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Topic: Make Your Theatre Better

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 02-14-2002 04:35 PM

Ian has just created a topic:

"Fax Spam and Boiler Rooms"

in the Film Yak forum. Please post all further "spam" related comments there.

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Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 02-15-2002 12:28 PM

Too many people still don't pay attention to the PRESENTATION. It's good to have the lobby and outside looking perfect, but if anything's wrong with the presentation then it doesn't matter. I've seen managers have their employees diligently clean the exit signs in the lobby(!) while the screens remained filthy!

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Darren Solomon
Film Handler

Posts: 28
From: unknown
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 02-15-2002 02:30 PM

I have some good suggestions, coming from a 16 screen theatre with lots of problems, I would like to change some things. If you have lobby music playing in the bathrooms, please not so loud. if you have Lobby TVs with Coming Soon info displayed, please have it current.
If you have exit greeters standing infront of the auditoriums doorways telling each customer, "Thanks for coming to xxxxx, we hope you enjoyed the show". I would no longer do this, as the reaction from most people coming out of the theatre don't care as much for hearing you say this, ignore you, or just want to complain about how bad the movie was or ask for the bathroom. 90% of the time I get customers asking where the bathrooms are anyways. Maybe better signage for Bathrooms would be nice too. Better maintenace and upkeep in the booth in changing out Xenon Bulbs a lot faster will keep the presentation up to a standard. Better Marqee signage for labling auditorium doors with theatre numbers at eye level. So Customers don't go into the wrong theatre door. Most customes are ot infored that thier ticket holds the showtime and number on them. We should have the Door usher/ ticket taker inform them of this. Our theatre gets a lot of messy customers that leave the trash and left over consession food in our auditoriums when a movie is over, so when a show is sold out, we tell them that its a sold out show, please exit from the theatres main exit doors, move to the center seats to allow incoming patrons quick seating, and please put your trash in the proper recepticals when the show is over so we can clean the theatre faster for the next show. Have the managers perform good customer service and not to creat a type of customer base like keepin the bad customers that keep coming back. This is like the managers and corporate creating a monster and this makes a type of clientel to come into your theatre and then the theatre staff will enjoy working less with the theatre company because of this.

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 02-17-2002 03:29 AM

First, Exit greeting IS a good idea. Even if all people do is ask where the bathroom is at least there is someone there to point them in the right direction, and if they complain at least they dont have to search someone out.

Now for my ideas,

Good presentation, FILM DONE RIGHT (enough said)
Cleanliness, A clean building is a must
Lighting, Replace burnt out lights right away.
Uniforms, I would rather see someone in a tie and vest than a crappy looking shirt.
And lastly, Just plain good service, make people WANT to come to your theatre.

------------------
--Sean McKinnon
Manager
Loews Cineplex Entertainment
Liberty Tree Mall 20
Danvers, Mass
www.enjoytheshow.com

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 02-17-2002 03:50 AM

Darren,

I've always said that no matter how large and obnoxious the signs that say "restroom" are, customers won't see them. The best solution is just to replace those huge "restroom" signs with 1 foot tall lettering with a sign that has letters only 1 inch tall that say "shitter".

You'll never ever be asked where they are again! Of course, you're bound to field a few complaints.

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Joshua Lott
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 246
From: Fairbanks, AK, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-18-2002 01:25 PM

Just wanted to say thanks for the comments so far. Yes I agree, Film Done Right and Keep it Clean are two of the biggests things to take care of at a theatre.

Josh

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System Notices
Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi

Posts: 215

Registered: Apr 2004

posted 02-06-2009 08:34 PM

It has been 2545 days since the last post.

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Robert LaValley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 104
From: Tampa, FL
Registered: May 2007

posted 02-06-2009 08:34 PM

Bumping this topic back up:

Do you find exit greeting effective in retaining return business from customers?

I can understand both points of view, one being that you have a monotone brat rattling off the same line over and over again because "they have to" and the other you have a person there to field questions/complaints if any. I think the key to this is execution because theoretically you can't exit greet every customer that walks out of a building without posting a person at every exit and even then there are some that are just going to fly on by because their visits done and they don't want to deal with you. :-)

The ushers have asked for a schedule with the begining of the credits time listed. We are able with the POS to export to excel a usher schedule and add this info but it's awfully time consuming and labor intensive. Old rule of thumb was to be at the theate about 10-15 minutes prior to credit end time on your schedule. Any of you guys do anything different?

what about movie scheduling? 1pm , 3pm , 5pm, 7pm , and 9pm from previous people I have talked to were the ideal showtimes with actual "sets" where you have every show start in a set amount of time and you have a bit of a lull and then the next set and so on. I've seen a trend with the advent of pre-show advertisement that showtimes now are getting more and more spread out so there is no real set at alot of theatres. Do you find this better? What time frames make your customers happier? the tranditional 7pm to 8:30 set or I've seen sets that start at 6:15 and end at 7:15...

