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Author Topic: rant on stupid customers Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-06-2003 03:42 PM                        Every year our Chamber of Commerce sponsors a free matinee at Christmas time of whatever kids' movie we happen to be playing. I just punch up the tickets like usual, but don't collect any money...then the Chamber pays the whole thing. Of course, this show is always packed to the rafters with people lining up 4 or 5 hours early and we always have to turn a few people away. We always publish the doors-opening time, with a note saying seats are limited, and to "come early to make sure you get a seat!" A lady called me up last year complaining that her kids did not get in. Lady: They had friends saving seats for them. Me: That's not possible, we have 205 seats and there were 205 people in the theatre. Lady: Well, I think it's terrible that you don't have enough showings that everyone who wants to see the movie can get in. Me: Well, the Chamber of Commerce pays for everyone to get in, and the Chamber doesn't have unlimited money for this. Besides, the movie is showing all week so they could come to one of the other shows. Lady: Well it's not FREE then! This has happened to my kids two years in a row! Me: Maybe they should get in line earlier? Lady: I'm going to write to the newspaper about this. I think it's awful the way you do this to kids. (she hung up on me) Needless to say, no letter ever appeared in the paper.  |  IP: Logged Nicholas Roznovsky Expert Film Handler Posts: 156 From: College Station, TX, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 10-06-2003 03:52 PM                        That story reminds me of a woman who told me that the fact that we were sold out for an evening showing of Toy Story 2 was "un-Christian" and that I would "get what was coming to me." Not exactly the most Christian way to express her anger, but I guess whatever works...  |  IP: Logged Robert D. LaValley Film Handler Posts: 58 From: Florida Registered: Aug 2003 posted 10-07-2003 01:49 PM                     Oh another one. Customer calls in and asks " I was wondering how much your seats hold? " Reply " How many people in our auditorum do you mean? " Customer " No, How much wieght? " Reply (slighty stuned) " Umm.. Average person? " Customer " You don't know an amount? " Reply " How much are we talking here? " Customer " about 400 to 500 pounds " Reply " Um.. Of hand I wouldn't know. I know they hold 150 pounds.. " Customer " Oh ok then, do you mind if I just bring my own chair then? "  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-07-2003 02:37 PM                     Would you please!  |  IP: Logged Dave Williams Wet nipple scene Posts: 1836 From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 10-07-2003 04:54 PM                        I worked for a theater that a woman who was in excess of 400 pounds managed to squeeze somehow into the seats, then as she adjusted backwards they broke. She sued the theater and the theater settled out of court. The reason they settled is because there was no sign saying that the seats have any maximum load capacity. DOES ANY THEATER ANYWHERE HAVE THIS SIGN??? Dave  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-07-2003 06:47 PM                        2 words: retractable armrests I think the average weight of our audience here has increased since we installed them.  |  IP: Logged Robert D. LaValley Film Handler Posts: 58 From: Florida Registered: Aug 2003 posted 10-08-2003 01:56 AM                     A friend from another theatre chain told me this one: "I'm looking to find my daughter" - told to a manager by a creepy looking guy on a friday night. "What movie did she go to?" - manager "I don't know" - guy "Was she by herself? What was she wearing? Do you know what time she was seeing a movie? " - manager " Umm.. I know she came to this theatre.. " - guy Needless to say at this point the guy couldn't give any infomation which made it awfully hard to provide any assistance.. So the manager said to the guy to call the cops to report her missing.. When you have 18 screens with movies on more then one screen what would you do to try to find someone without disrupting the whole place and not having any info ??!?!?1?!??  |  IP: Logged David L Parlier Film Handler Posts: 23 From: Franklin, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Oct 2003 posted 10-09-2003 04:34 PM                        I have seen my share of stupid customers. Here is my top ten list of stupid customer questions or comments. 10) A gentlemn walks into a full lobby asking, "Are you guys open?" (No..we are here for the hell of it!) 9) I bet it sucks working Christmas Day! (Gee...thanks buddy) 8) Are you guys getting the movie with you know that one guy. (Maybe...check back next week) 7) What times do the movies start? (What did you miss the 30 foot marquee sign in the parking lot listing the movies and their times?) 