Secondary Research
Customers often require information about prices, opening times, locations of different facilities. These can be answered verbally or by putting up signs. At Alton Towers they use three types of advertising. These are; verbal or word of mouth. At Alton Towers they use Visual advertising, like posters, leaflets or advertisements and electronically like websites.
Word of Mouth is a good method of advertisement for Alton Towers. It is a very successful way of promoting customer service and supplying new customers with information. What is meant by this is that if a customer visits Alton Towers and they are happy with the experience at Alton Towers and the level of customer service they received they are more likely to revisit the park. As well as increasing the chance of revisiting the park they are also more likely to tell people about there positive experience and about where rides are, which rides to go on, and where to eat. This is advertising the park and is away of passing on customer knowledge between customers. A problem of this is that if customers have a negative experience of Alton Towers they will then tell people not to visit the park. Staff at Alton Towers are also regularly trained this is to give them up-to-date product information about the happenings of the park. This is good because they can then inform and answer any question customers have. I believe that this is a very important skill and good method of passing on information. If the staff didn’t have up to date product knowledge they wouldn’t be regarded of having good customer service.
Another method they use at Alton Towers to display product knowledge is by using their own website. This is a good method to use as the websites content and information can be updated appropriately and changed to display any changes within the park. The sort of information displayed on the website is pricing and park information. This is easy to find and very clear. It shows the different packages available to customers and the types of group tickets that they can buy.
From the screen shot above we can see that the information on the website relating to tickets and prices is clear and bold. This makes it easy to use and easy to read. As well as this it also means that staff can update the prices for the different seasons and peak prices.
The website also contains product knowledge like park maps, ride information and rules like height restrictions. This is very helpful as it allows people to plan their visit before actually visiting the park. It also allows them to see what rides they want to go on and what rides they are actually allowed on.
As well as the website they all so have a ‘Contact Us’ section on the website. This is another good customer service and a good way of providing customers with up to date relevant product information. This area is very good as it allows customers to get in direct contact with people at the park. From the screen shot below it is clear to see that Alton Towers provide several methods of communication. They provide several numbers and email addresses that allow people to get in contact with people.
At Alton Towers the staff have to use product knowledge to do there jobs successfully and to give a high level of customer service. At Alton Towers different staff has to know different types of Product knowledge. At Alton Towers different Staff have to know different types of Product Knowledge, examples to the types of product knowledge needed to be known by staff can be found below.
When the customers are at Alton towers, most of the visitors are going to want directions to rides or ask the staff questions about the theme park. They will want to know useful information that helps them enjoy there visit to Alton Towers. To help me understand the roles and the importance of good product knowledge I am going to ask members of the Alton Towers staff a range of questions.
I gave a questionnaire to ten Alton Towers staff. The purpose of this was to allow me the analysis the effectiveness of Alton Towers’s product knowledge.
Alton Towers Questionnaire
As part of our Unit 2 coursework we had to create some primary research. I decided to create a questionnaire for the staff. From my findings I will be able to analysis the customer service at Alton Towers.
- What is your job role at Alton Towers?
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- What are height restrictions on Air and Nemesis?
- Answer: the height restriction is 4 ft 6 in (140 cm)
- Where is the only first aid station around the park?
- Answer: Between Merrie England and Towers Street
- When does the theme park open and close?
- The park opens at 9am for ERT users (Extra Ride Time). This is where Annual Pass Holders and Hotel Guests can enter the park at 9am for excusive ride time on selected attractions.
- The park opens at 9.30and and close between 4-7pm depending on the time of year
- When do all of the rides open?
- Answer: rides open at 10.00am
- When is Alton Tower’s main season?
- Answer: 28th March - 1st November
- Where are the nearest toilets to your entrance?
- Answer: There are Toilets located immediately on the right of the Entrance, there are then more toilets located at the bottom of Towers Street next to Sky Ride.
- What is the gate entry fee for the theme park for an Adult?
- How much is a photo from a ride?
- Answer: The price is between £6.00 and £6.50
- What are the nearest food outlets to Oblivion?
- Answer: there is a Pizza hut and a KFC located near the exit of oblivion
These questions where given to 10 different members of staff at Alton towers, their answers are going to be used in my analysis, to see how good their product knowledge is at Alton towers. I have put the results of these questions into graphs to show how many members of the staff got the answer correct or incorrect.
This graph shows that the majority of the workers answered this question correctly; this could be because of the well known safety regulations and because the height restrictions are clearly shown on each ride. This is vital product knowledge because it is critical to customer safety. From my graph it is clear to see that the majority of the staff knows the height restriction for Air and Nemesis. This is good product knowledge because the majority of staff would be able to tell customers the correct answer.
