see the benefit in staying later than they have to because they won't be paid any extra.

There's technically no such thing as 'overtime' at Merlin either, on a frontliner perspective, the duty manager will tell you if the rides are opening later and you're then expected to stay later, but you won't get 'overtime' rate of pay, just your standard hourly wage which will have been accounted for in the budget for that day or it will come out of the 'unexpected budget'
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Not many companies offer enhanced overtime rates these days. It’s still “overtime” though if you get paid for the hours you work. The alternative is a saleried only wage where it doesn’t matter how many hours you do you still get the same monthly pay.
 
Dave said:
The alternative is a saleried only wage where it doesn’t matter how many hours you do you still get the same monthly pay.
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Which points to the issue exactly, There's no incentive for the staff to work any extra hours to fix an issue when they don't get rewarded for it. It's an endless cycle where the Staff and Guests always suffer, but management just points blame towards a non-entity because they're afraid of saying what the actual problems are.
 
Tuggerz said:
Which points to the issue exactly, There's no incentive for the staff to work any extra hours to fix an issue when they don't get rewarded for it. It's an endless cycle where the Staff and Guests always suffer, but management just points blame towards a non-entity because they're afraid of saying what the actual problems are.
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All leisure industry jobs have similar pay and conditions, the bigger issue for Towers is the fact they limit hours so much that it’s hard to get full time wages, also they cut staffing numbers so working there is harder and less rewarding (bearing in mind for many it’s a job whilst being a student).
 
sully1311 said:
Battle Galleons, Nemesis and Rita down at the moment.

Bloody brilliant
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Nemesis and Battle Galleons both oped eventually though. I got on Nemesis just after it reopened. Wicker Man broke down late morning and was closed most of the afternoon, but reopened about 15 minutes before ride close.
 
Only got to the park at 1pm. Nemesis broke down when i was in the station. Managed to have a look in the operator's cabin and the screen said something like "Error, switchvalve pressure low".

Didn't spoil mt afternoon though, Did Thirteen, The Smiler, Obivion, Nemesis,, Runaway Mine Train and Wicker man, all in three hours.
 
Dipper_Dave said:
Do we go into the supermarket and congratulate the bakers for getting all that fresh bread out for opening time? No, because its their job and its what we expect of them.
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Well actually, I probably would! They are so grossly under resourced, it's a miracle if you get a full range of bread out at all some days.

In the retail world, people aren't treated as an asset, they're treated as "the biggest controllable cost", and as such, a balance sheet liability to be purged.

There's nothing service industries hate more than payroll costs. They see it as the first thing to be cut in times of need. Loyalty and skill is not valued anymore at all, people are expendables that can be thrown away and re recruited at the drop of a hat. Of course this isn't completely true and hence there are some jobs which always seem to be available.

Modern private enterprise will learn nothing from the collapse of Carillon, they'll continue to make promises they can't keep. Wages per hour (the headline rate) will increase, pensions, work life balance and job security will continue to be eroded to pay for it. This will continue until the business can no longer afford to trade, but the board members that caused the problem will be long gone with all the money they fleeced from payroll budgets, the workers will be left with nothing from the administrators at the end of it all.

It appears payroll savings is the cut of choice this year at Towers. Those pesky blood sucking vermin, also known as staff (or colleagues or associates as patronising "people directors" will have them called in a vain bid to hide the disdain in which the company holds it's employees), will be costing far too much, what with the living wage and all, so must be avoided wherever possible.
 
Nearly all the queuetimes are in the red on ride times for the thrill rides.
Is the cheap season pass beginning to bite Merlin in the bottom?
Capacity and throughput issues need sorting if it is really that busy on an april weekend.
 
Agree. Judging by good/average throughputs that would put almost 8000 people just in the queues for the Thrill attractions? The park can't be that busy? Something must be slowing throughputs.
 
Croftybaby said:
Agree. Judging by good/average throughputs that would put almost 8000 people just in the queues for the Thrill attractions? The park can't be that busy? Something must be slowing throughputs.
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Merlin Management incompetence?

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