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 CUSTOMERS COME FIRST

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Andrew Clinch
roberto
peter2010
burt renaolds
Steve Jacks
Ivan Healey
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Ivan Healey




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-08-24

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PostSubject: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSat May 01, 2010 7:48 am

Here are a few comments left on facebook recently about customers visit to a circus currently touring Essex...

''Saw the show last night and thought it quite poor. We was told before hand that the show is to last for nearly two hours. Only lasted for 1. Food available was not great. Stale popcorn and cold hotdogs Sad Soooo Uncomfortable on the first tier benches. Normally love the circus but felt a little robbed by the time we came out.''

''Came to the show last night and was very disappointed. We could not understand the Ringmaster, The planks of wood for seats were the most uncomfortable that I've ever sat on, the popcorn was stale, the toilets were horrendous dirty and smelly, and the show was mediocre and short. Total rip off!!''

''I agree the wheel of death was very impressive. After looking at the photos on here I feel the full show was not performed due the the circus being almost empty. I could of enjoyed it more if I wasn't so painfully uncomfortable. The toilets were unacceptable especially when you have a toddler that touches everything. A...nd as for the popcorn, I don't like paying for things that are unfit for consumption. As we were leaving another member of the audience said "what a take on" so I was not the only person that night to feel disappointed.''

after a reply from the circus one unhappy customer replies...
''It is quite obvious that the recent comments have been compiled by or for the circus. They sound more like an advertisement for the circus rather than an experience. And to be honest who would be that bothered by my negative comment if they weren't closely involved with the circus? It would have been more noble for Mr ...@@@@@@ to accept that we had a bad experience and apologise!''


We the abscense of animals in more and more shows the majority of circus directors have used this to their advantage by making available comfortable plastic tip up seats, better catering, a live band,toilets that flush, better lighting effects, heating when needed and overall good customer service.
It is easy for circus fans to criticise because we see so many shows in a short space of time but for members of the public that might visit a circus once in a blue moon poor standrds are obviously not acceptable to them.Also a family visiting a circus and having a bad experience will put them off going again!

The same circus visited a private site in Kent last Summer and received similar complaints to the local press and authorities.
It doesnt stop there... One of our few big remaining traditional circuses would have used the same private site this year but wouldnt touch it because of the bad name left by the other circus last year. - same problems plus tons of fly-posting to the area.

It was once said that people didnt stop going to the circus because of animals BUT BECAUSE they had to walk half a mile through mud to sit in a cold tent with no heating or toilets.
Perhaps this circus should take a leaf out of the Entertainment Corporation or Tony Hopkins book (even John Lawsons).


Last edited by Ivan Healey on Sat May 01, 2010 12:13 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Steve Jacks




Posts : 56
Join date : 2009-06-05
Age : 55
Location : Worthing, Sussex, UK

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSat May 01, 2010 10:38 am

To be honest, from the comments alone I do kinda know exactly what show it is. Whoops, what a shame.
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Ivan Healey




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-08-24

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSat May 01, 2010 12:06 pm

The comments were posted on the circus facebook site by members of the public (not circus fans) who had seen the show and were not impressed.

Shame because the photos of the show make it look like it isnt that bad this year-mind you the show was'nt that bad last year except the over long pauses between acts and whats already been mentioned in the lack of customer comfort.

not acceptable these days.
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burt renaolds




Posts : 64
Join date : 2009-06-17
Location : bridlington

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSat May 01, 2010 12:24 pm

No one says whether this is a professional directorship or a josspot? During the 1980s a certain Taxi driver took out a circus with much the same reaction from the national press. The more things change...........
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Ivan Healey




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-08-24

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSat May 01, 2010 1:50 pm

This circus mainly tours Kent and Essex and have somehow managed to bag some London sites!

They are far from Jossers and have been touring their own show since about 1983 ?

A few years back Jeffrey Mack ,HOFFMAN, brought his Circus King into Kent and people stayed away in droves from the other show and waited for the King to arrive !
Bring back the King!!!

Whenever i have been to the show mentioned on Facebook it has always been a quarter full , if that, and because the show does the same route year in , year out its hardly surprising that people are staying away .

That show visited the Medway Towns last Summer and Chatham especially was fly posted to oblivion, but the public wer'nt fooled and waited for the annual big show to visit Rochester in October and did they! The Chinese State Circus played to near sell out houses during its stay but then if the public go to a quality show the chances are they will return.The Entertainment Corporation have proved that and now have trusted name.
Poor shows and the public will stay away...

