=======================================================
> Randall Hess Wrote:
> ==================================================
> =====
> > Greg Scholl Wrote:
> >
> ==================================================
>
> > =====
> > > So go to Disneyworld, or buy another computer
> > > game!!!! Nobody is going to change the mind
> of
> > > folks whose heart is not in it.
> >
> > The problem is that approach might limit total
> > ticket sales to
> > 31K this year and maybe 20K in a few years if
> > younger generations
> > turn out to truly have shorter attention spans.
>
> It has nothing to do with that. My reply was to
> Michael who is always
> talking about cheaper trips and thus shorter rides
> so they can be cheaper. He even went as far as to
> say his siblings who rode once did not like the
> trip. So fine, we aren't going to change his
> siblings no matter what we do, unless its more
> mainstream stuff they do love-not train rides on
> the C&TS. I doubt seriously they would come ride
> if it were FREE!!! So my comment was basically
> saying "There is no pleasing some people so there
> is nothing we can do about that"
But this has everything to do with that.
Yes, there are some people who will never ride behind a steam loco,
and yes we can do nothing about them, but there are others who
might be interested if the whole thing were not such an ordeal for them.
> > That is kind of like saying that I'll put my
> > videos on VCR only,
> > and those who want DVD or on-line distribution
> > will have to go to some
> > other producer.
>
> Folks will likely do as they please, and if some
> put their stuff on VHS
> thats probably what they have a use for. If they
> want to buy videos on whatever it is, that's up to
> them. It's difficult to sell something to someone
> who doesn't want the product. Thats my point I
> guess.
Yes, and my point is that sometimes you can change
your product so that it becomes something they do have a use for.
That is 50% of marketing
> > You must respond to the market. (I hope where
> we
> > differ is in our
> > individual interpretations of where the market
> is
> > and where it is going)
>
> I thought the discussion was about shorter/cheaper
> trips!!! I doubt seriously that will happen. Who
> is going to pay the employees who would then have
> to work longer to write these cheaper tickets,
> that now take longer to do since there are more of
> them according to you guys.
Yes, this is about shorter, perhaps cheaper, rides.
Yes, the margin might be less on them than on the longer ones.
So what?
There's an old saying "we milk cows instead of whales because there
are so many more cows" It might be more efficient to milk whales,
but efficiency is only half the issue. If CATS could find a
cost-efficient way of providing this product, then it would make sense.
> This is why they are running the railroad and not
> us. Let them figure it out-the guys paid to do so.
You could make similar statements about half the discussions here.
We don't have the details, but we can still talk about it.
> As John Bush said I think, that only operating
> on certain days creates problems with customers as
> well. Here in the Cincinnati area we have Amtrak
> 3 days a week in either direction. That's not
> service!!!! A customer might only be budgeting a
> certain day to ride a train trip, so its best to
> have them every day. Can the railroad conform to
> everyone's exact plans....certainly not. Just
> like in the video business folks only want to buy
> what they want. That is they want a video of not
> just this engine or that, but specific runs. It
> is ludicrous to think someone can provide that
> kind of service.
> I am sure all train ride operations run into these
> issues. "What time is the next train?" Answer: It
> left an hour ago, so tomorrow at 10 am!!!
It's not reasonable to combine all the suggestions in a long thread
and then argue that the complete package is unreasonable! Maybe when
you run your own small business you can have a complete discussion
in your head and "report" only the results. In a situation like this,
you "spitball" lots of ideas and then over time winnow out the ones
that clearly won't work.
> Sure they could run shuttles from the depot to the
> wye and back if you like. How much is it worth to
> go 2 miles. Run those once an hour with 5 people
> on each shuttle. Ok lets see, one 4 man crew, one
> locomotive, and 8 runs per day. 5 people per run,
> thats 40 for the day, and say $10.00 each. Thats
> 400.00. I doubt that pays the train crew so where
> is my profit?
Hypothesizing 5 passengers per trip is creating a straw-man.
That is like saying in advance that you'll sell just one DVD.
> Guess I am tired of the whole Shorter
> Trips/Cheaper Trips discussion!!!
> They have said for years it is not financially
> viable to do that.
If you're tired of this thread, then stop reading and replying
