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Topic: rant on stupid customers

Jason Winn
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 131
From: Mesquite, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 02-28-2006 02:46 AM

quote: Ross Oba
This could be from the fact that Scorsese tried to make the film look as if it had been made using the film stock of that era.

Thanks, Ross. I didn't know that. I never actually watched the Aviator in its entirety. I just saw bits and pieces from booth. I didn't really know anything about the movie. Screw Scorsese for trying to make everything confusing.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 02-28-2006 03:06 AM

We had a lady in tonight with an oxygen tank. It sat there and went "PSS" every 5 seconds of the movie. I felt bad for her and all, but what's a person supposed to do in a case like this? We never got any complaints from anyone but it'd have driven me crazy to sit there. I've never had this happen before, amazingly. Anyone had this experience and how did you handle it?

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 02-28-2006 04:23 AM

Very difficult situation that we run into all the time with the developementally disabled. With certain conditions these individuals will make various noises, something that they have no control over. So what are you supposed to do when you have a patron moaning loudly in a movie or making other strange noises, even though its through no fault of their own? There is no easy answer. Just last month we had a developementally disabled patron who was grinding his teeth very loudly. And when I mean loud I mean loud, he was seated in the center of the auditorium and I could hear him from the back. I hated to do it, but I had no choice, I had to ask them to leave. I was polite as I could be about it, offered refunds even on the concessions, but it still sucked.

I believe I read somewhere on these forums recently that a gentleman had a similar situation at a theatre he ran and offered to run a private screening for the individual and his family.

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Phil Blake
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 558
From: esperance western australia
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-07-2006 02:09 AM

Well normally I have the patience of a saint, but this old guy tryed me last night,he rushed out just after I started the show belly aching about the lights still being on, me thinking the automation had "gliched" and light were not dimmed raced upstairs only to find the trailers were still showing. Downstairs i went appraoched the guy who was still complaining to my ticket seller, explained that the lights were up because the feature had not started.

He then told me this was unacceptable , I explained that the lights remained on the lowest setting until the feature started out of customer saftey , late comers could find there way in without falling over.

Again he went on stating that he had run cinemas all his life and the proper way was to exstinguish all lights completely prior to showing anything on the screen.

well .... .... I cant say I have ever sat in a cinema that operated this way , even drive in's. and I have not read any threads on here which had demonstrated this type of operation.

we parted company with me very [Mad]

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 03-07-2006 02:16 AM

Disney actually mounted a campaign a few years ago asking operators to turn the lights off during the trailers. Virtually everyone ignored it as far as I know, for the safety reasons you cite.

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Thomas King
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 119
From: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 03-07-2006 04:50 AM

Jason said "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."

I think that's a little unfair. Not everyone's a projectionist, and frankly I'd have been glad that they noticed there was a problem at all. As to lights: I take them down fully during the dolby tag, and have never had any complaints. Next they'll be asking you to play the adverts louder!

In regards to stupid customers, my favourite recently was someone who sat through 'The Aristocrats' and then came up at the end and said that they'd expected 'The Aristocats' and were not only disappointed, but mortally offended and wanted their money (the equivalent of a 2 minute bus ride) back. Evidently they had their fingers in their ears during the "If you think this is a disney film, please leave" announcement.

Someone also complained that our showing of the original 1979 Alien was 'the wrong vesion'. DVDs have a lot to answer for.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-07-2006 02:28 PM

quote: Phil Blake
well .... .... I cant say I have ever sat in a cinema that operated this way , even drive in's. and I have not read any threads on here which had demonstrated this type of operation.

Exactly! We put those trailers in there, in part, for the very reason that not everyone may have arrived, but it's not fair to hold the show for the latecomers. The trailers, while entertaining and informative, serve as a good compromise.

We always left our lights on during the trailers. When I closed an indoor I once had, I moved the auditorium dimmers out here, so I can go 1/2 down during the trailers (showoff!). The lights don't interfere with the sceens and people can still see where they're going.

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Justin Gorka
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 174
From: High Wycombe, England
Registered: Apr 2006

posted 06-18-2006 07:49 PM

I know what you mean about staff but when the tell me the films stuck, you rush to the screen and the slide projectors just come on.....Or the customer who asked to see the DVD box so she could see who the music was by......Or the customer who asked for the sound to be turned down cos it was scaring here three year old (Batman begins) or ...... Hell, I'll just write an essay!

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Jason Moore
Film Handler

Posts: 4
From: Raleigh, NC, United States
Registered: Aug 2006

posted 08-21-2006 12:23 PM

I was working box office during a busy period this weekend when a lady asked for 4 student tickets to Accepted. I told her I would need to see 4 student IDs.