This graph shows that all of the answers were correct. This would normally be expected, because all of the staff should either know about first aid or they should no where to go for help. This product knowledge is one of the most important; otherwise the theme park would not meet the health and safety regulations. This is good as every member of staff I asked was able to give me correct product knowledge. From my research it is clear to see that all members of the Alton Towers staff has received enough training to know how to help customers that have been hurt or injured during their visit to Alton Towers.
This question showed that some of the workers where not too sure of the opening and closing times this could be because of the employees working hours may vary. This product information should normally be fairly clear. I believe that a few staff members got this wrong as the park opening and closing time varies all year round. This is bad product knowledge as it could ruin a family’s visit if they have been told that the park closes at 6 when it actually closes at 4. This could lead to the family not getting a chance to do what they want and could lead to a complaint.
This question shows that all of the workers know when all of the rides open; this is because all rides open at the same time all year round. As all the staff know the answer to this, this is excellent product knowledge.
This question shows that the workers do not have very good product knowledge about when Alton towers main tourist season is. This could also cause a problem with customer satisfaction because customers could be provided with incorrect information.
This question was nearly answered correctly by all of the workers; this is partly because the toilets are well sign posted around the theme park and the toilets can be seen from the entrance of the park. From my graph it is clear to see that the staff have good customer knowledge about the location of toilets. This is good as this one of the most likely asked questions during people’s visits to Alton Towers.
This question does not show good product knowledge because they may be asked by a customer outside the entrance and the customer would be misinformed and this could lead to poor customer satisfaction, or even a complaint. This is bad because if a person has bought a ticket online and then once inside the park they ask a member of staff and they get it wrong the customer might inform their friends and relatives of the wrong price. This could lead to multiple complaints. I believe that a few members of staff got this wrong as the prices for the park are changing all year round.
This graph shows that the majority of staff at Alton Towers knew how much a ride photo was, this is good product knowledge. The only problem is that if a member of staff tells a customer it’s the wrong price and then when the customer doesn’t have enough to buy it, it could lead to a complaint.
This question shows that the workers have very good product knowledge for certain customer types because all of them answered the question correctly. This graph shows that 90% of staff knew what food outlets that were near oblivion this is good product knowledge.
From all of the graphs you can see that the majority of the answers where correct. This shows that the majority of the Alton Towers staff has good product knowledge. This is important because it will minimise complaints and to maintain high customer satisfaction levels. From the graphs you can see that some of the questions have several incorrect answers. This could cause a problem for customers because they may not know what the entry fee is. Alton towers could improve this by providing further product knowledge, training for their employees or refresher training where it is needed. They could also put more signs up at the car park entrance to ensure the customers know what the prices are; to reduce the amount of complaints. A possible way to minimise staffs problems would be to create a staff newsletter which informed the staff on a regular basis the important information they need to know the deliver good product knowledge.
Interview
Whilst eating lunch at Alton Towers in the Courtyard BBQ located next to Battle Galleons I noticed a few of the Alton Towers Staff on Lunch. I decided to see if one of them was available for a small interview to help me improve my product knowledge of the park.
I man called Steve Clark said he was able to answer a few of my questions whilst he was on his lunch break. Steve told me that he had been working at Alton Towers for five years and that he was currently a Senior Ride Operator. He explained to me that as a Senior Ride Operator he was in charge of all the staff that worked on the Nemesis Ride in the Forbidden Valley. He explained to me that he was in charge of five other people that worked on Nemesis and as the Senior Ride Operator he has to know all the Healthy and Safety features of the Ride, any rules and regulations and the maintenance schedules of the ride.
I then asked if that as a Senior Ride Operator, where there any legal requirements that he must know about, he was able to explain all of the legal requirements that affected himself, his team and the customers.
The legal requirements that he needs to know are;
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 – This is the main act that protects all staff and workers. Its purpose is to protect staff with dealing with health, safety and welfare of employees and members of the public who are affected by work activities.
He also said that at Alton Towers they do regular Risk Assessments and are undertaken by all departmental Managers. He said that as he is Senior Ride Operator he must participate in all risk assessment.
He said that the main Regulation is the HSG 174 regulation. This is the main Fairgrounds and Amusement Parks main guidance on Safe Practice. The regulation helps develop good practice concerned with the overall safety management of attractions with information on risk assessment, management of safety and annual ride inspection.
He said that all staff dealing with ride operations has to undertake in strict ride training, he said that all rides on park conform to strict documented procedures and manufacturers guidance. He said that all rides/attractions team have a considerable amount of experience in operating rides and attractions which ensures safe operating standards. All ride operators are over 18 and undergo an annual company medical. Ride assistants whose primary role is to assist guest’s embarking/disembarking from the rides are over 16 years of age and also have to undertake similar training to the ride operators.
He then told me that he has previously worked in the food outlets at Alton Towers. He said that Food outlets operated by Alton Towers are operated with strict hygiene standards by trained employees to make sure all Food Outlets comply with the Food Safety Act 1990 and are regularly inspected by the local Environmental Health Department.
