By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 21 May 2021 08:41:58 +0000

Hi Ron,

Wow, that’s quite an experience! We always think the most important part of travel is the “experience” but maybe not that kind of experience!

The Lack of apology is something we find more and more in American Culture. We are British Citizens exploring the States and apologizing is second nature in the UK, I have had to try very hard not to apologize to you in this response even though I have done nothing wrong, it’s just second nature for us to say sorry.

However, we have always found the exact opposite in US customer service, especially when the situation is more severe. Apologies seem to be seen as admissions of guilt, as such employees are encouraged not to give them as this can then be used later in litigation. This often escalates situations, as in your case, as often people just want a reassuring voice to say sorry and make up for the issue in a small way. But the fear of litigation makes them circle the wagons and refuse to even acknowledge the incident.

We have found this over and over, although never In such extreme circumstances as yourselves!

A little bit of humility and communication can go a long way.

Sorry, your experience was so bad (See I couldn’t help myself), and glad to hear everyone made it off the tram unharmed!

But this was 35 years ago, lets hope things have improved since then!

Steve

By: Ron Napier

Ron Napier — Thu, 20 May 2021 22:06:04 +0000

So you want to know what our experience with Universal studios studio tour was. We don’t know what was worse, us running for our lives from a burning tram or the fact that NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY offered an apology or anything. We lost everything.
In the late 1980s me, my wife and infant daughter was on the studio tour when going up the hill out of the back lot the tram, it was busier than normal so they used a, “super tram” as they called it to handle more people. It was an older one we were told, it had more cars and half way up it stopped and started smoking. Everybody thought it was part of the tour. That is till from under the seats in the row right behind us fire started coming from between the seats literally right behind us. By the time we got out of the tram the entire back half was on fire. Me and other guests helped the wheel chair bound guest off the tram. The driver and announcer ran also, but left him there. Naturally those behind the fire ran downhill and those of us in the front tram car ran up the hill.
That was the beginning of our horror after that it was nothing, I mean nothing. No direction from staff on what to do or anything. None of the park staff would even talk about it. We heard “what are you talking about?” 4 times. All our infant daughters clothing, diapers and everything we had in the diaper bag burned up and NOBODY would even talk about it. Other guests each chipped in to give us supplies and diapers for her.
After a trip half way across California to go there we were so traumatized after that we left and went home with a lifelong disgust for Universal Studios.
If someone had at the very least offered an apology our trip may have ended differently but they didn’t. They would not even acknowledge it happened.

That was our experience at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Here it is 35 years later it still is a issue for us for the way we were treated

Comments on: Universal Studios Hollywood Tour Review – Are the Studio Tours any good?

By: Steve

By: Ron Napier