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On a positive note, I was at BGT at the beginning of May and one of the workers sold me a beer for the price of a soda. I wonder if he was disgruntled about something.
 
"Please stop berating us for our shitty policies. Our staff will quit and we're not gonna change them anyway"

-No loose articles in line in the 100 degree heat, including reusable drink cups.

-surcharges for no reason

-45 minute wait just for security due to the entrance construction.(the line has been getting so long they can't use the trams cause it goes back to the tram stop)

-long food lines due to low pay(I've seen as low as ~10/hour)

Yeah, I think this is kinda on Busch. I will absolutely give employees some lip for these garbage policies, with the caveat that I try to slip something in that I know they aren't making those choices. Can't say that'll happen for the other thousands of customers.
You had me until the last sentence. If you give employees shit for things out of their control, you are an asshole.
 
I honestly disagree. Unfortunately it is in the job description of the baseline employee to be the front line representative, and if there is a lot of negativity thrown their way that is a symptom of things outside their control yes, but the impacts that has on staff morale and turnover rate are the kind of metrics the higher ups pay attention to and would start to notice "damn maybe there is a problem". Unfortunately unless anything is directly hitting their pockets, higher management won't do a thing, so surveys and complaint bins are the lowest on their list of priorities. If they are losing front line workers in droves and having to pay a lot more to get people to suffer through a shitty work environment dealing with customer complaints about problems that the management has created, then that starts to shift things.

Fundamentally yes it is an "asshole thing to do" to go off at an employee where it isn't their fault, but unfortunately that is really the only way these problems work their way back up the ladder over time.
 
I honestly disagree. Unfortunately it is in the job description of the baseline employee to be the front line representative, and if there is a lot of negativity thrown their way that is a symptom of things outside their control yes, but the impacts that has on staff morale and turnover rate are the kind of metrics the higher ups pay attention to and would start to notice "damn maybe there is a problem". Unfortunately unless anything is directly hitting their pockets, higher management won't do a thing, so surveys and complaint bins are the lowest on their list of priorities. If they are losing front line workers in droves and having to pay a lot more to get people to suffer through a shitty work environment dealing with customer complaints about problems that the management has created, then that starts to shift things.

Fundamentally yes it is an "asshole thing to do" to go off at an employee where it isn't their fault, but unfortunately that is really the only way these problems work their way back up the ladder over time.
While there may be some truth behind that logic you aren't looking at the full picture. A CDC report published last fall listed a 30% increase in suicide of retail workers and a 28% increase amongst fois service and hospitality workers. By occupation these were the second and third highest increase in the study which was looking at 2020 numbers the only higher group was medical workers. Among the causes listed in the study for the rate was the increasing hostile attitude of customers. Not only is being hostile to these employees for things beyond their control while hoping they quit and extremely crappy way of making to a company it may very well have significantly worse consequences then you know.
 
I have to agree with @belsaas. The logic @Ice that treating low level employees poorly will get them to quit and cause the park problems is horrible. Regardless of a given situation, you should always treat people respectfully (edit: fixed grammar). That's the core basis of a civilized society which I guess we are no longer a part of but we can still try.
 
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I honestly disagree. Unfortunately it is in the job description of the baseline employee to be the front line representative, and if there is a lot of negativity thrown their way that is a symptom of things outside their control yes, but the impacts that has on staff morale and turnover rate are the kind of metrics the higher ups pay attention to and would start to notice "damn maybe there is a problem". Unfortunately unless anything is directly hitting their pockets, higher management won't do a thing, so surveys and complaint bins are the lowest on their list of priorities. If they are losing front line workers in droves and having to pay a lot more to get people to suffer through a shitty work environment dealing with customer complaints about problems that the management has created, then that starts to shift things.

Fundamentally yes it is an "asshole thing to do" to go off at an employee where it isn't their fault, but unfortunately that is really the only way these problems work their way back up the ladder over time.
As someone who was done front line support for years you couldn't be further from the truth. The correct way is to ask for a supervisor or manager. People on the front lines do not get paid enough to deal with people being like assholes , nor should they. Just because you are having a bad experience with something they CLEARLY have no control over DOES NOT give you the right to lash out at them. I think anyone that berates Ride Ops, Cashiers, etc should be ejected from the park immediately.
 
You had me until the last sentence. If you give employees shit for things out of their control, you are an asshole.

I have to agree with @belsaas. The logic @Ice that treating low level employees poorly will get them to quit and cause the park problems is horrible. Regardless of a given situation, you should always treat people respectively. That's the core basis of a civilized society which I guess we are no longer a part of but we can still try.

There's a difference between mistreating employees, being rude, and voicing your displeasure with stupid policies. Like I said, I try to mention the fact that I'm aware they aren't the ones responsible for the policies and I'm not upset with the individual employee. Sure, I'll answer questions on a survey and give feed back there, but if a line checker keeps getting complaints about guests wanting to bring beverages through the line on a hot day, that something they very much can tell their supervisor and easily can affect park policy.

Being honest doesn't make you an asshole.

EDIT:
In case it isn't clear, I am absolutely not advocating for being aggressive towards park employees.
 
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There's a difference between mistreating employees, being rude, and voicing your displeasure with stupid policies. Like I said, I try to mention the fact that I'm aware they aren't the one's responsible for the policies and I'm not upset with the individual employee. Sure, I'll answer questions on a survey and give feed back there, but if a line checker keeps getting complaints about guests wanting to bring beverages through the line on a hot day, that something they very much can tell their supervisor and easily can affect park policy.

