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Jobs At Chessington


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Throughputs guys, throughputs.I honestly don't care if you don't achknowledge me or smile if you've made my queue go mad quick.Course you can be nice, and have convos and stuff, but in all honesty they're for the rides which dont have the massive queues and dont have the capacity to deal with it. Vamps, fury and tomb should be throughput mad due to queues and the capacity they have on them, so people can actually get on the rides they want to in the first place, and leave it for the rest of the park and attractions to make sure they have a super duper day.

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Enthusiasts are not the target audience of any park. People are not there for the rides, they are there to have a good time. Rides are a small part of that.Being friendly fixes a lot of issues people have in all kinds of environments, from theme parks to the NHS. If you've been waiting a long time for anything and you have a friendly, chatty apologetic face to greet you, most people will be put in a better mood by that and forget the ordeal. I had to have blood test this morning. I was waiting an hour and a half, but the nurse was lovely.... And by the time I'd left, I'd forgotten about the awful wait.You cannot avoid long queues on busy days, so compensations have to be made.Working efficiently to decrease queues is a given... But you can easily do both and one does not inhibit the other, at all. Don't let individuals who make a bad name for guest interaction make you so anti-interaction full stop. We can have it both ways.

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People are not there for the rides, they are there to have a good time.Working efficiently to decrease queues is a given... But you can easily do both and one does not inhibit the other, at all.

The majority of having a good time is involving riding specific rides - afterall, thats why they're there. Don't tell me people go to Alton Towers just for a good time, and not because they want to get on Air, Nemesis and Oblivion in their 5hrs there :D.Working efficiently is what it all bubbles down to, but essentially what we're on about here is that Chessington doesn't do that. It's been years since I've seen efficient loading methods and decent throughputs at that park. Irritates me because I know how fast these queues could go if the staff were actually decent at both.
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Enthusiasts are not the target audience of any park. People are not there for the rides, they are there to have a good time. Rides are a small part of that.Being friendly fixes a lot of issues people have in all kinds of environments, from theme parks to the NHS. If you've been waiting a long time for anything and you have a friendly, chatty apologetic face to greet you, most people will be put in a better mood by that and forget the ordeal. I had to have blood test this morning. I was waiting an hour and a half, but the nurse was lovely.... And by the time I'd left, I'd forgotten about the awful wait.You cannot avoid long queues on busy days, so compensations have to be made.Working efficiently to decrease queues is a given... But you can easily do both and one does not inhibit the other, at all.Don't let individuals who make a bad name for guest interaction make you so anti-interaction full stop. We can have it both ways.

I hear what you're saying HAJIME and to a point I do agree that a bit of interaction can go a long way. One of the problems with using rides like Fury is when all seven staff members decide to just have fun. I remember one time seeing doughnuts being crossed over the platform. As you said, you can have a discussion with someone on batch or at the front gate or say a short hello to someone at on-load. But when dispatch and off-load decide to go down the interaction point, I actually think the safety aspect is far more vital then telling guests to flap their wings. Dispatch shouldn't be doing that and neither should what was called off-load when I worked there.Absolutely agree with Peter actually. Rides like Runaway Train, Rameses and Black Bucaneer are fine for interacting. Fury, Vampire and Rattlesnake. To a minimum please. :D
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I hear what you're saying too. I can't say I've ever seen this kind of behaviour... I have witnessed people harassing guests who clearly do not want to interact, but it's rare. I think most people just stand there.Like I said, I think it's about having some common sense and just doing the job appropriately. Unfortunately most people don't have that.I'd say the best thing anyone can do to change the way any organisation is run is to complain.

