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Topic: Employee Passes

Mark Huff
Film Handler

Posts: 69
From: Springfield, IL, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 11-19-2003 04:17 PM

So what is the new pass policy at Cinemark?

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-20-2003 09:22 AM

Actually, the whole new pass policy has been put on hold pending review.

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 11-27-2003 01:53 PM

Every place I've worked at basically did the same. You and one guest on your day off. If you ask for a day off and then come see a movie, you have to pay. Only one place I worked at allowed employees to have free popcorn and soda when they came to see a movie.

There have been a few instances where I felt the management was being unfair. Like when I brought my mom and dad to see a movie, one of them had to pay "Because you are only allwed ONE guest." Come on now, folks. Grow a brain outside of those corporate memos and make your own judgement.

I also disagree with employees being allowed to see a movie only when "it looks like it won't sell out." This seems like pure greed to me. Unless the theater sells to 0 seats, this rule has no merit. And if I were already seated and asked to give up my seat because a "paying customer" who came late is going to fill it, I would come to the understanding that my boss would rather make $4 extra from a stranger instead of giving me $4 worth of appreciaion for my work and would seriously consider working elsewhere. Some of these places don't even pay their employees enough per hour to buy a ticket to the place they work at. Pathetic.

=TMP=

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Lauren Fisher
Film Handler

Posts: 12
From: Dallas, TX, USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 11-28-2003 03:54 AM

when i worked at hollywood theatres in south ft.worth, (wallace corporation), we were allowed family and guests (not excessively according to the manager). we also got free drinks, and as long as we gave notice to the manager that we were coming, we could get into any movie, seller out or not. in fact we were allowed to come to screenings. those were fun nights....when i left i was given 18 free tickets.

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Rachel Craven
Madam Moderator

Posts: 2190
From: Pensacola, FL
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 11-28-2003 10:52 AM

We let our employees in on shifts that they are not working, with one guest as long as they don't overdue it. They get free drinks and popcorn (in their own cup).

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Tony Ratcliff
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 216
From: Madison, IN, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 11-28-2003 11:55 AM

I tried the "free drink in their own cup" until one day I realized how bad it looks to the customers for someone who is not working to get a drink in a private cup.
Plus I am very strict on no outside food or drink.
So it looks funny when my employee is drinking from a 7-11 cup watching a movie.

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 11-28-2003 03:51 PM

Lauren:

I find it hard to believe that the policy you stated is the "official policy" ... more like a GM that decided to skirt around the rules.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

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

posted 11-28-2003 11:45 PM

From Tom:

quote:
I also disagree with employees being allowed to see a movie only when "it looks like it won't sell out." This seems like pure greed to me.

You probably won't care much for our policy then, either...

We have pretty large auditoriums, by local market standards... so we don't sell out often. However, if there's any question whether a seat will go to a paying patron or a staff member, the patron will win every time. Sorry, Tom, but we're doing this for the public, not the staff. Passes are a bennie... subject to availability.

You might like this even less: If a staff member comes into either of our theatres as a freebie... and we find ourselves so busy that we need extra help, I expect the freebie staff member to pitch in... until the rush lets up enough that I can let that person off first. That's part of the price I expect for the free movies I offer my staff, their family and guests.

In my mind, this is an entirely reasonable policy. If I'm fortunate enough to have a sell-out here, no staff member, expecting to occupy a seat on a pass, is going to displace a member of the public with cash in his hand. That's just the way it is.... sorry.

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 11-29-2003 12:19 PM

But Jack, you missed my point. Do you sell your seats out to zero? If not, there's no reason you should kick your employees out so that paying customers (who probably came in late if they can't find a decent seat) can have better seats.

And if I came with my family or friends to enjoy my day off and was asked to "pitch in" during the rush, thus missing part of the movie, I would simply say "No" walk outside, buy a ticket, flash it in the manager's face with a sarcastic grin, and waltz into the movie. Now I am a customer. After which I would seriously consider going to another theater in the future. To play OR to work...

I can't ration the thought of, "Sorry, but this $7 that this person has, of which 90% will go to the studio anyway, is more important that the hard work you have been doing for me. Now vacate that seat."

