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Author Topic: Policy on Late Customers. Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-22-2006 03:54 AM                        We don't sell tickets after the attraction reel and cartoon are over (usually 15min after the posted showtime). For live shows, the acts almost always specify when "late seating" can happen, usually during a pause between numbers. This is traditional and it is determined by the artist. On occassion some artists (the Paul Taylor Dance Company for one) will not let anyone be seated until the first intermission -- talk about getting people's undies in a knot! Remember, these are people who already have paid tickets, sometimes very expensive tickets. While they are waiting in the lobby for that brief window to open for them to be seated, they can watch the performance on monitors in the lobby. The monitors went along way to preventing near riots. For films, though, either they get their butts into the seats sometime between the attraction reel and the feature or they have to wait until the next show. We don't allow them to flop and flounder round amongst folks who got in on time and are already watching the movie. We have signs that say: So as not to disturb our seated patrons, tickets to this show will not be sold after the main feature starts. For live performances: So as not to disturb our seated patrons, Late Seating will commence only at times specified by the artists. Please enjoy today's performance on the monitors in the Grand Lobby until you are seated by our ushers. The answer to the stupid question, "Did I miss anything?" asked by the patron who arrives 15 min into the feature (and thus 30 mins late for the posted showtime) would be, "Actually, you missed this show entirely -- those tickets are no longer on sale. Would you like to buy a ticket for the next show?" For the occasional disgruntaled patron who demands to know why we will not sell a ticket when the house is not sold out, he usually will accept the explanation that the computer will not sell tickets after the show starts. They seem to think that if a computer won't do it, then no human will be capable of reversing it and they go strangely mute, which is the way we like our patrons.  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-22-2006 04:03 AM                        one annoying behavior doesn't excuse the other. and cell phone breaks should be disallowed, although that's pretty unenforceable. probably best to allow bathroom breaks. back when i sold tickets regularly i would strongly discourage or refuse latecomers, especially to our upstairs theaters, which are almost impossible to navigate without interfering with sightlines.  |  IP: Logged Andy Muirhead Master Film Handler Posts: 323 From: Galashiels, Scotland Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-22-2006 06:25 PM                     If we have any latecomers, our box office staff phone up for 'permission' to admit them. We can then assess how disruptive it would be to let them in. It's a good system and works well, often the decision is made immediately as we keep a close check on the auditoriums. On a different note, Does anyone else delay start times if it looks like customers are still in the concession/ticket queues on unexpectedly busy sets? We're kinda proud that we bother, but we're not sure anyone actually notices!  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-22-2006 08:20 PM                        I will delay a film if there is a back-up at the stand or box. When I used to work for a theatre chain in the eighties and nineties - they had 'late admission' tickets. Anyone ever notice that most late comers are usually late to the last show of the evening? I noticed in my travels that this lateness tends to be prevalent in the big cities -Miami, Vegas, New York, Chicago etc. Also, if the film is an empty mindless bloodfest or action pic - they show up late knowing they don't need to know the story line to get their enjoyment out of the movie.  |  IP: Logged Matt Fields Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 545 From: Ohio, United States Registered: Jun 2005 posted 07-23-2006 12:27 AM                     Usually, we let people in unless its a busy show.  |  IP: Logged Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 07-23-2006 10:44 AM                     quote: Andy Muirhead On a different note, Does anyone else delay start times if it looks like customers are still in the concession/ticket queues on unexpectedly busy sets? We dont really have to bother when we have almost 20 minutes of preshow before the feature. I will instruct the person in the booth to keep the house lights on through part of the preshow to give customers time to find seats. This is a pretty rare occurance as we have done a pretty decent job of "training" our customers to show up early enough to get food and be seated. Actually we may have trained them too well as for opening weekend of Pirates 2, we had lines of 250 people strong snaking outside in the mall 20 minutes before the show was suppose to start waiting to get in.  