How do you handle "XYZ HAUNT SUCKED"

[wickedfarmer]

Heard several groups tonight mention my neighboring haunt 2 miles away. One group not only said it sucked...one was literally ticked they went there. I mentioned in another thread that I think they slit their own throats this year putting a picture on their ads of a corn field path and then LITERALY took 200 corn stalks from a neighboring field and stuck it around an area of fencing maybe the size of my kitchen and living room. Think people are ticked about "bait and switch". One group did my non haunted maze AFTER doing neighboring haunt. Asked them "how did you like the maze; did I make it complicated enough for you? " Answer was something like "It was way better than the haunt a couple miles away." Then i asked how did you like our Trail of Terror? They didn't have enough money to do all places. So I sent them through my haunt free BUT I wanted their honest opinion on how our haunt was. Well...my 16 year old daughter had them screaming after the first 15 seconds into our haunt....and that is just the ease them into it spot. I heard one of them say "The first 30 seconds beat everything at _______________ haunt!" I followed from a short distance and met them back at parking lot after finishing.

They are now going to tell everyone to skip ______________ and go to our place.

I do NOT like bashing other places...BUT I WILL AND DO point out what we do different and do that others do not do.

What say you????? I understand some haunts are bitter rivals. i don't have that here.

Wicked Farmer

[shawnc]

Just say you're happy they got a good scare at your place. Not really much you can do to change their opinions of another haunt with just words. Try to let the other owner know what people are saying without coming across as insulting.

So what does your daughter do in those first 15 seconds?

[wickedfarmer]

dot room

make it look like we are trying to hide an actor in corner opposite/directly in front of them with a dummy in a strectch suit. Fabric strips hang in room from ceiling as well. Fence panels are inside room as well. She is to their right side as they enter and say "I see you" to the dummy in front of them. Then she screams and attacks the fence on their right side. Their guard is down because they "know" they busted the actor who is really a dummy. I use fence panels in a few spots to keep females away from crowds hands. As they exit room air cannon gives them the second punch.

Wicked farmer

[zombietoxin]

You answered your own question- be humble, gracious and appreciative- but most importantly communicate with them and sell yourself rather than promoting trash talk.

Congrats on your triumph!

[monsterwax]

I would not forward negative comments to the other haunt. There is no way to do that without sounding catty. Let them deal with their problems and you deal with yours (coz we all have some sort of problems, whether we admit it or not.)

[bodybagging]

We're just Different

When our guests mention how much better our haunted house than the XWZ Attraction is, we simply thank them and reply we dont think we are better, we just do do it differently than most.