He also told me that all staff at Alton Towers regularly undertake in First Aid Training. He told me that Alton Towers has a First Aid Centre located near to the entrance plaza which is operated by a first-aid team; many of them have been trained as first responders by the Staffordshire Ambulance Service. We also have a fully equipped terrestrial ambulance for use on and off-site by our first-responder team.
All staff at Alton Towers is trained First aiders and are trained to deal with all minor injuries on site and also any major injuries that may occur until the emergency services arrive. He told me that this is necessary as the nearest Hospital with Accident and Emergency facilities is approx. 20 miles from the Park.
From my interview with Steve Clarke it is clear to see that Alton Towers is run using legislation and regulations that make sure that the park is run to the highest standard. Without the rules the park could have serious problems or accidents. If these rules weren’t in place the park wouldn’t be able to run properly. From my interview it is clear to see that all staff has to undertake necessary training to help them prevent accidents. Steve told me that training for each ride has a mandatory two day shadow period where a new staff member observes an existing staff operator for the ride. This is a good idea as it allows the new staff member to get hands on experience without actually having to dive right in.
I then asked him to explain to me the types of customer service and customer service rules and principles he has to follow. Steve told me that all staff undertakes several training programs to make sure that their customer service is satisfactory.
Steve explained to me that all new staff are taught that good customer service is a key part of the job. He explained to me that Good quality customer service means that:
- Sales, visitor numbers and profit rises
- Image and reputation improves
- Satisfied customer return, providing repeat business
- Customers are less likely to choose competitors, so market share is protected
- Customers are more likely to recommend the organization to other people, so market share is protected
Good customer service is more likely to cause the customers to re use the company again, and to pass on a good reputation and experiences to other people. He explained to me that Alton Towers has a set dress code; this is because it makes the Alton Towers Staff stand out and make them recognisable to customers. He said that all new staff face motivation and management training this is to help them be positive and welcoming to the costumers.
Steve told me that working at Alton Towers requires a lot of knowledge and experience and that to be successful working within the park each staff member must be able to meet customer needs. Steve told me that each member of staff has to know a wide range of product information to work at Alton Towers. To Meet Customer Needs staff need to be able to;
- Providing key information
- Making sure all signs and posters are relevant and up-to-date
- All there knowledge is up-to-date
- They know where all services are and where they are being hosted.
- Person – to – person interaction
- Staff know the event schedules
- Any relevant health and safety procedures
From what Steve has told me it is clear to see that Customer Service and Rules and regulations make up the running of Alton Towers. From my research it is clear to see that all staff must have relevant and up-to-date product knowledge of everything happening at Alton Towers. This is because if they provide a high level of customer service they improve the chance of repeat business.
Another Customer Service technique that I participated in at Alton Towers was School talks. Whilst I was at Alton Towers I visited an educational talk provided by a member of the Alton Towers team about the park as a whole. The talk was very helpful and covered a wide range of topics the topics where;
Marketing
This included a brief history of the Park, followed by a description of how the various owners of the park have invested in it over the past 20-25 years. We then discuss advertising and promotion, the objectives of the Marketing dept, the 4 P's and business characteristics. This showed that Alton Towers was still a business that tried to maximize its profit as well as being a theme park.
Customer Services
This talk discussed the importance of excellent customer service - both to external and internal customers. We talk about the tangible and intangible aspects of the product, the type of feedback Alton Towers gets. This showed that Alton Towers tries to have excellent customer service this is to try and maximize its repeat business.
Human Resources
This talk also mentioned planning, recruitment and selection of fixed-term and permanent staff, as well as current legislation relating to Human Resources. We discuss performance management, training and development and describe staff benefits. This showed us that Alton Towers is always trying to improve and expand in a way that helps the business grow.
Health and Safety
This talk discusses Alton Towers Health & Safety Policy and Regulations.
From the educational talk I have found that the product knowledge delivered was accurate and up to date. This is important because it will minimise complaints and to maintain high customer satisfaction levels. Delivering good product knowledge helps keep the park running and keeping the customers informed.
Conclusion
From my research I have found out a great deal about how Alton Towers runs its park. From my research I have examined the secondary research methods used by Alton Towers. From my secondary research I believe that the most effective type of method to delivery product knowledge is the use of the Alton Towers website. This is because it can be easily updated and changed to suit customer types or any up and coming events. I believe it is a quick and good method of delivering product knowledge as the amount of people that have access to a computer is constantly growing.
I have concluded that Alton Towers has excellent product knowledge and that the majority of its staff where able to deliver accurate and reliable answers to any of the questions that I asked members of staff. From my research I conclude that the most affective type of primary research undertaken to get up to date product knowledge from staff is questionnaires. The only problem with this is that it is time consuming to find a member of staff and ask several questions. This type of research is affective if a person needs to know one or two questions but to find out lots of product knowledge I would recommend an educational talk.