Furthermore, and what i think is really sad, is that people will see the show mentioned on Facebook,think OMG and wont visit another one for ages!

Tom , i know very well about that taxi driver and that brought back memories!!! I think that certain taxi driver would need a seperate thread on this forum or even a whole web site dedicated to that story!
The last i heard, and this was a good ten years ago, was that he had a brand new big top sitting in Sheerness and was waiting to go out.

Dont even know if that fella is still about ?
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burt renaolds




Posts : 64
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Location : bridlington

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSun May 02, 2010 4:48 am

All proprietors try to do a good job clown


Last edited by tom sandow on Tue Nov 23, 2010 3:28 am; edited 2 times in total
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Ivan Healey




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-08-24

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSun May 02, 2010 5:15 am

Hi Tom, Kelly Brook, from the Medway Towns, Rochester in fact- nice photo!

This might help...https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=146303465370#!/group.php?gid=146303465370&v=wall

Didnt want to mention the circus by name for fear of being stoned like that poor bloke in Monty Python's Life of Brian! lol

Paying members of the public made these comments not me or other circus fans, although members of there Facebook group were quick to defend them. They obviously never needed the loo or ate the popcorn when visiting the show!

A well known clown tried to leave the show once and the family all jumped in a van and chased him half way across Essex and around the M25 so you can see why no names were mentioned !
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burt renaolds




Posts : 64
Join date : 2009-06-17
Location : bridlington

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSun May 02, 2010 5:37 am

Ivan

I always supoort the paying public Wink


Last edited by tom sandow on Mon Sep 27, 2010 5:14 am; edited 1 time in total
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peter2010




Posts : 8
Join date : 2010-05-02

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSun May 02, 2010 2:30 pm

Customer Comfort.

Ok,theres a few shows lacking entirely in this department. But it is my oppinion that i would rather visit a circus with that real atmosphere (and if that includes wooden seats,so be it) then the uniformaly bland shows of the Moscow Sate or Chinese State Circuses.

Dont get me wrong,the above mentioned shows are spot on in that department. But both shows have reached a point where there is no circus atmosphere. Its sort of like going to the theatre,they have lost the excitment all together.
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Ivan Healey




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-08-24

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSun May 02, 2010 4:09 pm

If this thread has proved anything its that you have to look after your paying public ,not circus fans, and that there has to be a balance betwen the quality of the acts in the ring and the customers comfort outside the ring.

Some members of the public had the courage to put there complaints on the circus Faceook page.
If the circus management dont know about the problems they cant put them right and it clearly only takes ''stale popcorn'', ''cold hot dogs'' and ''tiered wooden seating'' for the public to tun around and say sorry this isnt acceptable and we wont be back in a hurry.

This may be why this ''French'' circus only plays to a handful of customers every night.

The customer that was complaining about the condition of the toilets i can fully understand because this time last year thay were in the same condition and if nothing has been done to sort them out that is pretty poor.

A circus was once fined by a local council not only for flyposting but for ''failing to provide toilets in a place of public entertainment''.

Zippos ''Encore'' Circus has new seating this year similar to that of Tony Hopkins, Moscow and the Chinese State Circuses and it made the whole circus experience that much more comfortable and enjoyable.

The ''French'' Circus will no doubt be back in Kent soon and the sad thing is the people of Kent know it as well and wont flock to see it like they do the other shows.

I believe to big professional shows will be visiting Kent later this year- well worth waiting for.
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peter2010




Posts : 8
Join date : 2010-05-02

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeSun May 02, 2010 5:36 pm

Looking after the customer is priority.

I think too many people look at things from a fans point of view. (this is even reflaected yearly in the CFA awards when the Great British Circus scoops best animal circus everytime,even though i think the public would vote very differently as the Great British Circus seems to lack ACTS and overall presentation).

I stand by my own view that shows such has the Moscow and Chinese have totally lost that circus atmosphere though i understand the general everyday person may not see it like that.,

Maybe what we should make clear when discussing this FRENCH CIRCUS is the fact that no body is referring to Cirque De Normandie.

However the show we are referring too has suffered a few bad comments,but its been around a long time,it re-visits the same venues so must have a good relationship with the land owners/local authorites and more importantly people do turn out to see it and obviously support it, some on a yearly basis, if they were playing to so few people per night as some seem to think,then they would not be able to keep going.
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burt renaolds




Posts : 64
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Location : bridlington

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeMon May 03, 2010 6:39 am

I repeat, I am sure that most proprietors do a good job clown


Last edited by tom sandow on Tue Nov 23, 2010 3:29 am; edited 2 times in total
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roberto




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-09-12

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeMon May 03, 2010 11:01 am

I agree, peter 2010.
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Ivan Healey




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-08-24

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeMon May 03, 2010 11:56 am

This thraed was nevr meant to offend or attack the artistes on the show.
I have not seen ''French'' circus this year but from th photos on line it doesnt look half bad.

