Summer Surprises at Six Flags Theme Park

I will start by saying that it’s been years since I’ve visited a theme park. However, when I think of a theme park, I think of three things:

• crowds
• sunburnt and/or fussy children
• lines

Obviously, theme parks are fun, too (that’s the whole idea, after all) – but sometimes (for me) the fun/memorable experience of a theme park can be overruled by memories of waiting in lines for rides, paying too much for food, and navigating through the swarms of people.

It’s for these reasons that I was so delighted to read this article on Forbes today. The author, Micah Solomon, recounts a hot and crowded day at Six Flags where, just after ordering a refreshing ice cream cone (and after waiting in a long line to order that ice cream cone), he accidentally dropped it onto the ground.

What happened next surprised (and delighted) him: the ice cream scooping crew immediately presented him with a new cone (no waiting, no paying). They didn’t have to stop to fumble and ask if he wanted a new one.

As he goes on to recount, this type of “anticipatory customer service” (wherein a customer’s needs are met without being expressed) is a key element in the Six Flags employee training program. This high level of customer service helps Six Flags ensure that their guests remember only the fun moments and experiences from their day – much unlike my memories above.

In short, it’s often the little things that will surprise and delight our customers: carrying their bags to their car, helping them find their next destination on a map, or replacing a spilt ice cream cone without having to ask.