Holiday
World pushes the envelope of customer service
There’s
no question that parks everywhere do everying
in their power to entice customers - it’s
simply good business. But it takes a special
effort to make those visitors not only feel
like special guests, but appreciated as
well. This balance of bringing in patrons
and making them feel welcome is often interupted
by fees, upcharges, and expensive daily
necessities. Thankfully, this is not the
case at Holiday World and Splashin’
Safari.
Throughout the park’s history, there has
never been a fee to park a vehicle. When Holiday
World introduced Splashin’ Safari to the
park as an integral part of a day’s visit,
the administration avoided the easy profit of
making guest rent tubes, such as their nearby
competitors. Touches such as these are always
appreciated by guests.
This hospitality continued in the year 2000
when general manager Will Koch wanted to do
something special for the guests, to show them
how much the Koch family and the park staff
appreciated them. By using a little creativity,
a little daring, and a whole lot of marketing
sense, the folks at Holiday World introduced
free soft drinks to all guests who entered the
park each day. It was virtually unheard of and
the world took notice.The park wasn’t
in a position to put in a $10 million roller
coaster, but this concept was something they
could deliver to their guests. And they loved
it. Really loved it. And yes, each guest felt
appreciated and enjoyed more of a value to their
family’s visit that day.
When you’ve got a good thing going, it
is easy to stand back and be content. But not
so here. Two years later, Will Koch once again
challenged the Holiday World staff to think
of how else they could increase their customer
service. The waterpark director came up with
the idea of free sunscreen to all park visitors.
To anyone who has ever been in a waterpark on
a summer’s day, the benefits of this are
readily apparent. Convenience, value, comfort,
and safety all add up to one more component
to a wonderful day. The folks at Holiday World
will testify, their customers feel appreciated.
It doesn’t take a lot of creativity to
think up ways to reach into the guests’
wallets, but it takes a strong, concentrated
effort for a park to introduce better value
and customer service. Paired with their commitment
to friendliness and cleanliness, I applaud Will
Koch and his staff at Holiday World for their
inventiveness and creative innovation in the
industry.
With the announcement of the introduction of
free soft drinks, a friend of Koch’s came
up to him at IAAPA and asked him “Are
you crazy?” I don’t think so. It
is refreshing to see a little heart and a little
kindness mix to create a successful synthesis
of smart business and new standards of customer
service in the industry.
Dan
Feicht, recording Cedar Point’s history
for 26 years
As
a high school student one of the first
things I had the opportunity to learn
was photography. A Yashica Mat 124-G camera,
a bulb flash, and a pocket full of film
at Friday night high school football games
in Texas launched a career for me in print
media. During this 25-year plus span,
I’ve had the opportunity to meet
many other fellow journalists, television
anchors, radio personalities and photographers
along the sidelines and at other events.
While covering an assigned event, it’s
common to visit with your fellow photojournalists.
Discussions always range from the event
itself, to how did you start in the business,
to what type of camera and film do you
prefer. I guess I didn’t think about
it at the time, but one of the things
I should have considered was that with
every photo that is taken, you are also
recording history for future generations
to enjoy.
My career was launched because of a football
game. Dan Feicht’s career was launched
because he threw a dart.
Dan
Feicht
During one of his many trips to Cedar Point in
1966, Dan decided try his luck when he stopped
at the “throw the dart at the balloons”
game. Luck and skill were on his side that day
as he won the game. The prize was a camera and
it would be his first, one that he could call
his own. Dan took the camera, loaded it with film,
and soon was photographing his first roller coaster,
the Blue Streak, his personal favorite.
A career was being launched before the very eye
of the camera lens.
At the young age of 15, Dan Feicht landed a job
as the sports photographer for the Bowling Green
Sentinel Tribune. Hard work and dedication would
help him to receive his bachelor’s of science
degree in journalism, majoring in photojournalism,
from Bowling Green State University. He would
also work for the Sandusky Register as a staff
photographer.
Then came the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance
to be the park photographer for Cedar Point.
It’s been 26 years and Dan is still at the
Point, cameras in tow, where he now serves as
the parks media services manager, responsible
for generating images for all of Cedar Fair’s
parks on film and video.
Dan has been awarded four Telly Awards, which
honor non-network television commercials and programs
and non-broadcast video and film production, for
four different videos he has produced for Cedar
Point.
While it would be impossible to calculate the
number of photos Dan has taken of the parks through
the years, one thing is certain, thanks to Dan,
Cedar Point’s history for the last 26 years
have been well documented and preserved as seen
through Dan’s eyes and his cameras. Smile
Dan, it’s photo time!
Amusement
industry’s oldest supplier, Philadelphia
Toboggan Coasters, celebrates 100 years
When
a company celebrates its 100th anniversary
in the United States, its a big deal.
When a company in the amusement industry
celebrates its 100th anniversary I see
it as an even bigger deal.
Founded by Henry B. Auchey and Chester
B. Albright in 1904, the Philadelphia
Toboggan Company was formed to manufacturer
amusement rides and devices. Although
PTC’s focus was and always has been
on roller coasters and their trains, the
company produced many other rides through
the years.
Fun
house attractions, play sets, sports car
rides and other rides called the Cuddle-Up
and Crazy Daisy were all part of the PTC
catalog. The company was not without water
rides as it produced countless Old Mills,
Mill Chutes and Shoot the Chutes rides.
Thanks to an outstanding team of master woodcarvers,
PTC would become world-famous for their hand-carved
wooden horse carousels. The company produced
75 of these magnificent machines before hand-carving
stopped in 1925.
PTC would become most noted for its wooden roller
coasters and production of coaster trains, or
rolling stock. The very best in coaster designers
and builders would team up with PTC to produce
150 wooden coasters with the last coaster, The
Screamin’ Eagle being built for Six Flags
St. Louis in 1975. The who’s who in designer
names for PTC included John Miller, Joe McKee,
Frank Hoover, Shirley Watkins, Herb Schmeck
and John Allen, to name just a few. One classic
example of PTC’s coaster work is the 1964-built
Blue Streak at Cedar Point.
Although not building wooden coasters today,
PTC remains busy building the coaster trains
found on approximately 80 percent of all operating
wooden coasters. With more than 1,400 total
coaster cars in operation worldwide, PTC is
the industry’s leading supplier for wooden
coaster trains.
Today, the company is guided by it’s co-owner
and president, Tom Rebbie. When the company
was purchased in 1991 from former owner and
president Sam High, it became Philadelphia Toboggan
Coasters, Inc. It was Sam High who hired a young
Tom Rebbie in 1977, teaching him all about the
PTC product. Tom is now the senior employee
on the staff.
The company operates out of a 46,000 square-foot
manufacturing facility in Hatfield, Pa. PTC
employs 11 dedicated workers who create the
coaster trains that are enjoyed by millions
of riders each year who ride wooden roller coasters.
At 100 years, PTC is the oldest exhibiting company
each year at the annual International Association
of Amusement Parks and Attractions trade show.
That said, Amusement Today congratulates
PTC on its 100th anniversary!
