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This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
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Topic: Academy 6 in Pasadena SUCKS!!! (and how to manage customer complaints)
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Aaron Mehocic
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 804
From: New Castle, PA, USA
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 09-05-2004 07:23 PM
Since it sounds like we're all friends again . . .
I don't want to beat this to death, but I think Dustin explained it best when he pointed out that I was speaking about policy, and Manny was arguing experience. With respect to the situation I would have handled it differently then the "manager" at the Academy 6, but I was trained to offer passes first. Guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
quote: Manny Knowles
To all of you with the "passes first" policy/mentality: What is the logic that allows you to keep the patron's money when you have not delivered what they paid for? Why make them ask for it when they are entitled to it?
You answered your own question and Dennis pointed that out in a direct quote. One might also attach this line from a former manager:
"I can care less how many people come through that door, but I care a whole hell of a lot as to how much money they're spending at that stand." He actually didn't mind giving passes because he knew the people would be extorted while buying concessions again on their second visit, but try getting a cash refund from him . . . well you know.
quote:
I have got a different sort of issue. Customers that watch an entire movie, with no technical difficulties, then demand their money back - because in their opinion - 'the movie sucked' . Tell me how you handle that one.
Yep we had another former manager who would hear that and suddenly run for the pass book. One of his assistants advised him to tell 'em:
"We don't make them, we just run them. NOW GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!!" Unfortunately that never went over too well. Seriously though, people like that need to be put in their place. They've become too accustomed to this Wal-mart / Burger King philosophy of the customer is always right. Most of the time the average, non-theater employed customer really doesn't have a clue about what he / she is talking about.
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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 09-05-2004 10:09 PM
Umm, actually the customer IS always right. I agree with the more ridiculous things ... but why are people so skimpy with the passes? The pass costs you, the operator, nary a cent (with the exception of the paper the passes were printed on). If all it takes to bring a customer back is a pass, I'm all for that. If it takes a cash refund, so be it. Please the customer and they will return.
"Seriously though, people like that need to be put in their place. They've become too accustomed to this Wal-mart / Burger King philosophy of the customer is always right. Most of the time the average, non-theater employed customer really doesn't have a clue about what he / she is talking about."
I would never "put a customer in their place." Some customers are more difficult then others, but there is always a way to please them. This "philosophy" to which you refer apparently works, because both of those companies are top-notch companies that are growing larger every day, while the average theater company is barely skirting bankruptcy. Do you understand the internal operations of a Wal-Mart? Does that mean that you have no right to complain about anything that goes on there?
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Jack Ondracek
Film God
Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 09-05-2004 11:16 PM
quote: Mike Spaeth
Umm, actually the customer IS always right.
Ummmm.... well, that might be the topic for a whole 'nother discussion.
The customer is always "the customer". However, the customer is NOT always RIGHT.
In the years I've had my business, I've tossed quite a number of people who had that "I left my $5 at the boxoffice... I now own a piece of the rock" attitude. They're quite surprised to find that I won't tolerate their verbal abuse of my staff, or disrupting other customers in any way. The end result is that my staff is happy here, and loyal. They know they'll be backed up by management if a customer gets out of line. My customers are also appreciative of the place, knowing they don't have to deal with obnoxious patrons who get away with murder because the weasels that own the business put the customers money ahead of others' enjoyment of the experience.
Sorry to rant on this, but I do not subscribe to that "always right" label. It flat ain't so. Somewhere along the line, a business needs to have minimums as operational baselines... and most businesses I know of actually do have them.
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Daniel Fuentz
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 230
From: Fresno, CA, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 09-06-2004 05:06 AM
Manny, I understand your situation completely. I have only had words with management at two different theaters, and had totally opposite outcomes both times.
While visiting a Cinemark location in another town, someoen turned the flourescent cleaning lights on during the credits to the movie. Not only did that blind the people still in the theater (There were still about 15-20 people in there) it made the credits unreadable. I went to the concession stand to tell the staff what had happened, and the worker said NOTHING to me. Not even a half-assed apology -- he said absolutely nothing! I sent an email to the theater, never expecting to hear back. I did get a very nice email of apology from the manager, and 4 passes. Because of the way they handled that, I do go back there, even though the theater itself isn't anything special...
Now, the bad experience I had was at a UA 8-plex here in town. I had already had some bad experiences at this theater, but returned against my better judgement because the movie I wanted to see wasn't playing anywhere else in town. About 20 minutes into the movie, I hear what sounds like hammering coming from behind me. This goes on for like 5 minutes, but I don't see anything so I am wondering if someone is standing in the hallway banging on the wall or something. Just as I am starting to get up and check it out, the noise stops. About 5 minutes later, the hammering noise resumes. I lok up at the porthole, and there is a worker, banging away at something while a show is running! I went to the box office, and told the person there that I was watching a movie in #5, and there was loud hammering going on that was VERY annoying. She said she would go up to the booth and tell them to stop. 10 minutes later... more hammering, and the sound of nails being torn out of wood. I went back to the box office and got the manager this time. I said this was the second time I had been up there to complain about hammering going on in the booth, and I would really like it to stop immediately so I could try and watch the rest of the movie. He did not apologize, instead offering the lame excuse "Oh, they're installing a new slide projector..." to which I replied "Can't they do that when a movie isn't showing?" They did finally quiet down until the movie was over, but I was so pissed off that I have never set foot in that theater again. (I would have left the first time, if the movie was showing anywhere else within driving distance!) Well, all the friends I told my story to all said the same thing... "Why weren't they doing that before the theater opened?"
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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 09-07-2004 08:51 PM
I can't believe we're even debating this. The ticket seller makes a mistake, the patron doesn't get to see the movie - they get the CASH back that they paid, period. It doesn't matter if it's inconvenient to the theatre - that's not the customer's problem.
The theatre has no right to a profit on that sale because they provided no service.
Technical problem during the movie? OK..I suppose no harm in offering passes first, but anyone who wants a cash refund should get one.
Customer decides they didn't like the movie at the END of a movie? I'd be friendly with the customer, but I would not give them anything. Customer decides they don't like the movie 20 minutes in? As long as they were nice, I'd give 'em a pass.
Lights come on during the credits? I'd apologize, but I'd only give a pass if the customer was really upset and seemed like a film geek who really cared about the credits.
For the record, when I've come out of a film in the 1st 15 minutes and told the manager that I didn't want to see the film because of the technical quality of the presentation or the quality of the print, I have always received cash back. I've NEVER had to ask for it.
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. Sorry about that, but that theatre has been a dump since Mann Theatre dumped it in the early 90's. It was once a beautiful large single screen house and their best house in the area. (before the plexing) The theatre was picked up by the same owner that owns the old GCC South Bay Tri-plex. He just bought the equipment out of the former GCC, later AMC Beverly Connection 6 near the Beverly Center. He bought the booths and what was behind the screen and snackbar equipment recently. And he is a former theatre projectionist too.
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