Circus fans can and do become over critical but this is only through seeing so many shows in quick succession.

The point is that these punters went to this circus and do not subscribe to any association or have a special passion for circuses and their circus experience was spoilt by poor customer sevice and in return this effected what they saw in the ring.

They obviously felt strongly enough about their bad experience to take the time to find the circus Facebook page and air there views.

It is now up to the management to address these issues.

By the way the circus is not 'cirque de normandy' which does an excellent job visiting schools and colleges raising funds.
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burt renaolds




Posts : 64
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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeMon May 03, 2010 12:19 pm

clown


Last edited by tom sandow on Mon Sep 27, 2010 5:17 am; edited 1 time in total
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Andrew Clinch




Posts : 5
Join date : 2010-02-16

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeTue May 04, 2010 4:48 pm

Well well Ivan, if you have really posted this stuff for "the greater good" I would like to suggest that you put your money where your mouth is, and buy the French circus a new toilet wagon as a gift. That would be the act of a true circus fan!

I would like to invite discerning readers of this forum to look back through Ivan's posts and they may detect a thread of negavity towards the French circus. Ivan talks about attendance figures to the French circus as if he has been to every performance. Just to balance things out a bit, over the past two months people have said the following things to me about the French circus.... "Fantastic", "Magical", "Wonderful", "It's a proper circus". (Yes I do work for the circus, but unfortunately for the conspiracy theorists this is the truth).

Ivan you dropped the following sentence in at random, I think your intention was to infer something.
"A circus was once fined by a local council not only for flyposting but for ''failing to provide toilets in a place of public entertainment''."
I think you will find that "flyposting" is actually quite a complex issue and that many circuses are accused of it on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
"failing to provide toilets" means that there actually are no toilets - that is not what you were talking about here. The issues raised by customers are to do with raising standards and maintaining them. Meeting customers expectations is a constant challenge to all businesses.

Finally I would just like to ask you a couple of questions Ivan:
Do you pay the full top price when you go to the circus?
(Doing so would help the proprietors to raise the standards?)

Or perhaps you go about it in another way... do you ask to see the manager on the way out and thrust £50 into his hand saying "use this to make the circus better".

Anyway I must go... I am very busy working at the circus, trying to raise the standards,trying to make things better and so on.
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Ivan Healey




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-08-24

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeWed May 05, 2010 8:36 am

Whats important too remember is that members of the public made these comments on your Facebook site, not me or any other circus fan.

The show itself they enjoyed but that enjoyment was tarnished by the reasons they had mentioned.

Cold hot dogs, stale pop corn, inedible food and toilets not in a fit condition to be used may mean nothing to you and a circus fan would certainly shrug this off but to your normal paying customers who are not CFA members etc. this would certainly put them off going to another circus again, especially yours.

Im sorry but ensuring you dont sell stale popcorn, cold hot dogs and make sure your toilets are clean are not '' business challenges'' its common sense and good customer service- something you clearly know nothing about!

Negativity no, constructive criticsm, yes.

The customers received no word of apology from you on facebook and your input on this thread has shown no hint of apology to those customers either.The very least you could have done was apologise to them.

Your customers,customers that wont be coming back!
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Andrew Clinch




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Join date : 2010-02-16

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeWed May 05, 2010 10:51 am

Please read what I write before you reply and please do not mis-quote me.

"The issues raised by customers are to do with raising standards and maintaining them. Meeting customers expectations is a constant challenge to all businesses."
These two sentences indicate that we take our customers concerns seriously.
To quote myself on the facebook site "The Santus family thank you for your feedback."
I made this comment to let them know that we have taken on board what they said and will act on it.
We cannot change something that has happened in the past but we can learn lessons for the future.

An apology to a customer is a personal matter between the business and the customer and I see no reason why it should be posted on a public forum. Ideally I believe apologies should be made in person, face to face.

You say that you are not negative, only offering constructive criticism but I think your comments in this thread have included rumours and speculation, and that cannot be regarded as constructive criticism. You are the one who has not remained focused on the customer, not me.
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Ivan Healey




Posts : 21
Join date : 2009-08-24

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeWed May 05, 2010 11:37 am

Earlier this year i was negotiating with Chatham Historic Dockyard with regard to one of our bigger, traditional shows, visiting the site.All was going well until your circus' name was mentioned! The other circus wouldnt touch it with a barge pole.Thats how good a name you left behind.

