Bad customer service at zoos

Have you had bad customer service at zoos? I am sure that we all have some funny stories to share. My most recent experience wasn't that bad in the grand scheme of things though:

I was the first visitor in the queue at an Aussie zoo a few weeks ago and by extension, I was possibly the first visitor that the 'ticket lady' dealt with for the day.

Me: Hi, good morning!
She: How can I help you? (no smile, no eye contact)
Me: One adult ticket please.
She: That's $31.80.

I paid, she didn't make eye contact, didn't say "you're welcome" when I said "thanks", I had to ask for a map, and she didn't say enjoy your visit. Not exactly the best welcome to the zoo!

What are your stories?

 

Might she have taken a quick glance and thought to herself 'OMG, I bet he's a ZooChatter'?
To be serious, that's a poor show, although it's not a hanging offence. I can't recall anything similar happening to me.

Alan

 

I've come across difficult members of staff when I've asked for more maps/leaflets/guides at varying facilities, or for help with things like transport or contacting a particular member of staff, but I can't think of any exceptionally poor customer service.

Having said that, a friendly and outgoing member of staff at the ticket desk is often responsible for starting the visit on a high note, and so if a thread like this exists we should also applaud zoos with outstanding customer service.

 

I can't remember ever meeting any rude zoo staff, but I have met numerous helpful ones.

Only thing that comes close was at Chester in the 1980s when I showed my membership card and the till lady said quite sharply, "and you're paying for the lady?"

I asked what lady? it turned out that while she was looking at my member's card a woman with a baby in a pushchair had walked straight in without payment.

i don't think my explaination of "she's not with me," was believed.

 

I took a lot of stuff to donate to a rescue centre, probably nearly £50 worth of stuff, the woman that took it from me made it feel like it was a massive inconvenience to take it.

Not bad service but at a well know UK zoo I heard a keeper say orangoutangs come from the same place as chimps. I hope to god she meant similar environment.

 

Not at all! Back in the 1980s when I was in the UK, we had a strategy where my wife and the pram would walk straight past the ticket office while I distracted the member of staff. We have adopted this strategy in Australia as well where I say "she's not with me".

 

I've seen people who have speech impediments completely ignored by exhibit interpreters when they ask questions. That really steamed me. Its not as if they were totally incomprehensible it was just taking them longer to ask their questions.

 

I have nothing outrageous or funny to report, but there has been multiple times of seeing zoo employees not wanting to be at their jobs.

 

Not at zoos, but I've had a couple of veteran whale trainers at Sea World California look through me and mumble answers to a simple question, after the show, of course. Fortunately there were more nice ones that enjoyed chatting than there were who couldn't be bothered.