Lady Customer: Well I don't have their IDs!
Me: Then, I'm sorry. I can only give the student discount with a valid student ID.
Lady Customer: What if I get my daughter's ID.
Me: I could give you one discount then. We can only give 1 discount per ID.
Lady Customer: That's stupid they're all obviously students.
Me: I'm sorry ma'am but that's our policy.
LC: Well, were is THAT written??
Me: Right here (I point to the sign right in front of her).
LC: (starting to yell) Well thats crazy! I'll just have 4 children's tickets then!!
Me: How old are the kids?
LC: They're all 13.
Me: Our children's tickets are for ages 2 through 11. I'll have to charge the adult rate.
LC: This is ridiculous!! What would happen if they were going to buy tickets to an R rated movie!?
Me: We would card them and they would not be able to see the movie.
LC: Because they're not adults!! They're not 18 so they're not adults!! (screaming at me now)
Me: Ma'am I'm sorry but these are company policies.
LC: Well then change them!
Me: I'm just a manager and I don't own the company. I do not have the power to change the policy. I can only enforce it.
LC: Just give me two adult tickets then!! I AM NEVER COMING BACK HERE!! I AM GOING TO CONTACT YOUR CORPORATE OFFICE!!!
Me: Let me give you their phone number.

I sold her the tix, gave her the number, politely thanked her for her purchase and she stormed off. I don't know why she only wanted 2 adult tickets. I think she was going to sneak them in the back door once she was in. I tried to catch her if she did this but since she was buying the tix for someone else I don't think she ever came in and I don't know what the 13 year olds looked like.
What theater gives out student discounts WITHOUT IDs?? What theater has a children's rate for kids under 18? From her attitude, I'm not sure if this woman had ever been to a theater before.

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 08-21-2006 04:17 PM

We dont have student rates at the company I currently work for but at my previous company we were told basically to use our best judgement and if they looked like students, then to go ahead and give them the discount. I basically told my staff to only ask obvious adults (20yr +) to see their Student IDs to avoid scammers.

Now on to my current post...

"There should have been a warning that this was a Gay Movie."

Quoted from a customer (and his wife) who walked out of "Night Listener" an hour after the start time and wanted a refund. I didnt want a scene in my lobby so I gave him a couple of passes in the name of "Customer Service". I am sure that there are going to be those of you who will disagree with that course of action (and I would have been one of them in the past) but I have been burned before by this kind of customer and it isnt worth the hassel. Better just to get them out of here as painless as possible.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 08-21-2006 05:08 PM

Did you have any walkouts from Talladega Nights for the same reason? [Big Grin]

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James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 08-21-2006 10:45 PM

We had someone ask for a refund for Talladega nights because of that kissing scene. (I thought that scene was funny...)

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Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 08-26-2006 11:51 PM

"What is Snakes on a Plane about?" [Roll Eyes]

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 08-26-2006 11:58 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
We had a lady in tonight with an oxygen tank. It sat there and went "PSS" every 5 seconds of the movie. I felt bad for her and all, but what's a person supposed to do in a case like this?

I would have bit the bullet and politely asked her to leave along with the offer to refund her money AND run the movie free of charge for her during non-operating hours. There's always things that need to get done during non-operating hours, so it's no big deal to let the film run through one extra time while you are busy doing other tasks to keep that customer happy (as well as everyone else in the initial showing).

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 08-27-2006 12:17 AM

quote: Michael Gonzalez
I have been burned before by this kind of customer and it isnt worth the hassel. Better just to get them out of here as painless as possible.

Boy... I couldn't disagree with you more... but I also understand your reasoning (not wanting the scene).

Somebody's got to have the authority to draw lines... and that's where I'm sure glad we own our place, rather than running someone else's. We have a pretty short rule set here, but it's uniformly applied. All the regulars know what to expect here, and the ones who get out of line are (now) few and far between.

This Summer however, I had a guy come into the snack bar and ask for "THE MANAGER". He had a blazer on, with a label that said "MEN". He also had stack of blank of papers, labeled "Friendly Contact Form". He got me... "THE OWNER", though I didn't tell him that right away.

This guy went through our men's room (10 stalls, 4 stand-ups) and noticed that 2 of them had run out of toilet paper... though an employee was in the process of filling them. He tried to make a big deal about it, saying that all stalls had to be filled all the time.

After several attempts to get our names on his "friendly contact form", using various threats (BBB, State officials, health department, etc), I finally told him that the only thing he was doing was missing his movie... and that if he didn't go out and watch it, he'd be missing the whole thing. He left, and we never heard anything about it... though I was kinda hoping to.

I think the whole scene was a scam for passes. We have chain theatres here where the pass roll will come out for just about any complaint... the head office just doesn't want to hear about it. I think there are those who know it, and will work it whenever possible. This particular goof just didn't know he was in a "mom and pop" shop.

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