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I have recently left the park however worked there for three years consecutively, along with winter Engineering work. Read this is you want a fair and unbiased view of it. If you want a good start within the company, then any RTP is a good place to start. I bang on about this but if you want to go far and you have that business acumen to want to succeed - then you will.The company has some fantastic courses and training schemes that get you either as a manager, supervisor, senior leader, attraction manager to get the most out of your job. However, you need to start at the bottom if you have no experience - but it's so worth it. I enjoyed my time at Chessington however with how far I had gone, it was time to pack up and move about.For those of you that know me, are aware I've recently moved to another theme park in the group in a role I am absolutely loving. The people are fantastic, and the company is putting a lot of effort into it's staff, as they know that is where performance of the park grows, and will all in all help us to succeed. Yes, it's a minimum wage job at the bottom, but if you want to step up that is what you need to take.However. Find me a job that pays more than £6.50 for the same duties as a Ride Operator in a family theme park. But the money is not what I do it for. The people you do meet and will work with if you are successful in this company will create the best friends and coworkers you'll ever meet. Yes - it's hard to say you enjoy your job when you're dealing with 30 angry guests but there is a lot of pride in knowing that in your regular duties that you stand and talk to people at the top of a 125ft rollercoaster, that you work in such a unique environment where everyone is encouraged to have fun.The views in this thread are skewed, along with the TP Jobs thread. If you want to do it, have a passion; then do not get put off by those around you moaning and say it's 'not a real job' or 'not worth the money'. I've never seen the attraction in working for a supermarket, or in a shop. How boring is that? Just a few thoughts.Joey - you were there for a month. If that. I am unsure how you can tell others how you 'just love interacting' and spout about a minimum wage job.Benin - you didn't get invited back and you are desperately sour about two girls (whom I do know very well and were the best people in my team for interaction, operation and motivation). Be very careful about what you write here.Mark and Peter are clearly the only ones here with any decent experience in the role. The moral of this is that yes it sounds brilliant on paper but if you don't want to do it, or deem it as boring, then don't. But if you have a passion for being successful, for working in a unique environment, then do this

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Ahh yeah, I completely agree that if you want to do it, do it. It's great fun, and very, very, difficult to get out of because its just so fun.But if you're into theme parks, or having fun, or enjoying guests and working outside then yes. This is definitely for you (parkwise is your choice!).

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The moral of this is that yes it sounds brilliant on paper but if you don't want to do it, or deem it as boring, then don't. But if you have a passion for being successful, for working in a unique environment, then do this

Best post you have ever made Kevin. Thats the truth for working at any theme park. Whilst a majority will work there for money, enthusiasts (or fanboys if you will), do get an extra kick out of doing something they are interested in. Whether it be making someones day or getting a round of applause from a whole train at Runaway, there is something about working there that you can't do anywhere else.And it gives you so much confidence for the future too. Sure, I can open an oven and put bread in it but I used to operate three rollercoasters and eight other rides. You have no idea the kind of conversations you can have with others just by working one or two (or in my case, five) seasons at Chessington.
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Benin - you didn't get invited back and you are desperately sour about two girls (whom I do know very well and were the best people in my team for interaction, operation and motivation). Be very careful about what you write here.

Think you're the one who should be careful what you say, because I left for educational prospects mis-season, so was never going to return... So I'd stop listening to certain people have to say about me, because otherwise you make yourself look stupid because you don't know what you're talking about...Either way, in my opinion, they were over the top with their interaction, and ended up not dispatching a car attempting to force me to interact when I didn't want to... Harrassing guests is wrong especially at the impact of reducing throughput... That isn't the route the park should be taking...
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Joey - you were there for a month. If that. I am unsure how you can tell others how you 'just love interacting' and spout about a minimum wage job.

I loved most of your post, but I don't really know what this is about? ...I don't even know who you are, but your attitude makes me uneasy. I don't think being spiteful or bringing personal issues into it like you did with Benin was really necessary.Granted I wasn't there long (3 months, though... not 1). I was invited back and I turned it down to concentrate on my final year at uni and do work experience higher up in Merlin. I'm applying back for part time this season to compliment working freelance. Finding work in the niche field of themed entertainment design isn't easy, and I'm proud of the experience I do have. Working at a park is a great way to be immersed in the industry. There are, as you say, better paying jobs out there... But it pays to be doing something you enjoy that will hopefully take you somewhere.
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So what rides are part of which teams (I.e. Crusoe, Dora, Indie etc)?

