November 2006
Looking Back... November 2006
3 November 2006 - 2:03pm
Attitude adjustment
A few months ago, we poked fun at some of the remarkable headlines we've seen over the years.
This particular one is remarkable for its incredible lack of creativity or even basic descriptiveness.
It came in with a batch of newspaper clips that arrived in this week's mail.
The article was the same in all the clips, an Associated Press report about our expansion plans for 2007.
Now, the headline writer does have space considerations. That's understandable. If the story is just one or two columns wide, the headline will be shorter than for a four- or five-column-wide article.
Here are some reasonable headlines from the stack:
Holiday World announces new adventures for '07
Holiday World plans expansion
Holiday World plans to build giant water slide
Holiday World to add seven-story water slide
and then there's...
Bakuli will bowl you over at Holiday World in 2007!
Big slide coming
Seven-story slide slated for Holiday World in '07
But what journalism professor wouldn't clutch his or her heart after reading this doozy:
Park making adjustments
Adjustments?
Why didn't we think of that?
Quick! Someone call the Times!
The Trib!
The Star!
Just think of all the headlines that would jump off the page with that word in the mix!
Tom and Katie take adjustment out in public
St. Louis Cards finish series with adjustment
Dow Jones adjusts
Adjustment in NBC Nightly News anchor chair
Can you stand it? The possibilities are endless.
No, I won't reveal which paper came up with that beaut. Wouldn't want to be responsible, after all, for the headline writer's...adjustment.
3 November 2006 - 1:01pm
The importance of being earnest
What a nice email.
And you know, even if the email hadn't been all the great -- who cares! -- those little bubbies in the photos are too cute to pass up!
Apparently it was during a business trip that Allen B. of Columbus, Ohio, discovered us:
My colleagues and I were recently in Evansville for over six weeks, installing exhibits at the new Children's Museum downtown. Many of us are theme park junkies, so we'd planned a weekend visit to Holiday World. Given the notice the park has received for cleanliness, friendliness, and coaster cool-ness, our expectations were already very high.
It is hard to express how thoroughly we were blown away by Holiday World. The Voyage is awesome, as are Raven and Legend. Every staff member we ran into was pleasant.
The place was a tremendous value.
Perhaps most importantly, Holiday World had heart. Unlike the corporate chains that most of us are familiar with, your park possesses a real earnestness. It is evident that you guys know who your guests are, and who you are.
Anyway, after that first visit, once was not going to be enough. We were back two weeks later, a bunch of big kids ready to play.
A week ago, my family and I made the trip to Evansville. A trip to Holiday World on the last day of the season was a must!
My two year old, Henry...
...and his almost-three year old cousin, Mason...
...absolutely adored the park. As small guys, there's still some trepidation when it comes to getting on rides. The kid-sized attractions that Holiday World offers were perfect for them. After a couple of turns on the carousel, they were off to spin on the rockets, bounce around on the bumper boats, and set sail on a canoe.
I'd hoped to spend a couple of hours on some big-kid rides myself. In the end, I was having such a good time with these guys I abandoned that plan (with the exception of one spin on Voyage--after a five hour drive, I thought I'd earned it).
Thanks for making such a special place for kids of all sizes! Best wishes in 2007 (we'll be back!).
That new children's museum in Evansville? I wonder if Allen realized he was helping to set up a museum named for Louis J. Koch, the gentleman who founded this park 60 years ago.
3 November 2006 - 11:41am
Reed this musical note
No plans yet for Saturday?
If you're in the Akron, Ohio, area ... you might want to catch this performance:
In my 15 years here, I must admit this was the first request I've received to use our logo on a recital poster.
Jeff was kind enough to send a copy of the poster, along with the following:
I thought that you would certainly appreciate to see this poster. My teacher thought that it was very amusing and then asked me where Holiday World was located. I've had many of my student friends come up to me and ask "“What's Holiday World?"” After I explain it to them, they are all very interested in the park. I wouldn't be surprised if there are a large number of music students from Akron making the six-hour drive to Santa Claus next year. I know I'll be getting out there again! Thanks for running such a wonderful park!
And in his P.S.: Is this HoliBloggable?
2 November 2006 - 11:55am
Praise for the praise
For several years, I've received a wonderful e-newsletter from Debra Schmidt, "The Loyalty Leader." The ongoing theme of the communique is how to provide outstanding customer service.
I especially enjoy the newsletter in that it's not only practical, down-to-earth and free, it always ends with a story about Debra's son, Dave. Those nuggets of youthful insight from Dave add that personal touch that, you guessed it, builds loyalty.
Well, it seems The Loyalty Leader likes the idea of our "What Our Guests Are Saying" blog. She touts it in one of her articles this week.
As an aside, young James and I just returned from our annual trip to Connecticut to spend Halloween with my folks. Unfortunately, I got to witness how one airline handles difficult situations with their soon-not-to-be loyal customers. At one point, a supervisor hollered, "I've got an Irate for you to handle over here." Please note, I was not the customer she was referring to; it was somewhat horrifying and a tiny bit amusing, though, to hear their not-so-secret code word for a problem customer is "An Irate." That was heading out. Returning yesterday, I was downright disgusted to hear (again a supervisor) bellow, "Who wants to get the wheelchair?" The bad part is that there was a perfectly able-eared woman sitting in the wheelchair waiting for help. A bit later, when someone came to help, he didn't even say hello to the lady, but just came up behind the wheelchair and pushed. What a difference just a few kind words would have made...
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