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-23-2006 11:14 AM                     We (as a college single-screen) will delay the show if it looks like the concessions are out-of-hand. The really neat trick, in my book, is when we can manage to delay by adding more trailers. Since we're changeover, it's straightforward to edit the trailer reel up until 5 minutes or so before it starts. So if we can tell in advance of trailers that things look out-of-control, adding more trailers is feasable. Though the most fun is if the trailer reel is already running and we decide we need to delay, if we can manage it, it's possible to unthread reel one and put up more trailers on the other projector, changeover after the current trailer finishes, then changeover back and thread-up reel 1 again quickly (alternatively, we can add trailers to the head of reel 1). This almost never happens, but it sure is cool when it does. (I guess another approach would be for us to run a 16mm short in there somewhere. Those of you who have three or more 35mm projectors in the booth probably have other neat tricks that can be done, too ). --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-24-2006 02:26 AM                        quote: John Hawkinson We (as a college single-screen) will delay the show if it looks like the concessions are out-of-hand. this is especially an issue when the concessions are down at the front of the auditorium, eh?  |  IP: Logged Andrew Peter Chobaniuk Film Handler Posts: 28 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Registered: Jul 2006 posted 07-24-2006 04:56 AM                     theres no cut off at my theatre, if someone really wants to see a movie an hour into it, its their loss, not ours never recieved a complaint of latecomers creating a problem, its just like someone getting up to go to the washroom. should we a have a bathroom cut off time....  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-24-2006 09:15 AM                        Bathroom runs are a disturbance, but a necessity. Why add additional, unnecessary disturbances for the audience by allowing the jerks to rule? As for holding, live shows we will hold for a variety of legitimate reasons (performers and stage crew need more time, FOH has crowd control issues, etc.). But for films that are on a schedule, we might hold for a few minutes; we have preshow music that is programmed for time and that can be adjusted, but you don't want to hold any more than what you will be able to compensate for before the next show, otherwise you run the risk of throwing off the schedule. And we only run three shows; in a commercial house where you run all day long, I would image that holding has the potential for really messing up the schedule for later shows.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-24-2006 12:38 PM                        If we're running a real popular show I'll put a couple of extra trailers on, and leave 30 minutes or more between shows to allow for a bit of hold time. If things are calm during that time, there's always something to clean.  |  IP: Logged Kara Tillotson Film Handler Posts: 87 From: Manistee Mi Registered: Jul 2006 posted 07-24-2006 06:08 PM                        we dont really have a policy regarding late arrivers. Its sort of their loss if they want to pay full price and miss a lot of it. Howver, when I am in plays at the local "acting" theatre, we will not let late-comers in untill the intermission or an "acceptable" time. I do agree with the comment that a late person is not going to be any more distinguishable than people using the bathroom or getting concessions.  |  IP: Logged Andy Muirhead Master Film Handler Posts: 323 From: Galashiels, Scotland Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-24-2006 06:33 PM                     quote: Michael Gonzalez We dont really have to bother when we have almost 20 minutes of preshow before the feature. Only 20? We usually have 25. And they still turn up late. Kara, Welcome to FT, and I'll welcome you by disagreeing with you! I'd say there's a big difference between latecomers and customers going to the toilet - latecomers are more often than not in numbers, searching for seats, maybe even talking amongst themselves "oh its dark in here" etc, their late, they have been rushing, not yet in the movie theatre settled mode, where generally people that get up to the toilet are quieter, they know where they are sitting, they usually go alone etc, you know.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-24-2006 07:59 PM                        Andy, you are right-on. Late-comers are MUCH more annoying than bathroom-goers. At least potty people already know where they're sitting, they have their coat off, and they know their way around. Latecomers are a noisy nuisance.  |  IP: Logged Kara Tillotson Film Handler Posts: 87 From: Manistee Mi Registered: Jul 2006 posted 07-24-2006 08:46 PM                        Yeah I know what you mean in reference to noisy latecomers. I guess I was making the reference to latecomers that were quiet coming in. So I zoned out on that one......  |  IP: Logged

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