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Topic: Policy on Late Customers.

Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 593
From: London, UK
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 07-31-2006 09:20 PM

If we can see the floor staff still cleaning whilst we are lacing up or ready to start the next performance we will call down to managment and ask if they want us to delay by a few minutes.

Latecomer issues need a pragmatic approach. If the auditorium is under half full it won't be too much of a disturbance, besides because of our 'unlimited' scheme (look at www.cineworld.co.uk) customers like to watch the first half then the second half at another time. However if you've sold say 90% of the seats it's probably best to block off the rest and say the screen is sold out at the start of the feature.

Latecomers are far more annoying than toilet breakers. I was in a Bollywood film this evening, and as our chain is now starting to show these films as exclusives in Central London the customers aren't regulars and don't know parking is impossible. People were arriving after 20mins of ads/trailers and nearly 30mins of the film.

quote: Allison Parsons
At the last show, if no one shows for a movie 15min after it was suppose to start, we don't show it.

Aren't you contractually obliged to show it regardless? That was what I got told by a manager anyway.

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Tom Petrov
Five Guys Lover

Posts: 1121
From: El Paso, TX
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 07-31-2006 10:06 PM

My policy is 30 minutes or they cant buy tickets

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 07-31-2006 10:16 PM

quote: John Hawkinson
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.

John, why don't you just build a 20 minute trailer pack with the trailers you want shown for sure at the beginning, then let them run until such point that the management is ready for the feature to begin. At that point, changeover at the end of the currently playing trailer.

You make things unnecessarily difficult! [Razz]

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-31-2006 11:36 PM

quote: Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
Aren't you contractually obliged to show it regardless? That was what I got told by a manager anyway.

No, you are not required to run a show to an empty auditorium.

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John Hawkinson
Film God

Posts: 2273
From: Cambridge, MA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 08-01-2006 07:47 AM

Because, Brad, we like to make things difficult! [Smile]

The real answer is that, in general, it's extremely rare for us to want to do this, so it wouldn't be worth the bother regularly. Also, we have preshow material on the end of the trailer reel ("Our Feature Presentation" and the relevant digital sound snipe) which saves us from having to edit the head of reel one when we switch movies.

--jhawk

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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler

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

posted 08-01-2006 09:42 PM

quote: Dennis Benjamin
I will delay a film if there is a back-up at the stand or box.

No offense Dennis.. but if you staff accordingly, there is never a need to delay a show. We never delayed a show, but we also had a minimum of 20 minutes of preshow content, as the industry has so aptly named it.. [Roll Eyes]

Taking into consideration, there are those odd times that you get 'hit' unexpectedly, but, given the nature of 'regular' business, there should never be a need to delay a show and punish those who were on time for those who were not.

Either way, I always hated folks who came in late and trained my cashiers to notify them that they had already missed xx minutes of the feature.. but we can pre sell you a ticket for the next show. 7 times outta ten, it worked and everyone was happy.. unless they were there for the last show of the night..

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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-02-2006 09:05 AM

During the week nights at the drive-in, it can be a hit or miss as far as attendance goes. If at time to start the shows, if I have people watching on one screen and no one has shown up for the second screen, I'll go ahead and start the projector on the empty side but not strike the lamp. If someone shows up late, I then strike the lamp and they get to start watching the movie from whatever point the movie happens to be playing.

Since I have to be there anyway for the screen with customers, if nobody ever shows up during the un-lit first feature on the second screen I won't even play the second feature on that side.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2006 12:51 PM

quote: Jason Black
but if you staff accordingly, there is never a need to delay a show.

Personally, I would rather have the show start a bit late with most of the people seated, than have a pack of last-minute arrivals ruining the first few minutes of the feature bumping around in the dark trying to find seats. If that happens, the ones being punished are the ones who were on time!

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Ron Curran
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 504
From: Springwood NSW Australia
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 08-02-2006 07:27 PM

I agree with you absolutely, Mike.

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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler

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

posted 08-06-2006 10:19 AM

Not knowing what Dennis has for 'pre-show content', I'd still say that, for the most part, your audience shoudl be in and seated prior to the start of the film, given proper staffing.

This is a no win situation. You either punish those who show up early by starting the film late.. or, as you noted Mike, you punish those who show up early by allowing th elate comers in.

This very well could be another reason that many folks prefer to watch the DVD or PPV at home, on a plasma or big screen.

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Patrick Dunn
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 120
From: newark, DE, United states
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 08-19-2006 07:42 PM

I hate it when customers come in real late and ask if the movie has started yet and after we say "the movie has been on for about 20 minutes" they often ask "but thats all the previews" than they get mad at US when we tell them it's the actual film thats been on for 20 minutes like it's our falt they were late. We only put on 2 trailers plus the attatched trailer, sometimes we'll put on 3, it depends on the movie.

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 08-21-2006 03:36 AM

Policy: 15 minutes after posted showtime no more tix.
Trailers: Max 10 minutes including attachment, DTS logo, and rolling stock

We run every virtually every show Fri-Sun. If nobody shows the rest of the week we'll usually not start the slower films. Then again if someone shows up within that 15 minutes I'll show it regardless.
My attitude is as long as it's not bothering someone else, I'll be glad to take your money [Wink]

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