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Author Topic: Dealing with slow customers Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-08-2004 02:30 PM                     We always layer butter in the middle and are accommodating the customers putting other things in the middle. But we also always make eye contact with the next person in line and ask if we can get their order started. It's all up to training and setting examples. Don't let the employee stand there dumbly and wait for the next customer, be proactive.  |  IP: Logged James Faber Film Handler Posts: 66 From: Des Moines, Iowa , USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 11-08-2004 03:49 PM                        Yeah, I usually try to help the next person in line, if there is enough room. A lot of times couples will come up to the concession and stand abreast, and there is just no room to get another customer up there, unless you want to perform a jumping act to take their order. Children also do this, standing next to their parents, peeking over the bar and putting their greasy hands all over everything. The "popcorn and soda," thing irritates me, too. I feel that these are usually people that don't come to the movies often, and are excited to be there. Another one that gets me, thought, is "what are your sizes?" Sometimes I want to treat them like a child and say, "Well, you see the smallest one? That's called the small, and it's $2.75. The middle sized one, well, that is the medium, and it costs $3.50. And, that large one right there, we coined the name large for that one. I know, we're a crazy bunch of kids here, but that's what we call it." But only on a bad day.  |  IP: Logged Ramin Hashemi Expert Film Handler Posts: 129 From: Houston TX Registered: Sep 2004 posted 11-08-2004 09:47 PM                     We put an X on the bottom of cups and bags at first re-fill. This avoids seconds re-fill. In terms of slow customers, I simply ask the next in line "Can I get started on your order", and by the time I get their food, the first guy is gone. And for those not specifying a size, assume a Large. Raises the per cap.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-08-2004 10:25 PM                     quote: Phil Blake great !! , we have 3 sizes of popcorn , 3 sizes of drinks with 5 flavours... Easy! Just say, "Yes sir! One LARGE popcorn, one LARGE COKE and one LARGE package of candy! Coming right up, sir!" And... If, somehow, the customer isn't smart enough to catch it you just got credit for the upsell! TIMES THREE!!  |  IP: Logged Chris Brown Expert Film Handler Posts: 105 From: Fairport, NY, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 11-08-2004 10:36 PM                        quote: Easy! Just say, "Yes sir! One LARGE popcorn, one LARGE COKE and one LARGE package of candy! Coming right up, sir!" And... If, somehow, the customer isn't smart enough to catch it you just got credit for the upsell! TIMES THREE!! I've been half-tempted to try that at times...I can just see them saying "I didnt order a large". To which I'd love to reply "Oh I'm sorry...my mind reading skills must be a little off today".  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-08-2004 10:50 PM                     Just say, "Okay, sir. What size do you want?" Don't hesitate. Don't smile. Don't miss a beat. Just keep right on going as if you've been doing it that way all your life. Give 'em what they ordered and get 'em outta' there. Oh! If you REALLY want to be evil, give them a box of Raisinettes for free! You know. The ones you keep in the "special" spot under the counter... that you brought from home... that you got from the bottom of the rabbit cage!  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 11-09-2004 12:23 AM                     I'm with Jack on this. Anyone ordering a medium or larger popcorn automatically got their butter layered. The profit margin is like 98% on popcorn as it is. Big deal if I toss on another $0.0001 in butter! It made the customers very happy, and that kept them coming back to the concession stand. By the way, regarding all of this complaining about people wanting layered butter. You guys must not have poppers in front of the customers. Nothing and I do mean nothing is worse than when you have a small kettle (only big enough to fill about 1 large and 1 medium tub) in the concession stand and every customer says "no I want the fresh stuff". Yeah, like the "stale stuff" that has been in the warmer for 5 minutes has gone bad! Some people were so adamant about it that they would literally hold up the line waiting for the next batch to come out, then of course they complain that we have "stale popcorn seed" because it isn't crisp right out of the kettle, even when we would explain why it was "soggy" seconds after it was popped. People are stupid and concessionists really do have to have a lot of patience.  |  IP: Logged Nate Lehrke Master Film Handler Posts: 396 From: Denver, CO Registered: Oct 2002 posted 11-09-2004 12:44 AM                     Everyone should use the now debunked Madstone's sizing options: Medium Large Extra Large and yes, a Extra Extra Large! When people ask for a large, they have three options! (No wonder they went bankrupt)  |  IP: Logged Jennifer Pan THE JEN! Posts: 1219 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-09-2004 12:56 AM                        Dude, that is messed up. That by far should have turned you away from working there. Should have quit the first day. No... Wait... Wait... Should have quit the moment you found out that they sold popcorn in those sizes.  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 11-09-2004 01:25 AM                     Tell me about it Brad. What's worse for my theatre is that the competition a mile down the road saves their popcorn overnight by leaving it in the bin covered by paper towels . Granted they can kind of get away with it because they still pop with coconut oil and not canola oil, but its still pathetic in my opinion. The problem is that even though we pop fresh every day, usually every set, people still assume that we also save our popcorn overnight. And then you do just have the plain stupid customers. The other day I had a lady walk up to me with a large bag of popcorn with about 3/4 of the popcorn left and ask for her money back because the popcorn was 'burnt.' Now granted popcorn does get burnt once in a while, but I smelled and tasted the popcorn in her bag. It was NOT burnt. I then offered to refill here bag with the popcorn that coming out of the kettle AT THAT VERY MOMENT. Her reply? "That smells burnt too." ARRRRRRGH!! I did give her her money back even though it was here nose and not our popcorn that was the problem. And no, the kettle was not too hot. The fresh batch was poping when she made her complaint was most certainly NOT burnt.  |  IP: Logged Chris Medley Expert Film Handler Posts: 180 From: McKinney, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 11-09-2004 06:24 AM                        No..No..you gotta love it when you first open and the kettle is popping out popcorn right in front of the idiots...i mean customers...and they ask "Is this popcorn fresh". That would really get my day going wrong for some reason. One thing that always upsets me, and no offense intended to present company, Lowes holds there popcorn in big warmer displays built into the front counter and I have never heard a single person complain about their popcorn "Tasting Stale"  |  IP: Logged Phil Blake Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 558 From: esperance western australia Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-09-2004 08:42 AM                        I hate waste! We try to gauge the popcorn popping so we are not left with too much at the end of the night. I leave it in the bin , reheat and re pop at the beginning of the next days sessions , blend the two together and it's fine , not one complaint . I am not sure what type of oil we are using , just comes in a big red drum with the words "popping oil" on it. The oil is very yellow , looks like mashed pumpkin.  |  IP: Logged Chris Brown Expert Film Handler Posts: 105 From: Fairport, NY, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 11-09-2004 11:06 AM                        I'm with you Phil on the waste...when our ushers clean the poppers at the end of the night, they bag up the remaining popcorn. Technically then the next morning, we are supposed to mix that stuff from the night before with freshly popped corn. But the taste difference can be so great that I never have the morning concessionists use any of the bagged stuff. It doesnt take long to pop some batches of fresh corn. We usually just give away the old bagged stuff to staff who wants it...so basically nothing really goes to waste.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 11-09-2004 12:01 PM                        quote: I am not sure what type of oil we are using , just comes in a big red drum with the words "popping oil" on it. The oil is very yellow , looks like mashed pumpkin. That's the best description of coconut oil I've seen yet!  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 11-09-2004 02:19 PM                     As I said, its easier to get away with saving your corn overnight when you pop with coconut oil instaed of canola oil, it does last longer. Not an excuse in my opinion though, popcorn is so cheap that throwing away a couple of bags/tubs worth (all you should have left at the end of the night) isn't a big deal.  |  IP: Logged

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