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Chris Iacofano
Film Handler

Posts: 15
From: Athens, OH, USA
Registered: Jan 2009

posted 02-11-2009 04:58 PM

I've found that it does help if done in a sincere way. A bored usher handing out stale candy while mumbling the same line 100 times won't do much good. At my theater a good number of the patrons know me or the other manager by name and are inclined to chat and give us suggestions. While it certainly varries from theater to theater, my patrons like feeling invested in the place. They like the feeling that their suggestions are listened to, and it gives the impression to the public that THEY are programming the titles at the theater.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-11-2009 09:11 PM

quote: Robert LaValley
Do you find exit greeting effective in retaining return business from customers?

I don't think it makes an iota of difference on return business. If I am in a theatre and it has crappy sound and a fuzzy picture, I'd think twice about going back whether they gave me a cheery good-night or not.

That said, we do exit-greet. As noted above, we know many of the patrons by name and sometimes they like to chat about the film afterwards. The best is when they say "What's coming next?" That tells me they had a good experience and are looking forward to coming back.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-11-2009 10:10 PM

I think the key to the exit greeting is to have someone who has watched movies, is knowledgeable about upcoming movies, and knows enough about the operations to field and interpret questions/comments/criticisms. When I do the exit greeting, I don't try to say it to every person coming out. Rather I will pick about 1 out of every 10 to say it to; this usually covers everyone at or near the door at a given time.

The important thing if any complaints are fielded is to make sure they are communicated to the manager and dealt with so the customer won't have the same complaint the next time.

As with most of the things we do, the average people won't notice or care about the exit greeter. But it's a nice touch for that one person in 10 or 20 that actually notices or has something to say.

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Poon Limpapun
Film Handler

Posts: 40
From: Pathumwhan Bangkok Thailand
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 02-12-2009 01:58 PM

We do have exit greetings and as soon as the audience comes out we have our Concierge agents doing a PA on whats coming up next week and how to get the tickets, reservation, online, promotions and bla bla bla....

It does really work!

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Jason Whyte
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 132
From: Victoria, BC, Canada
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 02-12-2009 02:14 PM

If the manager makes him or herself noticeable at the start of the show, then it's good to be noticeable at the end of the show and let the audience approach THAT manager for comments, questions, complaints and so forth. One of our local indies does this and has a tremendous fanbase because of it. If customers want to talk, they'll approach you.

I hate hate HATE these big multiplexes that have someone who stands by the exit or asks while they're cleaning what you think of the film. I have ducked around them, left through the exit doors or even turned on my MP3 player just to ignore them. It's annoying and feels every time like they're forced to ask because management tells them to. I know they don't care what I think and sometimes I just want to leave in peace or talk to someone I DO know about the film first, not some kid assigned to pick up the garbage.

As I've mentioned in other threads, our stadium, 10-plex have theater cleaners that crank on cleaning lights and try to chat you up to get you to leave, by pretending to care what you think about the film then saying "Well, have a good night!" as if that's your cue to get the hell out of the auditorium.

I remember a friend and I went to see "Fast Food Nation" back in 2006 and there was some bubbly, loud young "operations manager" standing at the back force-starting a conversation with everyone who walked by her. The film had a rather dramatic end and some good credits, so our friend and I tried to talk about the film but all we heard at the back was:

"So how'd you like it?"
"So how'd you like it?"
"OH NO! hahaha!"
"So how'd you like it?"
"I don't know if I could watch that! Hahaha!"
"So how'd you like it?"
"So how'd you like it?"
"Thanks for visiting Empire!"
"So how'd you like it?"

Thankfully we went the OTHER direction and avoided her. All any manager or usher has to do is to remain somewhere in vision and if you make eye contact, simply say "Thank you! Have a good day/night."

As for the original post, to make any theater better, ensure that every element of the presentation, from the lobby to the auditorium, is the best it can be.

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Robert E. Allen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1078
From: Checotah, Oklahoma
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 02-12-2009 04:07 PM

When I was managing a single screener in northern Iowa I or my assistant would stand at the exit passing out mints or chocolate as the customers left. It was something they appreciated and they could talk to us about the film or anything else. We had a good customer base that was growing. Of course we charged only .99 cents admission which caused many customers to wait until the films they wanted to see came to our house.

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 02-12-2009 05:18 PM

What part of "Northern Iowa" is that? I've got relatives in those parts.

And with exit greeting, Loews liked having samples handed out, usually candies or mints that some company wanted to promote. I remember how a couple boxes of peanut butter rice crispy treats were gone over a week before the promotion was starting.

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