Coaster Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Urgh, just when I thought Merlin couldn't sink any lower... Seriously though, what an awful idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Urgh, just when I thought Merlin couldn't sink any lower... Seriously though, what an awful idea. Well how else are they going to get the crowds back? Anyone could settle for permanent Fastrack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 I've no problem with lifetime Fastrack so long as it's incredibly limited and not for sale (which, by the "money can't buy" thing, I think this is). It's not that surprising that they're trying to make them a thing though. Well how else are they going to get the crowds back?By just being a decent park? Kerfuffle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachoMachine Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Note the 'money can't buy' part, you cannot purchase this (yet!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Surprised this is slipping past but anyway,Phalanax Archive on twitter are doing a lot of tweets relating to SW8Groundworks/200mFV17. Also says their archive has been compromised, so maybe an SW8 announcement is about to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 I think Towers (and Phalanx Control) have defined it as an 'intruder'... So perhaps it is a hoax... Perhaps not... You can never tell easily these days to be fair... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Another Twitter account, @Phalanxed , has been created. Hard to see ask three of them being real, but all three are currently active today.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Well how else are they going to get the crowds back? Anyone could settle for permanent Fastrack!There are lots of ways to get the crowds back, running the park competently comes to mind.I know that AT isn't as bad as some parks but the point I'm getting at is, if they have to rely on lifetime Fastrack to get people in then they have a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Just seen on BBC they might be cutting 190 jobs after "a very difficult year". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Alton Towers is set to axe 190 jobs by March next year. Resort faced massive losses after customers stayed away in wake of horrific incident Alton Towers is to axe 190 jobs in the wake of the disastrous Smiler crash. In an announcement the Staffordshire theme park said it was undergoing a ‘restructure’ and described it as a ‘difficult’ decision. Earlier this year the Birmingham Mail revealed the resort was set to lose £47 million in the wake of the devastating accident. The Staffordshire theme park said that revenue had plunged from £87 million last year, to around £40 million. Five people were left seriously injured and trapped 25ft in the air when the crash happened on June 2. Leah Washington, 18, and Vicky Balch , 20, were both forced to undergo leg amputationsfollowing the crash. Joe Pugh, 18, and 28-year-old Daniel Thorpe also suffered serious leg injuries. The jobs are set to go by March next year, the company said, and said it followed a detailed review of all its operations. A spokesman said: “Alton Towers Resort is operating in the very dynamic and competitive leisure industry which is seeing increasingly rapid change, primarily fuelled by new technologies and ever higher visitor expectations. The business therefore needs a modern, flexible structure which reflects this requirement for a reactive and customer focused approach. “The review also looked at the impact on the business of the devastating incident on ‘The Smiler’ ride in June, which resulted in reduced visitation, particularly over the key summer months. “Regretfully however, it may result in the loss of up to 190 salaried jobs across the Resort. We anticipate some of these will be accounted for by a programme of non-replacement of existing vacancies, early retirement, redeployment elsewhere in the group, and voluntary redundancy. As soon as employee representatives have been appointed a consultation period will begin.” Alton Towers was closed for five days in the aftermath and lawyers hav e said the four serious injured victims could receive millions of pounds in compensation. The spokesman added: “We appreciate the contribution our employees have made to the business and just how distressing this will be for everyone. Alton Towers will work closely with all those affected in order to support them through the consultation process and any subsequent requirement for alternative employment and job search activities. "This includes an extension of its Employee Assistance Programme which will offer immediate phone support to all employees as well as follow-up practical aid and counselling. “This was an incredibly difficult decision to make and it has not been taken lightly or easily. However, we believe that this reorganisation now, together with a continuous programme of capital investment, will not only ensure the Resort’s long term growth, which is so vital to the local economy, but also protect the jobs of the bulk of its employees for the future.” http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/alton-towers-axe-190-jobs-10417248 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Ouch! that's herfty. Feel sorry for the 190 that lose their jobs. Some people aren't going to have a good Christmas this year. Wonder whether it will effect seasonal or permanent jobs or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planenut Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 In this environment, I believe that it is more a case of them not taking on next season. Merlin are in a different position financially, and doesn't look too promising for those hoping for a half term opening. pognoi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanTheGerman Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Ouch... I wonder if we'll see a pay cut to all the money obsessed Merlin directors' pay...