Being honest doesn't make you an asshole.

EDIT:
In case it isn't clear, I am absolutely not advocating for being aggressive towards park employees.
In what world does this not qualify as being rude or aggressive?
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Interesting that those claiming to be okay with "giving lip" to the employees would be "Karens in the Wild" if the employee gave them that same lip right back.

I know its great to have disposable income and show up at a place to get service that you feel owed as a paying customer, however these attitudes are what keep the service industry understaffed, overworked, and in a place of mental instability. Its all cyclical, and yes policies with theme parks and other services need MUCH improvement, but the notion that privilege gives one the right to be nasty and demand things that a service industry employee simply cannot provide on their own is obnoxious, and feeds the bullshit that I see spewed by some of us on here. "Lip" is usually unwarranted, and complaints need to go to a manger, not a frontliner. These things drive people to leave, rightfully so, and the problem is thus exacerbated. Losing one staff member has tremendous effects nowadays, and its not people being "too soft or unable to take the heat"- its pure disrespect, which is the norm it seems these days, and that is fucking wrong.

Your park experience hinges a lot on your behavior. It's a circle. We are all a part of closing the loop that is woefully fractured as of late.
 
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Interesting that those claiming to be okay with "giving lip" to the employees would be "Karens in the Wild" if the employee gave them that same lip right back.

Nice straw-man you've built.

I know its great to have disposable income and show up at a place to get service that you feel owed as a paying customer, however these attitudes are what keep the service industry understaffed, overworked, and in a place of mental instability. Its all cyclical, and yes policies with theme parks and other services need MUCH improvement, but the notion that privilege gives one the right to be nasty and demand things that a service industry employee simply cannot provide on their own is obnoxious, and feeds the bullshit that I see spewed by some of us on here. "Lip" is usually unwarranted, and complaints need to go to a manger, not a frontliner. These things drive people to leave, rightfully so, and the problem is thus exacerbated. Losing one staff member has tremendous effects nowadays, and its not people being "too soft or unable to take the heat"- its pure disrespect, which is the norm it seems these days, and that is fucking wrong.

I see where you are coming from here but I feel you're conflating things. Nobody is demanding anything, you're right, that would be bad. Nobody has the right to be nasty. Getting a manager would just waste more of everyone's time and and in my opinion be more of an encumbrance.

On the other hand, I would agree that people in general have been much snappier and ill-mannered in the last few years. Trying to be understanding and kind to people who work in the service industry is something that many people could afford to do more.
Your park experience hinges a lot on your behavior. It's a circle. We are all a part of closing the loop that is woefully fractured as of late.

Absolutely agree with this. If you go in expecting problems, dwell on the problems you run into, or simply lack patience dealing with minor issues, you will 100% have a worse experience. While this is true, it doesn't exclude you from mentioning those issues when they come up and then moving along with your day.

"Well that sucks. I know you're just doing your job and it isn't anything you personally decided but it's kinda ridiculous that we're expected to wait 45 minutes in line on a 90 degree day without being allowed to bring drinks with us"

I'd say that qualifies as giving lip, non-aggressive, and not rude. Employee hears that a few times, they mention it to their sup, who's heard it from other employees, and now it's on the docket as a very unpopular policy that should probably get addressed.
 
I just arrived at the park and judging from the parking lots attendance is significantly lower then I would expect 4 days before the 4th of July. I have heard rumors from long time employees that the numbers have been well bellow predictions lately. What I am seeing today seems to support that. I am also hear that corporate is looking at some of the recent decisions as counter productive and that a rumor has it some of those decisions may be close to being reversed.
 
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Well I used to be in the park a few times a week and havent set foot inside in a month. I know quite a few frieds that used to also go very frequestly and they too havent been.


Now on to the giving front line team members lip. Not saying it happens at BGW because I used to talk to Carl all the time in the park and would regularly see Kevin in the past couple years but many places go with the theory that guests shouldnt give front line workers lip about poor service or operations. But then at the same time they would hide behind those same front line workers to avoid having to deal with the negative feedback themselves directly from guests.
 
I just arrived at the park and judging from the parking lots attendance is significantly lower then I would expect 4 days before the 4th of July. I have heard rumors from long time employees that the numbers have been well bellow predictions lately. What I am seeing today seems to support that. I am also hwar that corporate is looking at some of the recent decisions as counter productive and that a roo
And then you have this past Tuesday where it looked like Howl O Scream at opening.
 
People seem to have taken what I meant to the extreme, when I was in no way saying I'd go out and harass a front line employee. Similarly to @Fur Dozy I'm not advocating it, and I would actively make sure the employee knows I am not attacking them if I were to do it, but complaining about something from a customer perspective to a front line employee can be done in a good manner, and I believe it to be more effective than filling out a complaint card.

Seemed to trip some tempers with that one, when in no part would I advocate suicide-inducing levels of outrage towards a cashier. I thought this to be obvious since that is literally unreasonable. Apologies if it came across that way.
 
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I just arrived at the park and judging from the parking lots attendance is significantly lower then I would expect 4 days before the 4th of July. I have heard rumors from long time employees that the numbers have been well bellow predictions lately. What I am seeing today seems to support that. I am also hwar that corporate is looking at some of the recent decisions as counter productive and that a roo
It was a 10 minute wait to ride Iron Gwazi at 5:30 yesterday, and a 25 minute wait at 2:30 Monday, so it might not just be a BGW issue.
 
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