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Author Topic: Signs you may be spending too much time in the box office... Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-11-2004 12:04 PM                        With that kind of attitude, I would not only be taking your chair away, but I would be taking your job away as well. Do the concessionists, ushers, or projectionists sit??  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-11-2004 12:07 PM                     quote: Jason Black Unless there is a physical handicap or medical reason, cashiers shoudl NEVER be allowed to sell tickets while seated. It looks, in my opinion, very unprofessional. Being seated while there no customers present is fine, but when my cashiers see customers, they'd better be standing.. Typical Carmike mentallity: Procedural, not practical. I worked Box at a Carmike where the "all-too-tough" management staff took the chairs out of the box office. Well, standing is company policy, so I stood. I was eye-level with the box office marquee, so the customers could only see my chest, and I could only see the back of the marquee casing. OOPS! But that breaks company policy about making eye contact! BRILLIANT!! I had to keep slouching to reach for the money, give tickets, work the register... so I said fuck it, and just started kneeling on the floor the rest of the time. My head poked up above the counter from my shoulders-up. How's THAT for professional? I think I may have said it before, but the term "acting professional" has no place in the workplace. One reason being that everyone has their own definition of the term. I could be considered a "professional" at one theater because I can crank out 100 tickets a minute in Box Office or 50 concession transactions in a half hour, greet the people, smile, thank them, give correct change, etc. While at another theater, (i.e. Carmike) just because I sit in the box office or I don't upsell/annoy the customers 100% of the time, I am "being unprofessional" -- Professional means you are an expert at what you do. You have special skills that set you apart from others. It's not about whether your nametag is at a perfect 90-degree angle to your neck or that you're wearing black socks or you answer your phone, "It's a great day in Tampa Bay"! -- Because if you have to ACT professional, then you certainly aren't. Let the people do their job the best they can however they feel comfortable, within reason of course, while maintaining a clean and safe environment. I guarantee employee morale will soar if you don't have to yell at the doorman for slouching after he's been forced to stand for six hours and only tore 12 tickets. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-11-2004 12:45 PM                     I couldnt agree with you more Thomas. And if they want people to stand to be professional, how about those managers stand while they are counting money upstairs at the end of the night. Hell, I am standing while I am posting this, because I want to act professional.  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-11-2004 01:36 PM                     I don't think anyone is advocating standing 100% of the time, only when there is a line at box. Not only do I also think standing is more professional while selling but I have noticed my cashiers sell faster while standing. Naturally common sense must enter into the equation for people of varying heights.  |  IP: Logged Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 07-11-2004 05:44 PM                     Mike, you need to reanalyze how you manage you people. If I were working for you and you were that strict, I'd quit in a heartbeat. You need to understand that happy workers are good workers. If you are that strict to you box people, I feel sorry for them.  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-11-2004 07:47 PM                     Didn't your mother teach you to stand up when you greet someone? It shows respect to the person and it's quite impolite to do otherwise. Sheesh ... the kids these days.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-11-2004 09:07 PM                        I don't believe that requiring workers to stand in the box office is strict. There is a huge difference between a fun workplace and a professional workplace. I expect certain things of my employees. Standing in the box office is one of them. Would I be an eevil manager if I took a stool away from the doorperson? Explain to me the difference in logic. Both positions are on their feet for their entire shift, yet one of them should be allowed to sit?  |  IP: Logged Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 07-11-2004 10:55 PM                     I personally don't notice if a cashier is standing or sitting. It has no bearing on many of us customers. What is important is the cashier be quick to hand me the tickets, knowledgable about the movies or halls(instead of just a shrug like who cares), and not look bored. If a chair enables someone to do their job better, they should be allowed to do so. As Thomas says, height plays a factor too. At the very least, let them sit in the less busy periods.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 07-12-2004 12:35 AM                        I was just up at the Century Suncoast this evening (just walking by, cashing in the last of my free drink tickets in the casino ) and noticed that the ticket taker was sitting too (on a stool provided for the purpose). So, standing before the customer must not be that big a thing here. But this town is very casual (maybe too casual ), especially off the Strip.  |  IP: Logged Ben Holley Film Handler Posts: 65 From: Texas Registered: Feb 2004 posted 07-12-2004 01:03 AM                    My work uniform right now is a blue tshirt that says Thunderbirds on it so sitting down shouldnt make me look much more 'unprofessional'. I dont think many people would notice if you are sitting down or not, what they would notice was if you were bitter or nice to them(as mentioned above). And standing my whole shift wouldnt make me mean or ruin my day but it would make the differance the next time a manager asked me to stay late or come in on a day off to cover someone elses shift. On a busy day each box office cashier can sell around 1500 tickets no prob, while doing customer service and answering never ending phone calls. So if i was told i couldnt sit down inbetween tasks I would be gone. When sitting is outlawed, only outlaws will sit. And Mike, jokes on you...i wouldnt be needing a stool if you were going to take my job away  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-12-2004 02:18 AM                        Where did this 'standing up in the box office' idea come from? I can't see the rationale or origin. It's just recent with the big multiplexes - the classic single screeners had a cliche of someone sitting on a high stool in those standalone boxoffices; even when the twins & multi's came in the person running the box was seated. Did it start in the 1990's? Personally, my impression when seeing folks standing in the boxoffice is of an understaffed, hectic operation. Folks look like they just darted in from cleaning up or something because the boxoffice became the new emergency, & they're working it fast to immediately run back out & fix the bathrooms or something. Easily the most panic-stricken look in a boxoffice is 3 people standing, one being a manager with a headset, all frenziedly flailing away at the box.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-12-2004 02:21 AM                     .... You've discovered the magic of Nametag-Magnet-Art  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-12-2004 02:22 AM                  quote: Paul Mayer ...cashing in the last of my free drink tickets in the casino... Getting ready for a flight, huh Captain? >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-12-2004 03:22 AM                        we have a high stool at the door as well. 99% of the time it's a stationary job. really, who gives a flip? workers stand at concession because the counter is higher, they have to move around to fill orders, others have to move around them, etc. it just makes more sense. but there is a stool back there as well. between sets (if there is such a thing) there's nothing wrong with sitting and reading a book, as long as you're ready to serve should someone appear. carl  |  IP: Logged R. Andrew Diercks Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere) Registered: May 2003 posted 07-12-2004 11:23 AM                     Many of you are missing the entire point. I didn't see anyone post standing as a requirement 100% of the shift. Just while selling tickets. If it's slow, stand when a customer comes, sit when you are done. Our boxoffice counter is the same height as our concession counter. Sitting is and appears lazy. As I said before, acting and appearing professional directly effects how professional you actually are. Some customers are plain ass holes and I have to "act" professional to them when really I want to be a wise ass and tell them how stupid they are. If someone wants to quit because I expect them to "act" professional, fine you were looking for a job when you found this one. In fact they will probably be fired before they quit. I don't employ lazy-asses. I don't run a social club and I could care less about the feelings that my expectations are high. Our whole society has a low expectation of itself and kids are plain lazy asses that expect a paycheck with no work.  |  IP: Logged

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