Would your tune change if the employee and his/her guests had purchased concessions exceeding the value of the tickets to the seats which they occupy?

=TMP=

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Darren Crimmins
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 130
From: Dallas, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 11-29-2003 02:57 PM

I take it that if this "freebie" employee is willing enough to lend a hand on his time off, he gets finacially compensated for it, on top of being able to see his movie, right?

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

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

posted 11-29-2003 03:49 PM

quote:
And if I came with my family or friends to enjoy my day off and was asked to "pitch in" during the rush, thus missing part of the movie, I would simply say "No" walk outside, buy a ticket, flash it in the manager's face with a sarcastic grin, and waltz into the movie. Now I am a customer. After which I would seriously consider going to another theater in the future. To play OR to work...

You would have to, because the manager's face that you flashed with your sarcastic grin would belong to my wife, my daughter or me.

quote:
I can't ration the thought of, "Sorry, but this $7 that this person has, of which 90% will go to the studio anyway, is more important that the hard work you have been doing for me. Now vacate that seat."

The $7 is much less an issue than the PR surrounding whether we can put that member of the public into a seat. I'll go out of my way first for them. If you work for me, you will too.

______________

From Darren:

quote:
I take it that if this "freebie" employee is willing enough to lend a hand on his time off, he gets finacially compensated for it, on top of being able to see his movie, right?

Yes. I also pay a 2 hour minimum whenever I call someone in to clock on.

Again, however... the attitude of my staff is pretty important. If they don't enjoy being here, and if the customer doesn't hold some level of priority, they don't last very long. The free movies come with the package. However, If I get unexpectedly slammed and I have staff in the place that refuses to help out because they're in on a freebie... I'd just as soon see them work for the competition, and would likely write a recommendation to encourage it.

Besides... both of you... this isn't something that has high odds of happening often. It's not likely that a sell-out picture would be on the pass list anyway, making this even less an issue. But on the off-chance that it might happen, this is what I expect, and it's made pretty clear to everyone before they get very far into their training here. In the past 17 years, I don't recall that I ever had any employee flash his pass at me and snicker on his way into one of my auditoriums whether we had lines around the lobby or not.

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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 11-29-2003 03:53 PM

Jack,

You sound like you'd be a good employer to work with/for. It is, after all, the customer who keeps us in business. Seems like folks keep forgetting that important factor. A paid admission bests a 'giveaway' at all times.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

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

posted 11-29-2003 04:02 PM

Thanks, Jason.
For better or worse, the system works pretty well here... and we do have staff here that have been with us the whole 17 years.

Perhaps more impressive... to me, anyway... I have 3 daughters that work in the business. One is a manager here and actually has a passion for the work. That she can work for her "old man" is a frequent source of amazement! [Smile]

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Tony Ratcliff
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 216
From: Madison, IN, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 12-01-2003 02:09 PM

When any of my staff are at the theatre to see the movie, I do not have to ASK them to help if we get slammed. They just automatically jump behind the counter and dig in.

I'll offer to pay if them if they spend more than 5-10 minutes, but they usually just ask for their concession for free, if they take anything at all.

I guess I'm just lucky enough to have this type of people working for me.

Hour-counting people working here just for the paycheck don't last very long working for me. They get bored and move on to "a better paying job."

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Blake Zaugg
Film Handler

Posts: 57
From: Lafayette, LA
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 12-03-2003 11:20 PM

I agree with Jack again. It's not about the $7 or ($3 at our theatre) but all about image. If a show is expected to sell out, I would rather not see any of my unscheduled "off shift" staff at the theatre at all. (More times that not they are a distraction to the working staff) but it's all about image and PR. Customers recognize staff whether they are working or not. Customers should never feel like it is our staff before them. The customer should always come first.

As a side note, just like Jack says, it rarely happens at our theatre, and staff have more than ample time to check out the show another time, 4 shows a day 7 days a week. If a sell out is expected it is usually only the 7:00 show on a Fri or Sat. So that is 2/28 shows I'd rather they weren't here. I don't think that is asking too much.

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