shakey
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Wild Mouse - Blackpool - :(
Completely!
More poor customer service. Get the damn thing on 2 trains.
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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion
Completely!
More poor customer service. Get the damn thing on 2 trains.
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venny
TS Member
Crazy. It was on two trains Saturday with a queue of 10 minutes. Why they can’t put a second train on with an hour queue is crackers.
It appears they make the decision of running on one or two trains at the start of the day and it’s only then extraordinary circumstances which will make them change. They need to be more proactive in managing throughputs and capacity.
It appears they make the decision of running on one or two trains at the start of the day and it’s only then extraordinary circumstances which will make them change. They need to be more proactive in managing throughputs and capacity.
Oh course there is (a big difference) but as another forum member would state it's a slippery slope, you give them an inch, they'll take s mile. They need to be stopped now, before they shut up shot at 3pm on a 10pm closure.
venny
TS Member
Just taking a look through some of BPB’s T&Cs which they will presumably rely on in any sort of complaints scenario. They are, in my opinion, absurd.
As an example, they say that BPB will ‘use reasonable endeavours to comply with any statute’. Surely if there’s a statutory obligation, the principal is an absolute? You can’t just rely on using reasonable endeavours for some circumstances can you?
Another gem is that you (the consumer) indemnify BPB against a whole range of costs and losses ‘whether or not reasonable or otherwise foreseeable or avoidable which arise directly or indirectly from any breach or alleged breach by you of any of those Terms and Conditions.’. So by deduction the costs which you are obliged to reimburse BPB in this circumstance can be unreasonable, unforeseeable and avoidable, but you still have to pay. And it need not even be an actual breach of the T&Cs, they can just allege it.
All completely reasonable I’d say...
As an example, they say that BPB will ‘use reasonable endeavours to comply with any statute’. Surely if there’s a statutory obligation, the principal is an absolute? You can’t just rely on using reasonable endeavours for some circumstances can you?
Another gem is that you (the consumer) indemnify BPB against a whole range of costs and losses ‘whether or not reasonable or otherwise foreseeable or avoidable which arise directly or indirectly from any breach or alleged breach by you of any of those Terms and Conditions.’. So by deduction the costs which you are obliged to reimburse BPB in this circumstance can be unreasonable, unforeseeable and avoidable, but you still have to pay. And it need not even be an actual breach of the T&Cs, they can just allege it.
All completely reasonable I’d say...
All complete horse poo that any decent Judge would drive a truck through, been there and got the t-shirt (and settlement) about terms like that before (not theme park related though).
All it needs is for someone to test it, but nobody has yet and nobody ever likely will because civil court is very expensive and honestly nobody in their right mind is going to sue the park for closing early, they'll just either take the free bounce back (which likely comes with terms preventing any proceedings relating to the closure), decide never to return, or chalk it up to experience.
There is also a difference legally between statute and legislation which may mean the statute is not a legal requirement (like the road that runs through the park that is presently closed).
All it needs is for someone to test it, but nobody has yet and nobody ever likely will because civil court is very expensive and honestly nobody in their right mind is going to sue the park for closing early, they'll just either take the free bounce back (which likely comes with terms preventing any proceedings relating to the closure), decide never to return, or chalk it up to experience.
There is also a difference legally between statute and legislation which may mean the statute is not a legal requirement (like the road that runs through the park that is presently closed).
Rick
TS Member
Those of you who know me will know I can't get too excited about the early closing. I absolutely understand that it's annoying, but to pursue legal action would not be an avenue that I would go down - but knock yourself out if that's your bag.
What I don't think is helpful is the use of the words 'Earliest possible ride close' because that is very different to a 'probable' or 'estimated' ride close time. It's particularly bad form because PB (and other parks) are really trying to encourage purchasing of tickets ahead of your visit - which you could end up doing with duff info.
Don't underestimate the cost of closing two hours early - bank holiday or not, but that's not to say that closing early is the correct solution - even if it is hammering, or indeed obliterating your margin.
This does fit in nicely with the conversation we were having the other day in terms of the value in the park opening more hours. If you commit to opening long hours and folk don't show up, it gets very expensive very quickly.
Perhaps the park are suffering with once a year visitors holding off for Icon.
What I don't think is helpful is the use of the words 'Earliest possible ride close' because that is very different to a 'probable' or 'estimated' ride close time. It's particularly bad form because PB (and other parks) are really trying to encourage purchasing of tickets ahead of your visit - which you could end up doing with duff info.
