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Topic: rant on stupid customers
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Adam Wilbert
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 590
From: Bellingham, WA, USA
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-11-2005 08:38 PM
quote: Richard
IMHO that is wrong...The only way I would give out a pass, 1 pass is if the show can't go on. IE thrown print
That makes no sense whatsoever. That 1 pass that you're giving out only compensates the customer for the movie that they already paid for!, and does nothing to compensate them for the inconvienience of having to come back and sit through the first half of the movie again. 2 passes if the show cannot go on, one pass for anything else, even what you say is "minor". I wouldn't consider 5 minutes (and 40 frames) minor though.
Free refills at the stand should be policy, so that in an emergency situation, the concession people don't have to spend time trying to track you down when, frankly, you've got better things to do at that moment. And two bottled cokes probably set you back less than $2.00 (whatever your cost is anyway. I've heard people claim "that cost the company $6.00!" because they sell the soda for $3.00... ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif) )
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David Yauch
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 206
From: Mesa, AZ, USA
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 03-12-2005 12:43 AM
My general manager often quotes some stupid training movie he saw once which featured a guy who was asked one day after many years of going to the same diner to pay for the extra pickle he requested. He pointed out that he had been there for years and always gotten a free pickle but they wouldn't give it to him. Because of that he never went back and the diner lost his business. The oft-repeated moral is "give him the pickle!"
We give out a pass any time a major interruption occurs(anything more than a few minutes wait), and two passes if the show cannot go on(or a show was canceled for some reason). That way they can come back to see the show they purchased a ticket for, and we'll pay for another show to apologize for the inconvenience. People come to the movies to enjoy themselves, and they pay damn good money to do it too, just give them the pickle and keep them coming back.
If it's product quality or concession service, why not give them their order for free(after it's complete, of course)? If they got a pizza with one bad slice in it why not just give them a new pizza? If they order a pizza and you take too long to deliver and they want a refund, why not just give them the pizza AND a refund? Yes it costs you money, but just giving them a refund and no pizza means they spent nothing, and got nothing but a VERY bad taste in their mouth and a bad impression of your theatre. Treat them better than they are expecting and you not only make their experience more enjoyable, you give them the impression(which is hopefully accurate) that you run an honest operation and care about their time. Chances are you will make much, much more off of that customer in the future than that dollar or two that pizza cost you.
Just my two cents, and the philosophy the harkins chain has(thankfully) chosen to follow.
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 03-12-2005 03:11 AM
quote: Brad Miller
The way I see it, your show screwed up. This was not the customer's fault in any way.
Lol...like with me forgetting to change the carbons on that changeover that I posted...I KNEW that I FUBBED DUCKED real bad (even though it was funny to give those yelling idiots a faceful of that bright light..)for I'm the one to blame on that one ALL the way to the office..!
Hate to tell you Richard, that do you know that the "customers are ALWAYS right" - no matter what business they attend? They attend a business and they expect and demand perfection and professional service.
Give you an example: I used to work at a 21 screener as the booth manager and we were playing "Armegeddon" back in 1998. I started the show on time in a 400 seat house. The bozo floor staff sent the crowd into another house that had the same movie, but with a different showtime. It was funny that the house that I started wasn't very full on a wknd night.
25 minutes later, I got a call from downstairs to stop the show and they explained what happened to me and wonder on what I could do about it since the 300 plus people were pissed as hell being sent into a wrong house. I thought: "25 minutes, meaning a reel and a half was already wound on the ring." "OKEY-get those 300 people in the right house, I'll pull out the film, rewind the film back on the ring, plop this wind back in the center of the filmwind on the platter and I'll start the movie over. This will take me no more than 5 minutes to do." ... click.
..and it did. Took me no more than 5 minute to wind what was played back on the ring, plop that ring back in the middle in the filmwind on the platter. After the 300 where seated, I opened up the window and spoke loudly to the 400 people so they can hear me expressing apologies of such unprofessional handlings to the customers and will get the show on the screen very shortly. WOW!..they all cheered me for my speech and I hit the start button to begin the show again.
After the show was over with, some of the customers went to the manager and praised to him on how this unfortunate situation was highly resolved in an absolute and perfect manner.
In short of the unfortunate experience, only a very slight handfull DID get refunds, a slight handfull took passes, but the brunt of the crowd accepted the apologies and was escorted to the right house.
Remember (and to all): as members of the presentation world, we have to set a VERY HIGH EXAMPLE and HIGH STANDARD IMAGE of what we are presenting to the public. For we are being watched very carefully by some and by all.