I'm happy to post that - it's only who runs what ride.CrusoeVampireBubbleworksSeastormBlack BuccaneerHocus Pocus HallChessington CarouselDoraTiny TruckersSea DragonsCanopy CapersDragons' PlayhouseGriffins' GalleonDragons' FuryRameses RevengeTomb BlasterIndianaToadies Crazy CarsBouncing BerriesSafari SkywayThe RattlesnakeRunaway TrainFlying Jumbos

FrodoDragon FallsKOBRAPeeking HeightsMonkey SwingerTuk Tuk TurmoilTemple of Mayhem

I'd like to take this post to remind you that if you are, or have been successful in gaining a position within the Merlin Entertainments group, that you are bound by a media contract. This does include refraining posting or discussing events that have occurred, will occur in a MEG park or resort; or the posting of any information that could be deemed as confidential or private to the company.

Congratulations on your new position, however please be very careful with what you're saying on this forum and Facebook.

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Ive been rejected...again. Ive spent 12 hours worth of interviews at chessington and they still wont hire me. Words cannot decribe the sheer anger I am feeling right now. I know people at my school that have been hired by chessington that I KNOW I am better than in terms of customer interaction, hard working-ness and endurance. It staggers me that I still haven't been able to get across to chessington how well I would be working for them and how much not only I, but they would have benefitted with me working for themI was not doing it for the money. I was not doing it so I had "Something to do on the weekend". I was doing it because I loved to do it, and I knew I could do it well, and yet their human rescources departement has once again failed to see this, hired everyone else I know around me, and left me feeling completely and ubearably useless. 12 hours of assesment I have put up with, just to work in an enviroment that I know I will do well in and enjoy. I am so sick of this charade.

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Sorry Treeis. :(When I was first looking for a job back when I was like 17, no where was interested because I had no experience and I wasn't much good at interviews. When I finally got a job at a cinema, the manager expressed when I was leaving how they felt they had got really lucky with me by taking a chance with a n00b and was sad I was leaving.I recommend applying for cinemas, it's pretty good fun.Eugh. It's sad though that you really cared.

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Eurgh, I've emailed them asking for advice and to keep my name and details incase any positions in the future come up. I'll do the same by phone tomorrow.And now I'm going to apply for "entertainments host" and add 3 more hours onto my assessment counter. Does anyone know specifically what entertainments hosts do?

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Ive been rejected...again.Ive spent 12 hours worth of interviews at chessington and they still wont hire me. Words cannot decribe the sheer anger I am feeling right now.I know people at my school that have been hired by chessington that I KNOW I am better than in terms of customer interaction, hard working-ness and endurance. It staggers me that I still haven't been able to get across to chessington how well I would be working for them and how much not only I, but they would have benefitted with me working for themI was not doing it for the money. I was not doing it so I had "Something to do on the weekend". I was doing it because I loved to do it, and I knew I could do it well, and yet their human rescources departement has once again failed to see this, hired everyone else I know around me, and left me feeling completely and ubearably useless.12 hours of assesment I have put up with, just to work in an enviroment that I know I will do well in and enjoy. I am so sick of this charade.

Take it from me, ive worked for every Merlin Park in the South, including Back Office Business Support ;)Your obviously doing something wrong in your assesment centres, 9 times out of 10 its the group work or the general interaction with people you dont know. It's amazing that Chessington have given you 12 hours worth of chances. My advice to you is to give Human Resources a call, not an email, will take far too long to get a response. Give them a call and ask them if they can provide you feedback on your Assesment. They will or should be happy to provide this for you, they have done with me before.I wouldnt go applying for other positions now, take very careful note of this from me, of all people. Dont apply over and over again for different positions, you'll eventually just have your name pretty much blacklisted. Every HR Department in every South Park knows my name now and if I were to apply again, I'd get an instant rejection. Honestly, dont go down that route. Especially if you *actually* want to work for the company, you'll only just end up f*ckng things up.Call them, get the feedback, re-apply at Halloween, get the job, get invited back, 2013 you could be there all season :)
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