GA Aquarium and Customer Service
I’m not one to gravitate toward new, hyped-up venues, especially when they first open. So when I post this link, take it with a grain of salt: I have not yet been to the Georgia Aquarium.
Apparently, one Flickr user decided it would be a good idea to make his way to the Aquarium less than two hours before closing time without having purchased a ticket through the website beforehand. Would the folks at the Aquarium let him in? If it were me, I would not have expected to be able to make it through the doors.
But enough about me. Here is his side of the story:
4:50 - The Ga Aquarium manager turned away around 30 willing paying customers
Is this a normal opening week pain, or is there something more happening? What could be the Aquarium’s response to this complaint? And why in the world would the Aquarium close at 6:00, anyway — as though there are no locals who might want to check the place out after work?
December 2nd, 2005 at 5:13 pm
Maybe the fishes’ batteries were getting low. All that swimming around will draw some charge.
December 2nd, 2005 at 5:26 pm
It seems to me that if the Aquarium closes at 6:00pm then people should be allowed to enter up to 6:00pm. The times posted on the doors should be admission times and not the operating or employee hours.
December 2nd, 2005 at 8:20 pm
As of yet I have not taken a tour of the Georgia Aquarium. I eventually will, but probably only once. I love the Atlanta Zoo, but aquariums are of litle interest to me. I’ve seen the Chattanooga Aquarium, and at least to me it was boring.
The 6:00 closing time seems a tad early to me. If this time is the closing time on a year round basis, then this is a poor business decision. From my point of view, everyone should be out-the-door at around 9:00.
Apparently, on this particular day the aquarium closed early at 4:45, for whatever reason or reasons. The usual closing time is 6:00, but not on this day. Sometimes things happen in life that are beyond our control. This guy was uspset, but that’s life.
Allowing a little over a hour to view a 200 million dollar aquarium doesn’t make sense. Just because 30 other people were in line, too, doesn’t justify this guy’s reasoning and thinking.
If the aquarium employees were rude and insensitive, then one of the supervisor’s should be alerted and notified.
Bernie Marcus was interviewed by Matt Lauer at the aquarium, and I think he mentioned that the viewing times for some people had been as much as seven hours. Marcus said that the viewing times were much, much, much longer than anyone had initially anticipated.
If the closing time is 6:00, people should be admitted at 5:59, but advised that the closing time is 6:00.
I assume that when the closing time is 6:00, one cannot expect to enter the doors at 5:59, and to view the exhibits until midnight. When a restaurant closes at say– 11:00, one can reasonably expect to be admitted at 10:45 and to be served a meal. However, an aquarium is not a restaurant.
Chad
December 2nd, 2005 at 10:38 pm
Oh, boo hoo! If being denied admission to the aquarium is the worst thing that happened to him all week, he’s doing okay.
I went on opening day at 5:15, waited about 15 minutes and stayed for an hour. All of the staff I dealt with were top notch. I’ll definitely go back.
I roll my eyes at the people who say the money could have gone to the poor. Marcus has given away billions to various causes, including the poor, and this is his gift to the citizens of Atlanta.
December 3rd, 2005 at 10:19 am
Aquarium visits are, of course, much higher than ‘normal’ since it just opened. The Fire Marshall has declared that roughly 7000 people can be in the building at any one time. If the building is full and if people are taking longer than expected, it’s not crazy to let people know that they will simply not make it through today and that their tickets will serve as a rain-check for another visit another time.
December 3rd, 2005 at 10:26 am
Wow. Am I the only person who thinks it was reasonable to go to the ticket booth seeking admission two hours before closing?
He didn’t get there at 5:59. He got there at 4. And, if they intend to not admit people an hour before closing time, they should not encourage people to wait in line.
I don’t think it’s cause for a riot, but I do think it was a lousy way to treat people who show up to see the new exhibit.
December 3rd, 2005 at 1:23 pm
G-MONEY,
I agree! This guy is blowing things way out-of-proportion. Yes, maybe a person would be a little hot under the collar, letdown, and disappointed in not being able to see the aquarium, but this guy is going to extra-ordinary lengths to be a little VINDICTIVE–shredding tickets, and donating money to the Chattanooga Aquarium.
If he feels as if he was treated in an unfair manner, don’t go back—PERIOD. Each and everyone of us has had bad service, a bad product, or a bad whatever at some point in our lives. Most generally we then give our business to someone else.
Granted, there aren’t too many aquariums around; so Chattanooga is about his only option. He does have the option of going to an ocean. Seeing a shark in a tank, though, sounds better than seeing a shark up close and personal in the ocean.
If alligators is his thing, a few ponds over the years here in Atlanta have had alligators. For anyone new to Atlanta, we do have alligators.
Of course, southern Georgia is really, really, really alligator territory. I think most of alligators, here in Atlanta, were at one time pets, but the owners seem to have the nasty habit of letting them loose in ponds.
Chad
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ROBERT,
I had a good laugh. Can you imagine a Fire Marshall declaring that an aquarium is a FIRE HAZARD with 7000 people.
Yeah, I suppose a fire could develop in a few isolated areas, and certainly the roof, but the aquarium tanks have millions, and millions, and millions, and millions, and millions of gallons of water.
I wouldn’t be afraid of a fire, I’d be afraid of the sharks.
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kATHI,
This couple didn’t arrive at the aquarium at 4:00,but were standing in line 45 minutes later at 4:45.
From what I have read, the early closing time was A ONE DAY THING, AND ONLY A ONE DAY THING.
This couple just happened to be pick the wrong day to visit the aquarium, as it closed before the usual closing time of 6:00. Being in line at 4:45 changes the picture considerably because at 4:00 he was probably still on his way to the aquarium in his MAKO SHARK (?). More likely his, YUGO.
THIS STORY IS BEGININNG TO SOUND MORE, AND MORE, AND MORE FISHY.
Chad
December 3rd, 2005 at 11:59 pm
Annual Pass Holders here… This is all new to many. Expect the delays and make reservations only for the next few months. The visit with a reservation is great. I went opening day. Also the media is trying to get the word out to not do a walk up but folks will be turned away if they just walk up. It is nice they monitor how many people they let in or you can’t see any of the fish for all the humans.
December 12th, 2005 at 1:39 pm
I went December 2nd around midday, after hearing some rumors on the MARTA train in that it would take up to three hours just to get my ticket. Once I found the entrance (not easy at all, from the GWCC MARTA stop) total entry time was about 7 minutes, and that included getting swiped down and getting my credit card out of my wallet to go through the electronic reader.
Whether it was worth it is a subject for another time.