Don't underestimate the cost of closing two hours early - bank holiday or not, but that's not to say that closing early is the correct solution - even if it is hammering, or indeed obliterating your margin.
This does fit in nicely with the conversation we were having the other day in terms of the value in the park opening more hours. If you commit to opening long hours and folk don't show up, it gets very expensive very quickly.
Perhaps the park are suffering with once a year visitors holding off for Icon.
Katy
TS Member
I've thought it should have been "Estimated" ever since they changed it - I recall they chopped an hour off every day and changed it from "Close Time" to "Earliest Close time", so it's really 3 hours that have gone missing vs previous year's opening times.
Whelp yup, that's our excuse.
And I wouldn't ever consider suing them, I'd take the bounce back and try to use it in the summer, but there are some crazy entitled people about who have more money than sense that might, you'll find a few in the guest services queue at Chessington most days.
Rick
TS Member
Agreed @Katy - the terminology leaves no space for wiggle room, which I think the park needs. I think the lack of hours is in part down to crowd levels but also I think it's fair to say that wristband prices are a factor too - it's an absolute bargain... £19 - £25 for a day on the park is pretty mind boggling really when you consider what would have got for your money pre-wristband, especially when you consider inflation.
Well there you have it... It's @IanSR 's fault the park closed early.
Well there you have it... It's @IanSR 's fault the park closed early.
Coaster
TS Member
I wasn't on park, it was back to work for me today unfortunately
In relation to the closing time, there really isn't any excuse when it states "Earliest Possible Ride Close" on the booking page;
And in addition on the opening times page.
John_P
TS Member
That's it really after the initial few weeks of the season with the 'novelty' of the park being back open, and people going for their coaster fix and the check out the progress of Icon now everyone is waiting for it to open. Plus I'd imagine the park is holding off all major marketing push until they have an opening date for Icon, or even after it has opening.
Katy
TS Member
Adding the word "possible" in there just makes it sound even more like "guaranteed we will never close earlier than this" than they already had with "earliest ride close" to me.
Dipper_Dave
TS Member
This. I was thinking this morning about similar examples. It really is terrible customer service to shut the park 2 hours earlier than your very own clearly stated ‘earliest closing time.’
I don’t really think even the most avid park fan can defend that really unless it was because either something catastrophic had happened or in the case of extreme weather. From the sounds of it, on Easter Monday it was a bit wet and a bit quiet on the park. To me that is most certainly not a good enough reason to kick people out 2 hours early.
Also fobbing people off with rainy day returns etc is no use if you are unable to return anytime soon. Remember not all of us live down the road from the park and can’t go anytime we please because of work, family and other commitments. My brother for example comes over from North Yorkshire once or twice a year to visit BPB. He is very limited to when he can visit, tends to plan said visits months in advance around work, childcare etc, and as such would be mightily cheesed off and rightly so, if the park happen to call it a day a few hours early because they can’t be bothered to honour their publicised opening times.
It’s bad enough closing early if you planned to be in the park all day, and perhaps even worse for those who arrive early / mid afternoon expecting to get 4 hours in and only getting 2 for example.
My local Spar shop closes at 10pm. Many times I’ve popped in during the final 10 minutes, they may be mopping the floor and preparing to close but they have never refused to serve me or decided to shut an hour early because it’s quiet or because they simply can’t be bothered.
Does a car garage cancel your booked afternoon MOT because it was an otherwise quiet afternoon and they’ve decided to close an hour or two early? No because they value your custom and so honour what you have booked in good faith.
As somebody else has said, it could become a slippery slope where we find that it may happen more often or it may be 3 hours next time instead of 2. The saddest thing of all is that they seem totally able to hide behind their T&Cs which basically state that they can do what they like. Good luck to anyone who decides to pursue this further with the park!
Rick
TS Member
@MakoMania have you been at the park four days in a row or are you becoming outraged from afar?
MakoMania
TS Member
Outraged is a little too extreme I think
I still love BPB, best park in the UK by a mile.
From afar, Manchester to be precise
Rick
TS Member
How very modern
it'd be interesting to hear the park's take on it, for sure.It's not a problem, it's just part of the internet outrage culture that drives me crazy - but it's not a problem. Go for it if that's your thing.