Contacting Merlin re: 'Problems At Alton'

[Croftybaby]

Re: Problems At Alton

Back to the poor budget again... It's like buying a Ferrari and not having enough money to fill it with petrol.

The last time I saw any decent entertainment was Easter 2007, chocolate towers time. To be fair there isn't an awful lot that can be done at the hotels but a Disco should be standard (not sure if they still do them) in splash.

 

[Amy]

Re: Problems At Alton

Just on the subject of the hotels... I'm usually a secret Flambo's fan but my meal in their a few months ago was dire. The selection was poor compared to last season.

Secret Garden however was absolutely gorgeous as always <3


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

I stayed in one of the hotels (Splash Landings) for the first time about a month ago and just loved every minute! Had an amazing meal in Secret Garden, far better than I expected. It looks so plain when you look at the menu online.

I have to say though (and I sound like my grandparents now), the singers in AT Hotel are just too loud! We went in there on Friday evening after a day on park and it was just too loud to carry on a conversation. Luckily she was just going off for a break so we were able to sit and chat before heading home.

 

[Jordan]

Please stop writing angry emails and petitions to Alton Towers or Merlin.

I can't stress enough how little our opinions matter to them.

As enthusiasts we often pick on the smallest things and don't prioritise the biggest problems, so we get stereotyped as nitpicking every little thing.

And I'm sorry to be so blunt, but Merlin really don't give a damn if you stop visiting or don't renew your annual pass.

We're a tiny market. Sure, on occasion we collectively have a big voice online, but we don't scare them.

Please stop drafting letters en masse to complain. It will just make us look even pettier.

 

[Ben]

Re: Problems At Alton

Merged topics together

 

[Sam]

Post of the year. I couldn't agree more.

Feel free to write to the park about small stuff when they clearly haven't met their own standards. Cold food from a restaurant for example, or an unhelpful member of staff. Merlin/Towers want to know about stuff like that, it's helpful to them. But they couldn't give less of a toss about your opinions on the Air tunnel or the Smiler's theming shortfalls. Because if they did, they would have done something about it to begin with.

Stuff like this occasionally works. The only example I can think of is when there was an officially-organised open letter sent to the park by TTF concerning dropping standards. This was professionally written, reasonable and it was OK because it was a one-off. But this kind of thing only works if you do it once-in-a-blue-moon, or else it becomes completely ineffective.

 

[GaryH]

I totally disagree. The thing i hate with the British is that we are not vocal enough, thats why we usually get shafted so often by big companies.

The more people who complain to Merlin/Alton the more they will take notice. The odd letter wont do much, though it may include somethings which management were not aware of or think its a good idea, but if a large number of people wrote in then something may get done.

A good example of this were the reduced open times proposal at the start of the season. Hundreds of people took to Facebook to complain and the decision was reduced.

We shouldnt sit on our hands and stay tight lipped cos thats the British way if we are unhappy with something....

 

[Jordan]

if a large number of people wrote in then something may get done.

What's a large number of people? 20 people? 50 people? 500 people?

Even if 500 people wrote in, taking Towers' attendance of 2.4m last year, that would be 0.02% of all guests. And very obvious it's all enthusiasts.

A good example of this were the reduced open times proposal at the start of the season. Hundreds of people took to Facebook to complain and the decision was reduced.

The hundreds of people who complained were far from enthusiasts. You only had to take a quick glance to see that it was a much bigger bandwagon than some geeks complaining about the quality of the park entertainment. Not to mention that an issue like opening hours is far more actionable and tangible than "everything's gone downhill".

By all means, complain about it on the forum (that's what it's here for, right?!) but you're wasting everybody's time with a petition.

 

[BarryZola]

The powers that be at the Towers see all of the complaints that are around on the various forums, facebook, other social media etc. They're very much aware of what the public think about the way they are operating, more than ever before in-fact. A petition from a relatively small amount of enthusiasts is not going to lead to any real change. How long did the customer council last for even when that initiative was introduced following a previous petition some years back? Not long.

Running Alton Towers is not a game these days. People have financial targets to achieve and if that means cutting a couple of corners here and there, department by department, I'd expect that some people would be willing to do so to please their superiors.

As long as the numbers continue to pass through the turnstiles and purchase goods inside the park, the management will be happy. Only when there is a downturn in profit will the powers at the towers (that rhymed) be interested in what a small band of enthusiasts think.

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

The place needs to crash and burn before it will ever improve.

 

[GaryH]

Dont know where the idea of a petition came from, I certainally havent mentioned it... there would be no point to it.

I was going to write them simply off my own back.

 

[Slugjc]

Even if you did complain it'll get improved then tumble again.

Hotel entertainment has always been bad. Scarefest 2011 I had retreat to my room, and I could still hear it. Never been a fan of hotel singers, there x-factor wannabies trying to justify to there mum and dads that there singing career has taken off, and that the WMC no longer want "2's company boy and girl vocal group"

The smiler has to be raised. For obvious reasons.
Look of the park.
Monorail theming why did they change it.
Sub-Terra
Price increase
Spalsh landings paint job.

 

[AstroDan]

A simple, lettered complaint won't necessarily do anything - certainly if it's 'preachy', it must not be.

The only time we had successes with this sort of thing, was back when we operated TowersTimes, and conducted a thorough petition - however, this was based on a specific agenda; most closely linked to the Fanta situation on Oblivion, which was used to form the backbone of the argument, whilst fanning out to other significant issues of a few years ago. Any letters written need to be focussed principally on one or two issues - a general letter that covers too much simply will not be addressed (complaints about the entry price are frankly pointless).