The toilets were an issue last year Mr Clinch. You even made the local press about them!

Are you visiting Chatham this year i wonder?

Please accept the criticism your customers have given you without shifting the blame onto me!
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paul b




Posts : 15
Join date : 2009-05-21

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PostSubject: time too put this one too bed   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeWed May 05, 2010 12:15 pm

Ivan Healey wrote:
Earlier this year i was negotiating with Chatham Historic Dockyard with regard to one of our bigger, traditional shows, visiting the site.All was going well until your circus' name was mentioned! The other circus wouldnt touch it with a barge pole.Thats how good a name you left behind.

The toilets were an issue last year Mr Clinch. You even made the local press about them!

Are you visiting Chatham this year i wonder?

Please accept the criticism your customers have given you without shifting the blame onto me!
this should have been kept on facebook this site should not be used too rubbish circus ps good lucky to all shows this year
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Ivan Healey




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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeWed May 05, 2010 12:29 pm

The point of this thread was to show the customers point of view, just for a change, and not the circus supporters.

The show itself was never in question but the customer service, again from the publics point of view not the circus fans.

...but i totally agree with Paul, ''its time to put this one to bed''.
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Andrew Clinch




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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeThu May 06, 2010 2:14 am

Sorry Ivan, not happy for this one to be put to bed when you are still not listening.
My point was that you did not stick to the thread and that you added things that were not constructive.

Quote Ivan:
"Please accept the criticism your customers have given you without shifting the blame onto me!"

This is a lie Ivan. We accepted the criticism two weeks before you decided to start re-posting it on here.
You seem to forget that we were there at the circus, the people complain to us in person. We take the criticism on the chin, but we are fed up of you making digs at us.
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Baltar




Posts : 1
Join date : 2010-05-06

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeThu May 06, 2010 5:58 am

hi im a recent member to this forum and have been reading this thread with much interest for some time, but i feel the need to speak and i do believe the speech is free right?

it seems that this IVAN HEALEY is very much bias in his observations on facebook about this so called "french circus".He has only pointed out this one complaint from the facebook page and i have managed to check this facebook page myself and found it rather full of praise for the show.In fact, there is only one complaint, although you will see 2 different people complaining, i believe they were at the show together as a couple and found the need to dirty the shows reputation due to some sort of spite!(as this mr Healy is doing also)

Do you refer to the other shows as "that russian circus" "the chinese" "those dutch people"???i find you extremely patronising and slightly racist!it seems you are not a circus fan at all but just bias and argumentative!perhaps you should make a new thread commenting on the shows praise that it gets on facebook and everywhere else, although we both know you wont!

im a huge circus fan and i feel disgusted by your behaviour in this matter as you have singled out one show in particular and have tried to rubbish the circus name in general by doing this thread!perhaps you will be more proud if this so caled "french circus" closes and leaves room for all the big conglomerate shows i wonder.MR HEALEY will that be satisfatory for you?

also these complaints were not made by you and therefor you should not be drafting them about like some sort of idealistic crusade!what i would like from you MR HEALEY is to find something good from every show and not just the big shows that you seem to love so much!you are closed minded and therefor shouldnt have a voice about the ups and downs of circus life which the rest of us seem to enjoy and cherish with our very being!

thank you for listening to me on this matter MR HEALEY.
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William.howlett




Posts : 6
Join date : 2010-05-06

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeThu May 06, 2010 6:30 am

Mr klinch aka Ms Santos, whilst at your circrus about a week ago i bought a hotdog. Afterwards when i got home i started vomiting and had alot of tummy pain. I had to go to the hospital overnight and still havent recovered. May i praise you on your goodw show. I decided not to sue santos as you could spend the cash on a hygene inspetor..
I feel u have attacked ivan and are balming your problems on him. After reading this im reconsidering legal action.
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Andrew Clinch




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Join date : 2010-02-16

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PostSubject: Re: CUSTOMERS COME FIRST   CUSTOMERS COME FIRST Icon_minitimeThu May 06, 2010 8:23 am

William, sorry you were unwell following your visit to the circus and I am sorry you feel this way. It might be helpful if you could let us know on what day you visited the show and which show it was, but I understand that you might prefer not to do that if you are considering legal action. If you want to get in touch to discuss this matter further our contact details are available on our website: www.santuscircus.co.uk
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