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-S Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 More chance of you being struck by lightning while sat on the bog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Where can Towers lose that many staff from without it seriously damaging their ability to deliver a day out? As has been said, surely this will really be the 'equivalent' of that many jobs, with the less hours people will be contracted to work next year. Are there even 190 permanent staff at the resort?! If there are that many people who are expendable to the running of the place then what the hell have they been doing previously?! While what has happened this year is pretty much unprecedented both in Merlin and in the industry as a whole, so there is no real comparison to make against previous reactions and recoveries, I can't help feel that they have started to get their response wrong now. Yes, a bad year, yes it's a hell of a financial hit, but surely the way of recovery lies in spending their way out, in presenting the park in the best way possible and delivering a truly great experience, rather than making big sweeping cuts? Surely this will just give people further reason not to visit, quite the opposite of encouraging them back? Although it's something called for from enthusiasts pretty much continuously, now must be the time to hit the park hard with presentation enhancements; people will be looking for things that are run down and give the appearance of being unloved as an indication on the maintenance, and therefore safely, not being right. People must look at things like bits hanging off the Nemesis station and think 'if that's the bits they are happy for us to see, how bad are the backstage areas' in the same way you do at the toilets in a restaurant. Will be interesting to see what sort of park we get up there when the gates open at the start of next season. If they are going to turn this around then it better be good... MattyMoo, HermanTheGerman, stretchy and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Surely it means the 0 hour contracts just get less, and the other 'restructures' will be used to weed out people who have fallen unpopular with new managers (like Chessington have before)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretchy Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 I think they thought that they were spending thier way out of it with scarefest and fireworks and, from a purely numbers basis, they haven't returned back so in the eyes of an accountant that method didn't work. It is a shame as I am sure they will have good numbers next year for scarefest just because they have good word of mouth. So where will the cuts come? Well it will be mostly "food and bev" and non ride based staff that will be missing I would think. BUT I think that this is more to please the shareholders than a figure of that many actual staffing levels. I think it works like this: Air shop had 10 staff, there will be no air shop next year so yearly staff numbers -20 Air will need less people to opperate next year (guess) so yearly staff numbers -10 Ride XXX is not going to be opening next year so that ride uses 40 staff over the year, so staff numbers -40 At the start of the season you only need to run these rides on half load, so that is staff numbers -50 and so on. (by the way I am not speculating which ride it will be that iwll be closing, I am just using the above as an example of how they do these.) The one place that I can see them reducing numbers though is things like car parking staff etc. I would also put money on it that mid next year there will be an anouncement around May time saying that they are making X number of new jobs available for the summer period. I also think that they will announce a new SW some time next year and that will have a thing saying 'and we will employ 40 new people'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-S Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 I would think most of the staff to go would be in the hotels and as you say food and bev, perhaps you won't be able to go into your room until 5pm instead of 3pm, since they'll cut the cleaning staff in half etc. etc. and dare I say it, less people selling fastrack, and less of those 'entertainment police' people they had riding round on that motorised bike that tormented people for not smiling. They wouldn't get away with cutting 'ride' staff, could you imagine the Mail headlines, "Horror ride Smiller re-opens with even less operators months after 'human error' caused horrific crash that left two girls leg-less and three hundred others traumatised" blah blah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 It's saddening to hear that they are seemingly making cuts to the core company, I seem to remember another park doing that no so long ago and it has been left in a bad state operationally since!Really hope the same doesn't happen for AT, and I think it is a shame that so many dedicated workers are losing their jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 No; salaried employees are permanent people with annual salaries they aren't paid by the hour.... Also, they no longer do 0 hour contracts. Alton Towers no longer do 0 hour contracts?? If that's true, why the hell aren't other parks following? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project LC Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 Because 0 hour contracts are useful to employers and are quite often favoured by the people on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 However if Alton are doing it, I don't understand why the southern parks aren't. I've had to deal with MANY complaints about 0 hour contracts, it's only favored by people who live at home with their parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project LC Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 Yeah the sort of people Thorpe, legoland and Cwoa employ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 Because 0 hour contracts are useful to employers and are quite often favoured by the people on them. A little off topic maybe, but zero hour contracts suck for pretty much every employee. Nearly no one would not rather have at least a short (say 16 hour) contract with the opportunity of plenty of other hours on top, rather than a contract that guarantees nothing. 'Oh, but some weeks they might not want to work' you might say. Well try telling your boss you don't fancy any of the hours offered for a couple of weeks and see how long you have any offer of more work for. And that's why a proper contract comes with leave. Zero hours are stacked in the employers favour in pretty much every respect. Anyway. Maybe a restructure is what the place needs but not a retreat from offering a decent service, something which they arguably struggled to do already. Will be interesting to see how this ends up looking from a visitor perspective. Ian-S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 Thinking about it more, I think that this is a completely unnecessary decision. Alton Towers lost customers this year, but Merlin as a company is still making a huge profit. I think that to recover the park, they should write off the next few years as massive money makers and instead focus on good customer experience, which will in turn get the guests back through the gates! The huge number of jobs lost is likely to have a huge negative impact on the park, which is only going to drag it down even further IMO. In the long term they need to be thinking about the survival and reputation of the park rather than how they can keep their profit as high as possible in the short term. JoshuaA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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