Wicker Man - General Discussion - Part Two

[Coaster]

So today the bay loader was stood at the back of the station doing nothing except chatting to the ride host at the enabling position, so everyone was filling the bays on their own. We ended up at the back row behind another couple of people. Result... except after the train dispatched, he then walked the length of the platform and moved everyone forward about 6 rows. I asked if we could stay and he refused. "No, we have to fill from the front". I suggested he could fill up the rows in front and was told "No, you must move".

Do Merlin teach this level of customer service? There really is no need to have an attitude or force your guests to move unless they're physically blocking the other rows.

I've had this experience on Wicker Man on every ride, despite asking nicely I've always been told rudely to "go where I tell you."

I think it's a huge shame, I don't mind the "move down and fill all empty rows" but to literally assign everyone to a row after a long queue makes for terrible guest experience.

 

[John]

I'm not even sure why WM has a batcher, other than to deal with people bypassing the preshow for whatever reason, but presumably the merge host could deal with that?

 

[bluesonichd]

Because people are too stupid to put themselves in a bay. We need instruction

 

[Skyscraper]

Couldn't they install a turnstile instead, perhaps operated by a platform host?

 

[Alastair]

Seems Merlin strive to irritate anyone wanting to ride the back row at every turn. Next: RAP - The Coaster, a Reverchon spinner with its one row infinitely roped off.

 

[RicketyCricket]

Yep I've said it before - Asking for the back makes literally zero difference to the speed of their batching process. You'd simply stick them on the back and then, wait for it... Continue to fill up the rest of the rows

 

[Prophecy]

I imagine it's a weighting issue with the train? When I've sent Wicker Man run on non-full trains, it had always been from the front.

I imagine the logic is 'fill it up from the front all the time so we can remain consistent', and it spares any awkward shuffling if they can't fill the train. It should be open to some flexibility, and staff should be politer about it, but that's going to be the logic.

 

[imanautie]

I imagine it's a weighting issue with the train? When I've sent Wicker Man run on non-full trains, it had always been from the front.

I imagine the logic is 'fill it up from the front all the time so we can remain consistent', and it spares any awkward shuffling if they can't fill the train. It should be open to some flexibility, and staff should be politer about it, but that's going to be the logic.

Or the fact that it's reserved for wheelchair users..

Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk

 

[bluesonichd]

They fill from the front as it’s easiet and you’re not having guests pushing past people who find it impossible to stand in a bay and block the walkway
Can also see which bay is free when they loose count of where they are sending people

 

[Alastair]

They fill from the front as it’s easiet and you’re not having guests pushing past people who find it impossible to stand in a bay and block the walkway
Can also see which bay is free when they loose count of where they are sending people

American queue hosts seem to have no issues counting 2 people in a back row bay and then continuing batching as normal. Hardly says much for British intellect if that's considered mental complexity. I reckon a chimp could be trained to batch given time.

 

[rob666]

Can't see why they can't use the general fillem up method of Icon.
Leave the punters to it until front/back seat queues cause blockages, or there are empty middle rows at the gates.
A shout of "Fill all the gates please" every ten minutes on busy days seems to do the trick.
Managed front and back seats earlier in the week with no fuss at all.
And regarding chimps batching, yes the Icon staff have come up to standard, they have even managed to get them to hit the launch button as well!

 

[RicketyCricket]

They fill from the front as it’s easiet and you’re not having guests pushing past people who find it impossible to stand in a bay and block the walkway
Can also see which bay is free when they loose count of where they are sending people

Yeah I get that, but if one couple politely ask for the back row there's no harm in putting them there, and then continuing to fill up from the front.

 

[Alsty]

Can also see which bay is free when they loose count of where they are sending people

They might find it easier to keep track of how many guests are in each row by standing in the bays rather than by their mate on the enabling position.

 

[Stuntman707]

I always wonder why Merlin often put Disabled / RAP guests on the back most intense rows of coasters.

 

[Skyscraper]

I always wonder why Merlin often put Disabled / RAP guests on the back most intense rows of coasters.

They do that because the back row would be lowest if a train stopped on the lift hill and had to be evac'd.

 

[bluesonichd]

I thought they did it to try and kill them off.
I don’t know, maybe a stealth way of reducing the q times for rap

 

[imanautie]

They do that because the back row would be lowest if a train stopped on the lift hill and had to be evac'd.

Partly, I guess having one near enough constant policy (blivvy is front row, rap in one of the right 2 most seats) makes spotting rap in emergency/evacuation situations earlier.

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[spinba11]

With oblivion I think it’s a case of the front row is easier to get in/out of

 

[Stuntman707]

Still doesn't make sense as some coasters are not always back row for disabled while others are.

 

[Skyscraper]

On WM wheelchair RAP users are put in the back row, and non-wheelchair RAP users can go on any row.