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Author Topic: rant on stupid customers Cameron Glendinning Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 845 From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 11-30-2006 11:40 PM                     I must admit that I have seen pretty much all of the above, over and over again!!! but on the punters side why should customers have to think? they want a night of mindless hollywood entertainment and give us money!!! not a university degree. Cinemas tend to ignore the fact that people have too many signs about today, its overkill and people tune out. If you want someone to actually read the Mens sign, get it made out of neon! My pet hate was once people coming to the Candy Bar asking for a Coke and Popcorn, My reply was what size ect pointing? this usually well caused a small delay. If there were hundreds in the que well it ads up. So one day when discussing the issue with other staff we came up with this. If they look small give them a small, medium sized get the medium, large people get the large. personally I found this a great way to upsize an order without asking, majority of time no comment from the customer, just a smile. That was not the response one would get if you gave a large person the small coke ect, that was also in the era when you could not go for a swim in a large one!!! I once worked at an IMAX theatre which had its toilets on the 1st floor and a million sign post to everything. no wonder a que use to form at the disabled toilet cubical, the only toilet on the ground floor! I've also worked at 3 cinemas where there was a gents toilet in the theatres front fire exit. anyway thats my 2 cents worth, having escaped the floor to the bio box over 17 years ago, dealing with the punters is only a memory.  |  IP: Logged Paul Van Dusen Film Handler Posts: 82 From: Roanoke, VA Registered: Feb 2006 posted 12-01-2006 12:36 AM                        I've always taught my employees to use a trick I learned in my fast food years. If they don't specify a size, look and them and say large. You kind of take the choice out of it because you didn't ask them, and 9 times out of 10 they just shrug and say ok.  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: California, U.S.A. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 12-01-2006 01:35 AM                     Thanks to a mix-up with the news paper an ad stating extra matinees on Friday ran. We didn't actually have them for some reason. Anyhow, when the Pepsi delivery came about 40 idiots decided to wander in off the street and proceeded to wait in our lobby until the driver found them and informed them the theater was in fact closed... Gee, ma, I wonder why there aren't any f*cking lights on in here? Yeah, and there's no popcorn, or hot dogs, or ... smiling people in BRIGHT RED FREAKIN SHIRTS TO HELP US!  |  IP: Logged Anslem Rayburn Master Film Handler Posts: 476 From: Yuma, AZ, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 12-01-2006 12:13 PM                     Holy crap. If you had 40 people willing to come in to your theater while you were closed, you should be open at that time. We have a hard time getting 40 people in while we are open during the day right now, and we still open every day.  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 12-01-2006 12:15 PM                        Dominic, that has happened before. I walked in on a customet randomly walking around in our closed building. "Are you guys not open? When do you open?" All of the lights, video games, everything was shut down. I asked how they got in, evedently the cleaning crew didn't pull the doors to make sure all of them were latched. All were locked, but one wasn't latched. Everyday, and I do mean everyday, we'll have people come, pulling on our doors, knocking, cupping thei hads around their eyes and trying to look in. They'll do this for quite a few minutes before giving up. Some will beat of the door harder, or should I said agrily. It's gotten to the point, if I pull up, and there's someone hover near our doors, I dip in next door at the pool hall and wait for them to leave. I hat 20 question, expecially when the customer won't understand that we aren't open yet. It's like dude, the lights are off, doors at locked, no one is here except for me, and I'm just getting here, what the heack are you thinking?  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 12-01-2006 08:39 PM                     You have to wonder if people do the same thing at McDonalds or Walmart in the wee hours of the morning...  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 12-01-2006 09:25 PM                     When I worked at the mall, people rattled on the doors in the wee hours. Some of these people were senior citizens wanting to get into the mall for the morning mall walkers ritual. The theatre I work at have RESTROOMS in neon above the hallway to the restrooms. Since the neon is about 6 feet above one's eye level, it's often missed. I instruct my staff to BE NICE when the customers stand in front of this hall and ask "Where are the restrooms?" It's my, and my staff's job, to ignore the signage and politely direct the customer to the restrooms.  |  IP: Logged Marc Hansen Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Seattle, WA, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 12-01-2006 09:43 PM                     Yes Jim they do. I own an automotive machine shop and I have people calling or pounding on the door 24/7. My favorite was the man who climbed over a locked gate and pounded on my locked door on Memorial day. He then told me that he had to since I had forgotten to open up!  