Soda Guy
  •  Soda Guy
  • 71.62% (Friendly)
  • Ride Supervisor Topic Starter
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 5:02:39 PM


I am not saying I want to see this but how soon do you think you willl be seeing some show or two change their game operation to more like a Dave and Busters or Chucky Cheese. All games giving coupons on coupons redeemed for plush.

I mean many show have the games X'd by family members already is it really that far of a jump to go this route? Then all the family clerks will have a different resonsibility, making change or other show operations.

Thoughts anyone?
Bowler Roller
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 5:38:44 PM
We tried that in our Water Race for awhile.
Every crowd has a silver lining - PT Barnum
ridejocky
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 7:37:33 PM
I'm guessing cash and tickets go the way of casino cards, and marks use the cards and accumulate points for perks and prizes.
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joan
  •  joan
  • 57.04% (Neutral)
  • Foreman
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 8:30:10 PM
Darn it, I saw the title and got excited...Anyways, to answer the question, I've seen some shows go to tickets, some to swipecards, at least one up here takes tokens now...RCS pays salary. I'm sure that eventually you'll see prize redemption tickets too. Fortunately, there are still smaller shows that want no part of this Mickey Mouse trend...Personally, I find it ridicules.
ridejocky
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 10:50:52 PM
Sad might be a better word.
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Matt C.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 12:49:42 PM
The problem is that pretty much every show owner would agree that the joint side of the business is on a downward trend and something needs to be done to re-invent the game side of the business.

If I am not mistaken, Murphy tried a redemption style game system back in the early 90s? Obviously it didnt work out then, otherwise, they would still be doing it now.
Matt Cook
Matt's Carnival Warehouse / Matt's Web Design
http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com 
http://www.mwdwebdesign.com 
flamo
  •  flamo
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  • Operations Foreman
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 1:53:49 PM
The authority on this topic would be Sixcat. He lived and operated through it. A little history, Agents used to work on a PC. Different jointees worked different arrangements. Rule of thumb was 25% of your apron or 50% after. The more you hustled the more you made. Good agents made good money. We had a few clerks then mostly in pitches and laydowns. I don't have a clue why it changed, it was a good system. Seems to me using clerks removes the incentive unless there is a bonus on the order of piece work in a factory. Was it lack of good agents, lower pcs, higher expenses? I don't know. Everything on the midway has change from single ticket boxes to swipe cards so why not games?
I'm there, Old, Tired, Broke and Henpecked
joan
  •  joan
  • 57.04% (Neutral)
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011 2:38:04 PM
Agents USED to work on a percentage??? Where are you that they still don't? ( I know about RCS, but I wasn't aware that other places were doing it too.)
squirrel
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 3:26:37 PM
Originally Posted by: Matt C. 

The problem is that pretty much every show owner would agree that the joint side of the business is on a downward trend and something needs to be done to re-invent the game side of the business.

If I am not mistaken, Murphy tried a redemption style game system back in the early 90s? Obviously it didnt work out then, otherwise, they would still be doing it now.



That's because many games are charging too much, and the REAL REAL ISSUE is that there aren't any people left who really know how to WORK the game -- we call them AGENTS... Clerks can't pay their own salary half the time, let alone turn a profit...
Matt C.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 3:45:54 PM
Originally Posted by: flamo 

The authority on this topic would be Sixcat. He lived and operated through it. A little history, Agents used to work on a PC. Different jointees worked different arrangements. Rule of thumb was 25% of your apron or 50% after. The more you hustled the more you made. Good agents made good money. We had a few clerks then mostly in pitches and laydowns. I don't have a clue why it changed, it was a good system. Seems to me using clerks removes the incentive unless there is a bonus on the order of piece work in a factory. Was it lack of good agents, lower pcs, higher expenses? I don't know. Everything on the midway has change from single ticket boxes to swipe cards so why not games?



The big issue is internal theft by the agent/clerk taking the cash. An agent may gross $500 but only turn in $300 to the office. Thats why shows came up with using tickets, tokens, dummy/smart cards for games.
Matt Cook
Matt's Carnival Warehouse / Matt's Web Design
http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com 
http://www.mwdwebdesign.com 
Bowler Roller
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 3:51:06 PM
As long as the agent turns in more than the clerk, it's all good.
Every crowd has a silver lining - PT Barnum
ridejocky
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 6:30:25 PM
If you don't steal from me, you don't steal for me?
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joan
  •  joan
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  • Foreman
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 7:53:08 PM
Secret Squirrel, there are plenty of agents still out here...problem is (and I said this in another thread too) the *ing shows don't want to let us work! I'm sorry-but how the hell am I supposed to go out there and get the same money I was 10 or 15 years ago, when there are so many restrictions on what I can and can't do or say? Then to hear people complain that they don't get the same grosses? Or can't find qualified agents? Well guess what? It's because we're HIDING FROM YOU. You won't EVER see me on a "big" show again. I will stick to doing what I know, on shows that will still let me, and keep making money. Same as I always have. And y'all with the hanky pank shows can keep on complaining about how there aren't any agents left.....
ugh. I knew I shouldn't have logged on...this crap frustrates me.


And Matt, I'm not trying to be rude, but that's a totally ridicules statement. I grossed a lot of money this year. I turned in a LOT of money.
I promise you this-a clerk in the same joint, at the same spots, taking tickets would not have grossed even close to half what I did... I turn my money in. But EVEN if I swallowed a third of it, I'd still outgross anyone you could talk into taking tickets.
Matt C.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 9:58:06 PM
Originally Posted by: joan 




And Matt, I'm not trying to be rude, but that's a totally ridicules statement. I grossed a lot of money this year. I turned in a LOT of money.
I promise you this-a clerk in the same joint, at the same spots, taking tickets would not have grossed even close to half what I did... I turn my money in. But EVEN if I swallowed a third of it, I'd still outgross anyone you could talk into taking tickets.



Joan, I am just telling you the exact reasons why some shows are going from cash on games to tokens or cards. We did a story on Ray Cammack Shows a few years ago, who in recent years went to "fun cards" for their games. As soon as they switched over to the fun card system, their gross went up. Was it because people were spending more with the cards (in a bad economy) or because the show was retaining more?

Pat Crabtree does tokens for his games and from what I hear it does very well for him. Windy City did tokens for a few years, but it was hard to manage and was unmanageable when an independent was booked in. They're back to cash now.

I'm not saying you are stealing or any one jointee is stealing, I'm just paraphrasing statements that show owners have told me personally. I cant tell you how many times I have witnessed from afar a agent slipping money into their bra, behind the counter, into plush, into stock bins, etc.


Matt Cook
Matt's Carnival Warehouse / Matt's Web Design
http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com 
http://www.mwdwebdesign.com 
Bowler Roller
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 10:59:33 PM
Quote:

Secret Squirrel, there are plenty of agents still out here...problem is (and I said this in another thread too) the *ing shows don't want to let us work! I'm sorry-but how the hell am I supposed to go out there and get the same money I was 10 or 15 years ago, when there are so many restrictions on what I can and can't do or say?



I don't know what they won't let you do nowadays, but the show owner, or anyone else, should never know how you're working. We've all had the office watch us.
Every crowd has a silver lining - PT Barnum