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Author Topic: Properly Staffing A Theater Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 08-16-2003 01:34 AM                        Mike I find it is more helpful to look at payroll from an hours per patran perspective due to the fact that some employees may be making a higher rate than others.  |  IP: Logged Brent Mahaney Film Handler Posts: 43 From: Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 08-16-2003 02:21 PM                    I am not changing situations. I am simply pointing out how ridiculously low we have been running our payroll this summer. We have had unreasonable demands placed on our shoulders, and those are going to continue this fall when we are doing 125-150 people per night and running a twelve screen with three people. Let me spell out what I'm talking about. One Saturday in May, we did 4100 people with a payroll of 3.4% and a cost per person of .26...anybody who knows anything about stats can plainly see that we were GROSSLY understaffed. I thought I was going to puke after my shift that afternoon. The stress was unbelievable, not to mention that you have to deal with complaints all day long. We have since been permitted more hours to work with, but not many.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-16-2003 04:19 PM                     Its seems today that the policy is ignor local regulations and run the place as cheaply as you can.... after all the policy will NEVER be written down so the company is always in the clear! and the manager is always to blame If there is a problem, fire, accident whatever then the duty manager is responsible and the company will deflect blame onto them. The licence holder is deemed responsible and will always carry the can. We all know that the afternoon shows are usually the quietest and therefore the most costly to run.... but you are either in the business or not, you carry the rough with the smooth. During the holiday period the afternoons are quite often the busiest. As Gerard says, I would hate to be in a large building in an emergency with no staff to assist an evacuation, I've been in many multiplex's where most of the lighting was out due to no matintenance. God knows what it would be like in a power cut. About 4 years ago the company representative, in charge of maintenance, of the company I worked for actually advised the manager that a fault with the emergency lighting was not a problem.... all he had to do was make sure all the staff had torches! Fortunatly the manager, being a real cinema manager and very experienced, was no fool and the matter was taken further The policy in many cinemas seems to be keep doing it until you get caught.... then blame the manager. Another issue is the causal passing from one screen to another of under age patrons.... without the staff to keep an eye on things its no wonder this illegal practice continues, breaking the law and defrauding the distributors. I'm surprissed that things are not more tightly controled in America...  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 08-16-2003 08:34 PM                        Brent ... I agree ... $.26 is WAY too low ... for a busy Saturday I would say that, conservatively, the number should be $.40 - $.45  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 08-17-2003 11:01 PM                        To provide a proper level of service in a large theatre you need to be over .55 cents per patron or roughly .70 Hours per patron anything less than that to me is unnaceptable. I would suggest to every manager on this board to go out and buy a book called "The OZ Principle" and if you can find it a book called "Raving Fans" both have helped me a lot. Basically it is possible to have a tight payroll budget and run your building effectively. Are all your staff coming on at the same time? Are they all leaving at the same time? What you often see in a multi is a schedule like this... Joe 10-5 John 10-5 Mary 10-5 Sue 10-5 Jimmy 10-5 Sam 10-5 Rick 10-5 Brad 5-12 Joe 5-12 Rachel 5-12 Steve 5-12 Robert 5-12 Carlos 5-12 Becky 5-12 Nate 5-12 Josh 5-12 Paul 5-12 Roger 5-12 That example uses 126 Hours at lets say an average rate of 7.50 is $945 spent on staff with a maximum of 11 employees on for the busiest period. Lets look at another example... Joe 10-3 John 11-4 Mary 12-5 Sue 10-3 Jimmy 3-8 Sam 3-8 Rick 3-8 Brad 5-10 Joe 5-10 Rachel 5-10 Steve 6-11 Robert 6-11 Carlos 7-12 Becky 7-12 Nate 6-11 Josh 6-11 This example uses only 80 hours at the average of 7.50 an hour that is $600 on staff a savings of 46 hours and $345 Dollars. also we have added an extra person during the busiest period. It is harder to schedule but believe me it does work and it will save hours and money.  |  IP: Logged Don E. Nelson Expert Film Handler Posts: 138 From: Brentwood, CA, USA Registered: Nov 2001 posted 09-15-2003 02:52 PM                     thanks for the suggestions  |  IP: Logged

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