A simple "it used to be like this" just does not work, however it is worth noting that Alton Towers' general customer feedback (KPI) scores are quite poor this year, which is telling in itself. They are lower than those of Thorpe Park. Worrying, isn't it.

I frankly believe the park are well aware that they're doing badly at the moment. However, they don't seem to be able to do anything about it, because they're part of the conglomerate of Merlin Entertainments, which, as has been said for several years now, is holding the theme park back from what it could do - with exception to the addition of new rides. Yet, we all know that a theme park is not simply about new rides - look at the Disney model, for example. There are indeed new rides added every couple of years, but on other years - look what happens. Entertainment is focussed on (Disney Dreams etc.), ride refurbs (Test Track etc.) and food and beverage improvements (EPCOT's new restaurant in Morocco).

For as long as this great theme park, which has been around far longer than Merlin Entertainments, and shall be around after them too, is owned by that office in Poole, and controlled by those investors in the USA - we shall never see it operated to its potential as one of the greatest days out in Europe.

 

[Dave]

What Dan said.

I'm not hopeful for the future, they will get ride investment but little else. It's a shame as you can see the glimmer of passion in certain areas of the resort. Ents are trying to get more out there (and as I said before if you visited in 2007 there was NO ents). But as much as they push they are only ever allowed small improvements.

You see the ride staff trying to get operations going at full tilt then some manager who has probably never operated a ride in their life forces pointless procedure that knocks a third of Oblivions throughput and you see subtle things like the whole RMT "choo choo" thing that was started by staff (Dawn) and I believe was going to be banned until it got its on-line popularity.

The trouble is with Merlin, if something doesn't work (like the first week of SF), instead of thinking "how can we fix that" they cut it. It wouldn't surprise me if Scarefest is cut to a week to be honest, there won't be any lighting as "it's expensive and atmosphere counts for nothing".

We need to recognise the good (ents, Blivvy paint ect) so that is encouraged but my god that place is running itself into a guest experience hole.

 

[Benzin]

It's also pointless trying to point at Disney examples because they have ridiculous budgets for their parks...

Looking at how the smaller European parks like Plopsaland operate and add things is a much better option, as it shows that things can be done if you just bother...

Their new theatre building looks fantastic, yet Towers gets benches... Even Farup Sommerland has moving seats in theirs!


What is true though, is that when an event isn't a success or doesn't do as well as expected, there is no attempt to improve on matters... I'll be interested to see how Thorpe's Summer Nights event goes, because if it's as empty this weekend as it was last weekend, then it won't be seen again...

Too much focus on financial returns is the issue, hence the immense upselling of everything because the staff have to meet their targets set out by the managers... And changes to ride operations isn't a Merlin thing really, higher-ups changing procedures due to SOMETHING without thinking of the knock-on effect on the ride and it's hosts has been happening since before them...


IF we took away the focus on making an instant return on profit, then it'd be interesting to see how bad things would be... Still better than DIC though...

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

We need to recognise the good (ents, Blivvy paint ect)

I'm sorry but even that was a bodged job in my opinion.

 

[Dave]

We need to recognise the good (ents, Blivvy paint ect)

I'm sorry but even that was a bodged job in my opinion.

Really?

I disagree, it's painted and hasn't faded (yet) what more did you expect?

 

[Quetzal]

Wow, every season this self same thing happens! It's so infuriating to watch people who think that a letter which will be seen by marketing graduates at best will change the park, increasing budgets etc. It's always the same point in the season because people have visited the park enough times already and won't let themselves believe they've got bored of it, so want to blame other things. Alton Towers is looking better than it was before Merlin took over, with increased entertainments on park, two new amazing rollercoasters, some other good family investments and 2014 is shaping up to be something special.

I feel like I have to take an annual hiatus from forums around this time each year, it's just repetitive.

 

[Ben]

It's also pointless trying to point at Disney examples because they have ridiculous budgets for their parks...

Merlin deserve it, they constantly remind everyone they are 2nd worldwide behind Disney. If they want to play with the big boys they need to keep up!

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

We need to recognise the good (ents, Blivvy paint ect)

I'm sorry but even that was a bodged job in my opinion.

Really?

I disagree, it's painted and hasn't faded (yet) what more did you expect?

I just think it highlights how bad the rest of the theming on Oblivion has become.

And I don't think it looks as dominant in a glossy colour. The Smiler doesn't help it's cause either.

To be honest the fact they even painted it is more than I expected, but I just didn't find it impressive in the flesh.

 

[Dave]

Wow, every season this self same thing happens! It's so infuriating to watch people who think that a letter which will be seen by marketing graduates at best will change the park, increasing budgets etc. It's always the same point in the season because people have visited the park enough times already and won't let themselves believe they've got bored of it, so want to blame other things. Alton Towers is looking better than it was before Merlin took over, with increased entertainments on park, two new amazing rollercoasters, some other good family investments and 2014 is shaping up to be something special.

I feel like I have to take an annual hiatus from forums around this time each year, it's just repetitive.

Your not wrong on the positives but you can't ignore the negatives.

Primarily the fact the prices are too high and events are getting cut. I don't visit as regular as i used to as i live a bit further away and have other pressures on life but i can see that.

On the flip side the park is nowhere near as bad as it was a few years ago, i just wish they could fix some of the basics, such as price, guest experience and expanding their event offering rather than cutting it.

But on the plus side the park is no-where near as dire as 2011 and there are positives around the park. It's just frustrating to see the park not quite get the standard other parks are managing when it comes to guest experience (Smiler had been closed for 3 days now and NOT ONCE has the park informed potential guests), and the theming rotting on The Smiler is concerning.

The place should be buzzing in a SW year (it was in 2010) but it just isn't, probably the whole lot is closely linked to the Smiler delays.