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 12-02-2006 01:31 AM                        Um, don't you have sinage expressing something to the tune of "No Trespassing"? You could've called the cops on him. "Some strange man climed over my fence and is pounding on my door"  |  IP: Logged Marc Hansen Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Seattle, WA, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 12-02-2006 11:21 AM                     There are signs but as for the cops, they are pointless. They rarely respond, they just take a phone report. Two years ago they stopped responding to burgler alarms, said it took up too much time and they rarely got anyone. They only respond if a PERSON calls them and says that they actully see someone in the building. They told us to hire private security.  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 12-03-2006 03:22 AM                        quote: Marc Hansen They told us to hire private security. Shouldn't have to. However, it would be good to chase the stupid people off, and hopefulyl frighten the slightly enoug they'll think twice before jumping someone's fence, and they may help deter crime as an added bonus. Or you could just buy some pitt bulls, or dobermans or something, and teach them to be very territorial when you're closed. But that's risking someone getting bitten, and the could come back on you. Besides, I don't want anyone hurt, but maybe intimidated just enough to learn their lesson would be fine.  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-03-2006 06:51 PM                     Charles, that idea ("called the cops on him") doesn't seem very friendly or like good customer service. If the guy honestly thought the establishment should have been open (and that's what it sounds like, rather than an excuse for petty theft), the right thing to do is to educate him and send him on his way. Someone confused about an establishment's hours doesn't deserve to be arrested. Even if they trespass in their confusion, they're still not trying to be criminals, and they don't deserve arrest. More generally, with respect to recent posts in this thread. Customers don't read signs, and they don't have to. They're not going to the cinema to comply with regulations and read rules and soforth. They're coming to be entertained, and to take the easy way out. There's nothing wrong with that. And if they find the staff is generally surly, then they'll go somewhere else. --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Marc Hansen Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Seattle, WA, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 12-03-2006 09:26 PM                     Exactly John. If you lose your temper with them you not only lose them as a customer,which is not always a bad thing,but you can lose every one they talk to. That can be a bad thing. Marc  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 12-04-2006 04:22 AM                        quote: John Hawkinson If the guy honestly thought the establishment should have been open (and that's what it sounds like, rather than an excuse for petty theft), the right thing to do is to educate him and send him on his way. Naw, I suspect it's busybodiedness. The guy felt you should be open, at least for him. Understandably, we are there for the customers, but the costomers do someotimes then to be too self centered. We open 30min before the first show. Always have, but the other day a lady felt it was her duty to point out that our box office needed to be open eraly enough so that anyone can buy tickes in advance, at any time. She was NOT nice about this. She was trying to break the door to get in when I finally was able to go answer the door. That is when she started yealling at me, and telling me this. I let her know that we can't staff somone all 24 hours and that once we open, she can not only buy advance tickets for that day, but for later days as well, and even for some movies that aren't out yet. She wasn't happy with that either. I also let her know that Fandago would basically do what she was asking. She could go online at anytime, from any computer, and purchase tickets. But no, she wanted out box office to open just for her to buy her tickets 2 hours before we were supposed to open. Some customers are just bull headed. This is the kind of behavior I imagined when you described the customer as climbing your gate. This kind of behavior shouldn't be rewarded, however, you still have to be nice about denying it. A customer attempting to break in, for any reason, is still plain and simple, breaking and entering, and is a crime, even if they don't intend to steal anything. The lady almost got the cops called on her because she was quite plainly trying to force her way past the locked doors, into a place that was quite obviously closed, lights off and all. I was not visible until I went to respond to the activity at the door, so there would have been no visible staff there either. I mean, what was she going to do if she got in? Ring herself up?  |  IP: Logged Charles Phillips Film Handler Posts: 39 From: St. Charles, IL Registered: Jul 2004 posted 12-04-2006 05:52 AM                     Just smile, nod and pretend like you care. Remember your in customer service, not disservice. You can laugh or gripe about them later. Like in this thread! The only time I'd draw the line is when they touch you or threaten some one. Either it be you, your employees, or another customer.  |  IP: Logged

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