The public will make the final decision, if and when they wish to participate at our complexes, be it only once and never visit again, or again and again as their favorite entertainment facility.
-thx Monte
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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 03-12-2005 12:58 PM
And now the argument I get all the time...
quote: Mike Spaeth
Passes cost the company nothing ... not doing anything and having a pissed off customer costs the company revenue in the future because that patron WILL NOT return. Giving out the passes in this situation helps with TWO different kinds of patrons.
According to our staff the patron WILL return!
We give out more refunds on tickets than we do passes some weeks.
The argument I hear all the time about things like this is that it's a small town, there's only 2 theaters, people arent' going to drive out of town to watch the movies, they'll just come back here and watch it.
Of course, just because YOU wouldn't drive out of town to see a show doesn't mean someone else won't. I would!
Here's a good scenario...
There's a Denny's here in Merced. It sucks. I even got food poisoning from it once.
There's a Denny's 20 minutes away that had a great GM, always out on the floor busting his ass along side his workers who were fast, clean, and courteous...Which one do you think I went to until that GM left?
Bottom line? Customer service is everyones job. Why? Because if the theater doesn't turn a profit, what do you think is going to happen to it when the lease runs out?
Now back on topic with a stupid customer!
Sunday night, last show getting out is Constantine. Running time is 2 hours.
I'm doing a last minute trailer change and shutting down, no one else is in the building but the closing concession attendant.
He comes up telling me there's some cranky lady down stairs demanding a refund for her popcorn. I told him the safe was locked and that she couldn't get it. He said "I told her that, she wants to talk to a manager".
Funny how my seniority only matters when they don't want to deal with someone...
So I came down stairs and asked her what I could do for her.
Immediately her attitude was fowl.
"This popcorn is stale and disgusting. It's got little pieces and I want my money back AND the tax."
I told her them same thing the attendant told her. "The safe is locked, we can't open it."
She says "well then get some one here to can".
I told her "We're the only ones here. If you had brought your popcorn to us earlier, when your movie was still on we might have been able to give you a refil of fresh popcorn or something."
Of course she interrupted me..."Well my kids were eating it, I just tasted it right now and I'm not going to stand for it."
So, she says "call your general manager down here."
I told her the GM was out of town and it wasn't likely she'd be making a special trip this late. She says "well then you'll have to give me the money out of your own pocket then."
So I told her I'd call our GM and to wait.
So I call the GM and she says to go digging for change and just give her the money back!
As I'm hanging up with her, EDI calls for the grosses. As I'm hanging up with EDI our attendant comes in and says the lady asked for me to hurry up!
So I came out with her $4.25 and appologized for the delay and the "stale" popcorn. I hold it out, she doesn't take it. I put it on the counter, she says "No, you coun't it out to me."
So I count it back. "And the tax?"
I explain to her, tax is included in the price, it's posted on our menu boards.
She throws the popcorn at the trash can and says it better be or we're in "big trouble".
Finally she leaves yelling about how we shouldn't serve popcorn like that because it ruins the whole experience.
Sometimes you just wish you could throttle them.
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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-12-2005 11:32 PM
I have two items of concern here.
1) The show goes down for a reason over which you have NO control, ie, electrical failure. Sorry, no refunds/passes if it's a couple minutes (generally, I go 10) Anything over, we do what it takes. FOr any other reason a show goes down, I have an operator, a "staff leader" or a long term employee go down while I am taking care of the problem and distribute comp passes to everyone in the house.
2) Free refills are a two sided sword that burnt my ass a few times. I stopped offering this as a result. Look at it like this... I patronize your establishment, yet I choose not to buy concessions. There is a mishap and the show is down 5 minutes. You offer those who purchased a coke or popcorn a refill. What about me? I paid the same admission to get in, I'm suffering the same interupption and yet I am afforded nothing... Yeah, it happened JUST LIKE THAT on a few occasions several years ago.
Refund/trip/comp/whatever you wanna call 'em tickets are the ONLY way to go.
BTW, Richard,
quote: Richard Greco
When of course the dumbass people come to the port hole and start yelling at me.....
Get your own head outta your ass. Your customer was not the problem here... Management isn't easy sometimes, but you ALWAYS must take into consideration what it's like in their shoes prior to making a decision. More often than not, you must do this at the same time you are assessing the situation....
Now is the time to talk to your boss about this policy and work toward a common resolve to ensure that the folks in the field, (who pay the salaries) are happy enough to come back.
I will give you this... as others have said.. some customers are better off never even coming thru the front door...
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