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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

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This is supposed to be the great UK coaster battle of 2018.......and what we're getting so far is the worst customer service battle 2018 instead.

Absolutely deplorable (from both parks) how they can treat customers this poorly. Definitely see why many UK enthusiasts are deciding to travel over to main land Europe now.
 
Is it really worth complaing to the ASA over false advertising? It's shoddy cumstomer service and gives the park a bad name; I do not think it falls within the remit of the ASA for a start. Each to their own though.

:)
 
Rob said:
Is it really worth complaing to the ASA over false advertising? It's shoddy cumstomer service and gives the park a bad name; I do not think it falls within the remit of the ASA for a start. Each to their own though.

:)
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I don’t know if they would take it up but the ASA might be the only route. This closing earlier than advertised isn’t new and the park don’t seem to care if they upset customers.
 
I don't think we do customer service very well across lots of industries in the UK personally. Even if you think the cliched American "have nice day" etc is forced and fake, you can't deny they make you feel more welcome than people do in parks, shops and restaurants over here. That's how I have always found it anyway.

I may be unlucky but I come across sarcastic people all the time who wouldn't know good customer service if it slapped them around the chops, which ironically a good few of them needed.
 
I’m not sure if they still do it anymore, but Towers used to have something called the ‘Magic 5’, where there was some form of policy that although ride queues were advertised to close at a specific time, they would actually be left open for another 5 minutes. It’s not exactly a huge burden to do so, but it’s a nice feeling for the guests which felt like they’d managed an extra ride prior to closing and they go home with an added spring in their step.


In the past I’ve experienced almost the exact opposite in Blackpool whereby the queues have closed 5 or 10 minutes earlier than they should have. You then feel like you’ve been cheated out of that last ride. It puts a horrible dampener on the end of the day and sends people home with a sour taste in the mouth. To be fair, I haven’t experienced this recently, but given the attitude demonstrated to closing times, it wouldn’t surprise me if it still happened.


What is more worrying is that, whilst the closing of queues 5 minutes early is probably an operator-level decision, the closure of the whole park early is coming from a high level. It appears so short-sighted to enact such a decision when the savings can only be relatively minor and at the same time alienate paying customers. I wonder if the attitude and decision was based on the rain yesterday. I believe the Rainy Day Return offer was enacted, which obviously provides a free return the next day. Is BPB’s logic that this entitles them to close earlier? Clearly this is not an acceptable excuse, but it might give an insight into the reasoning?


In any case, in the same season where BPB really need as many visitors as they can get (including those repeat visitors) to support the investment in Icon, these decisions could really hurt that attendance. It’s a very risky strategy.
 
I'd say a bigger issue is that since they've gone pay one price and went to one entrance a big thing they've been able to push is the security of the park (which has allowed them to get more school groups in). Imagine if people had dropped their teenage kids off at 11am only to return at 6.30pm to find they'd been sat outside the park for 75 minutes. You wouldn't be best pleased.

Also has the Watson Road tunnel reopened? I'd heard rumours of it being permanently closed.
 
venny said:
I’m not sure if they still do it anymore, but Towers used to have something called the ‘Magic 5’, where there was some form of policy that although ride queues were advertised to close at a specific time, they would actually be left open for another 5 minutes. It’s not exactly a huge burden to do so, but it’s a nice feeling for the guests which felt like they’d managed an extra ride prior to closing and they go home with an added spring in their step.
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The 'Magic 5' went a few years ago at Towers. It was a good idea, not least because it meant that guests could not complain about ride's closing a minute early due to unsynchronised watches.

:)
 
Last Thursday it was about five past when they shut the queues at AT.

That point about people dropping off kids at 11am and expecting to pick them up at 7.15pm is a good one, even though they will try to argue otherwise, BPB still have a duty of care towards individuals and closing early and leaving children on the street (as much as we may try to build up teenagers as young adults, they are not in the laws eyes, try using that excuse to a family court is something happens to your 15 year old) is a serious breach of their duty of care.