6) Is the movie inside? (No...its out back) 5) Do you guys rent videos here? (Yes...there out back) 4) Goobers! What are goobers? (You have just recieved the tard of the day award sir) 3) Do you guys sell Coke here? (The Pepsi signs located everywhere don't give it away!...oh damn...on second though I hope they were refering to the drink) 2) How did I get from Georgia to North Carolina? (Ok...we are only located 15 minutes from the GA border and this comment came from a girl going to the rich stuck-up boarding school located about 20 mintues away. So, there is always a little friction between them and our local high schoolers. One of my younger employees responded with, "You see...you get out a little think called a map and look at it. The little bold black lines represent state borders. When you cross over them then you are in another state.") 1) This one is actually not a question at all! This woman comes up to the box office window wanting a couple of tickets. She then placed a huge bag of small change on the counter and pushes it towards one of my more interesting employees. Not wanting to count the hundreds of pennys he just stared at her and said, Nothing. He looked like "The Rock" staring somebody down during a wrestling match. This went on for about 2 minutes before the customer picked-up the bag and walked away.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-09-2003 04:45 PM                        quote: one of my more interesting employees I don't even want to think about what that means. To have an employee just sit there staring at someone until they pick up their bag of change and walk away is sorta, well, "rude?" As is the conscending comment about the maps.  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-09-2003 06:26 PM                     I just wish I had the guts to rude to more customers, more often. Some of these people just don't seem to think.  |  IP: Logged Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 10-09-2003 09:32 PM                     I got one. A couple of kids showed up to see a movie last week and they paid with dime, nickle and penny rolls and I happen to be working box. I accepted the rolls but told them (politely I might add) that we are not a bank and that in the future to PLEASE not bring rolls of change in the future. Well do think that was the end of the story, of course not. Later that night, the kids mother and demanded to know why I YELLED at her kids and how dare I treat my customers that way by not happily accepting their rolls of change. She runs a business and she would never dream of treating customer this way. I somehow manage to stay nice to her but of course I was tempted to ask here where she worked so that I could show up with a bunch of change to test her statement.  |  IP: Logged Philip Wittlief Film Handler Posts: 57 From: Chicago, IL Registered: May 2003 posted 10-09-2003 09:38 PM                        Another thing that annoys me... not really customers being stupid but still annoying. When you ask if they want butter on their popcorn, the majority of people who don't make a big deal about saying 'no' as if i'm gonna go tell all their friends that they're pigs and got butter on their popcorn.  |  IP: Logged David L Parlier Film Handler Posts: 23 From: Franklin, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Oct 2003 posted 10-09-2003 09:59 PM                        Oh, I agree with you that the coin thing was rude and this employee was made aware of his incorrect decision. However looking back the incident was funny.  |  IP: Logged Richard C. Wolfe Master Film Handler Posts: 250 From: Northampton, PA, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 10-09-2003 11:43 PM                        There are many things that I could add to this list of stupid things that patrons do or say, but I'll only list one at this time. I think I've heard this several hundred times during my 33 years here, and it amuses me the most. There are almost always people out front waiting for the box office to open previous to the time that we advertise as our opening, and I usually open five to ten minutes early as it is. When those people arrive there are only a few clusters of lights lit on the marquee ceiling. They get to see the dark lobby become lit through the glass front doors. Suddenly the huge marquee lights up... hundreds and hundreds of bulbs begin to chase around the attraction panel or flash the theatre name on and off. Then the cashier and I come out the front door and she enters the box office. This being an old single screen we still have the box office out front at the sidewalk line before you get to the entrance doors. I go to the front of the box office and say "excuse me" to the person standing there, and then help the cashier remove the security cover from the ticket opening in the box office window. I then usually turn to that first patron and say something like "OK, we're all ready" and then turn and enter the theatre. I usually stand in the lobby to observe everything going on, and I see that first patron and their spouse, friend or child enter, give there ticket to the doorman, then cross the main lobby to enter the auditorium. As they enter the doorway to the aisle I will often hear one of them say to the other "OH MY GOD, THERE'S NO ONE HERE!" I wonder... what do those people think we do, sell tickets earlier at the back door or what? They had to know that they were the first to be let in but are surprised that no one is there. [ 10-11-2003, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: Richard C. Wolfe ]  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-10-2003 08:05 PM                       Richard, that's funny! I'm rolling!  |  IP: Logged

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