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Topic: rant on stupid customers
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Anslem Rayburn
Master Film Handler
Posts: 476
From: Yuma, AZ, USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 02-15-2006 06:17 PM
I haven't been able to find the actual law, but it is my understanding that you have to give a free cup of water if requested. No size limit that I know of. We offer 8 oz. plastic cups to anybody and their uncle that asks, and we have 4 water fountains in our lobby. Most people use the fountains, those that request a cup always get one.
It's never been an issue, but we would never refuse someone a cup of water. It amounts to free to us in the grand scheme of things, but means a lot to the person asking.
The homeless are not the only reason for this law, but I think it's a large reason. I just consider it the cost of doing business, and the investment is not that much. If our company ever got so cheap as to deny someone an 8oz cup with water in it, I would move on to better things.
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Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 02-17-2006 11:59 AM
quote: Paul Van Dusen
Actually, since we're a discount house our DM told us not to use the courtesey cups anymore.
Every time I think Carmike might've had time to get a few things right, in comes a DM to knock 'em back down again. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
quote: Mike Spaeth
Give them the same clean, friendly environment that they would get at a first run house (albeit without certain amenities, stadium seating, etc.) and they will return and bring all of their friends.
Damn straight. My theatre has gone from first-run, into the ground with UA; through a mixed period of rep, indie & second run on nights & weekends with Reading; and now we're open at 11 am, seven days a week with first run titles and we still get a great deal of newcomer patrons.
The students at the U of MN have 16mm student cinemas & DVD rentals in their dorms, yet they still come & pay to see a film in a clean theatre. There's a 15-screen Crown theatre a mile away, but we still get good, faithful crowds every weekend.
Our building owner is willing to fix items that need repair & put money into modest improvements & generous upkeep. We win an audience, not by having the latest ammenities & flair, but by having decent content that starts on time with a short trailer pack & fresh concessions items at reasonable prices.
And courtesy cups, we would certainly fail without these ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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Jason Winn
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 131
From: Mesquite, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 02-27-2006 02:52 PM
Ok, I got a lot of stupid customer stories. The first two are from when I worked in concession, and the rest are from when I worked in booth.
The first one happened more than once. Someone would order a bag of butter popcorn, and I would tell them they have to get the butter themselves. I even show them the butter dispensers at the end of the concession stand. After taking a couple of bites of their popcorn, they'll complain that I didn't put butter on their popcorn. Did they not hear that I just said they have to get the butter themselves? Freakin' idiots!
Secondly, for some reason when I worked concession, people would give me unintentional tips. They would place their order, then I'd get their food, and then take their money. I had at least 3 or 4 people that would just walk off before I gave them their change. They never said "keep the change" or anything like that. The would just walk off and forget about it. I'm not talking about a dime or two. I'm talking like at least a couple of dollars. One time, this girl left me like $9.00, but she came back later because she remembered that she forgot her change. No one else ever came back. Weird.
Working in booth, one of the most common stupid complaints we got from customers was: "Hey, can you fix the screen? There's these black bars on top and bottom of the screen." (refering to a trailer that's in the letterbox format) Freakin' idiots!
This one actually came from an usher, not a customer. One of the other projectionists (who sucks) started a movie, and the aperture plate was in the wrong position causing the picture to be all over the walls and ceiling. An usher called us and said, "Can you check the camera on #29?" Of course, me being the smart ass that I am, replied by saying,"We don't have any cameras in booth, but I'll definitely check #29." I hate it when people downstairs talk about booth and they think they know what they're talking about.
This next one really isn't stupid, just kind of weird. One night, I left one booth and was heading to another booth room(the theatre I worked at had 5 different booths). I walked past the elevator, and there was a guy standing there looking at me. I guess he saw me coming out of the booth, and he saw my radio, flashlight, and keys and figured I was a projectionist. Suddenly, he just got this look on his face like he won the lottery, and he yelled "WOW! YOU MUST BE THE PROJECTOR OPERATOR!" I smiled and said "yes" and then walked away. As I walked away, I turned around and looked back. He was still standing there and staring at me with utter amazement. Now, I started getting a little freaked out. I thought he was gonna stalk me or something. That was kind of wierd.
This one is my favorite stupid customer ever. We got this complaint during The Aviator: "Can you check the color? What's supposed to be green is blue, and what's supposed to be blue is green." I checked it, and I didn't see anything wrong with it. I don't know what the hell they were talking about. I've never seen a green sky and blue grass before. Whoever said that must've been smoking something.
And speaking of smoking something (see how I made that transition, damn, I should be a talk show host), I present my final stupid customer. I was upstairs walking towards one of our three main booth rooms. To get to the booth rooms, first you have to go through these double doors. As soon as I opened the double doors, the smell of marijuana almost knocked me out. It was really strong. I saw two teenage boys sitting on a bench and they looked like they were trying to hide something. At first, I just ignored them and went and started one of the projectors, because starting my movies on time was more important to me than dealing with a couple of stoners. After I started the movie, I walked out and they were gone. I went and told one of the other projectionists about it. We went back and we were gonna open the double doors to let it air out. I had assumed the two stoners had left, but I was wrong. After we opend the double doors, we looked at the back exit door which led to a staircase which led to the back parking lot. The door was propped open, and we saw little puffs of smoke coming through the crack in the door. So we opened the back door and kicked them out. Those guys are so freakin' stupid! First of all, if you're gonna smoke weed, don't do it in public, especially if the place is swarming with police officers. Our theatre always had cops(not security guards, but real cops) patrolling the entire building. They might as well have just walked right into a police station and fired up a joint. They're lucky we just kicked them out. We could've got one of the police officers and had them arrested. Freakin' idiots!
That about does it for my stupid customers.
"Why is everybody so fucking stupid? Why can't more people be like me?" -Kim-Jong Il, Team America: World Police
[ 03-10-2006, 03:22 PM: Message edited by: Jason Winn ]
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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 02-27-2006 10:56 PM
With regard to the Carmike theatre not taking CC's at the concession stand... not until recently did Carmike even accept CC's at most locations. (Behind the 8 ball, I know)
At any rate, it has less to do with taking a hit on CC transactions than it does with merely speeding the concession lines along.
I can personally attest that, when taking debit cards at the concession stands, our lines were significantly slower due, in part, to lots of folks using a debit card at both the box office, then at the concession stand. Couple that with the fact that they were charged .99 per transaction for the 'convenience' of using their plastic and they had to wait in line a little longer to do so. Carmike never would grasp that the debit terminals NEEDED an independant phone line or a high speed connection for processing.. NOOOOO that would add $40 to the monthly phone bill... and heaven forbid we wouldn't make that back on ANY given Friday night....
I stopped by my old theatre tonight... I'm glad I left. The stories I hear about recently implemented policies amaze me..
It's sad that the theatre bix, in generall, is losing most of, if not all of, the truly talented theatre level managers due to the mundane corporate blanket policies that are taking over. What ever happened to good old common sense? You hired a person, presumably a professional, and yet you simply allow them to open, count the money and close daily? No personal discretion on what may, or may not be best for the given location?
I miss the staff, I miss the patrons... I do NOT miss the Company.. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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