They will of course say leaving a teenager on site unsupervised is like leaving property, they bear no responsibility, yeah try telling that to a Judge, it won't wash.
 
John_P said:
Also has the Watson Road tunnel reopened? I'd heard rumours of it being permanently closed.
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Isn't Watson Road part of the magic incantation that means pleasure beach don't need planning permission? Meaning they have to keep it open as much as possible?
 
Dar said:
Isn't Watson Road part of the magic incantation that means pleasure beach don't need planning permission? Meaning they have to keep it open as much as possible?
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As far as I'm aware it's a normal road like any other (and the council did the resurfacing on it, no way was it bad enough for BPB to have paid for that to happen), so BPB can't decide to close it... no idea why it has been closed since November though (the signage states it re-opens 28th Feb 2018... and it didn't).
 
Rob said:
The 'Magic 5' went a few years ago at Towers. It was a good idea, not least because it meant that guests could not complain about ride's closing a minute early due to unsynchronised watches.

:)
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TFL do something similar when it comes to "peak" fares. They will charge you an "off peak" fare if you go through the first ticket barrier about five minutes before the official published times. It's to avoid legal arguments if someone's watch differes from the official station clock.
 
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Pleasure Beach must have some 'involvement' with the Watson Road closure given they're using it in the way that they are.
 
Rick said:
Pleasure Beach must have some 'involvement' with the Watson Road closure given they're using it in the way that they are.
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And from my quick look at the council site it’s not listed as being closed nor any works taking place.
 
It is being used to store dead horses, and what looks like icon track packing wood.
According to some staff on park, it was absolutely dead by 4pm yesterday, after a large organised group left.
Rainy day rule imposed early, perfect excuse to close early, saving extra bank holiday pay costs.

Chances of winning a court case, nil, either for refunds or being held responsible for children outside opening hours.
BPB has done lots of work in the past regarding young people being at risk after ride close...I know so because I used to work with the same group.

Today's news...lots of pipes going in today inside PMBO first drop.
New fountain ready between Sky force and PMBO station, three big stones with holes in, and new floor supports at new coasters, looks like the concrete of the overpass is beginning to go rotten.
New plastic shrubbery at the top of the ramp might be covering work in progress.
Maybe this explains the Watson Rd closure.
Lots of activity by the south gate...New cladding on the bridge, New countertop being stored in train station, think the south gate is getting a new entrance...and about time!

Spent the day hunting but didn't spot you Jamie!
 
rob666 said:
Lots of activity by the south gate...New cladding on the bridge, New countertop being stored in train station, think the south gate is getting a new entrance...and about time!

Spent the day hunting but didn't spot you Jamie!
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The VIP entrance has already been altered for Big Blue. It’s now through the hotel restaurant, through a back room, out by the old gate, then back into what is a relocated entrance on the opposite side to its original location.



The gate itself has had a touch up so I think that’s staying and they will eventually rejig it to remove the VIP entrance through the hotel once construction is complete and thus allow entrance externally from both hotels.
 
I'm amazed that Watson Road hasn't been closed due to security concerns regarding access to the pleasure beach.
 
rob666 said:
Chances of winning a court case, nil, either for refunds or being held responsible for children outside opening hours.
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You mean the opening hours that were advertised as 10-7 but changed to 10-5 around 3pm without telling anybody?

Times have changed, Towers terms and conditions absolved them of liability to those in the Smiler crash too, we all know how that one went....
 
Bit of a difference between the smiler crash and closing a couple of hours early.
I don't agree with what they did, if they give a closing time they should stick with it, but they can hide behind the t&c's, with the revisit offer to day purchasers, and a big up yours to us season pass holders.
The bigger sin today was having the PMBO on one, with an hours queue, and no wind.
Completely unacceptable...eh jamie/shakey/dippy.
 
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