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Author Topic: Payroll Cost per Admission Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-30-2009 04:44 PM                        I'm getting curious again: When You mention payroll under 1$ per ticket, how much then is Your average ticket price ? Per  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 03-31-2009 11:09 AM                     I have always compared attendance against money spent for labor, so ticket price would not have anything to do with it. You want to look at how many cents you are spending on payroll for each customer that comes in the door. Then you can determine how appropriate your staffing levels are. What the customer spends is different. At the concession stand, what your customers spend per person could indicate staffing issues, but it really shouldn't matter at the box office. Greg - regarding your original issue of diminishing per caps, there are a host of ideas all over this forum about increasing concession sales. Perhaps by searching around a little you may find a couple that will help your situation.  |  IP: Logged Scott D. Neff Theatre Dork Posts: 919 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 04-01-2009 02:14 PM                        When I scheduled, I made the schedule every Monday and made sure there were always three weeks of schedule posted. This gave employees time during the current schedule (week #1) to request changes and get them approved so when week #3 rolled around management wasn't left with a bunch last minute surprises. It worked very well for both employees and managers, because employees who during the current week felt they were working too much could request fewer hours on the new schedule and vice versa. All this left for them was to work the remainder of week 1 (Tue-Thu) and week #2 (Fri-Thu) before their hours toned down. Likewise, if an employee wanted to work more hours, it would give them time to convince other employees to give up their shifts and get it all approved. Unless you're running a SUPER tiny theatre or are in a very competitive market, you're going to have the same general labor needs from week to week, so I didn't have too much problem with it.  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-01-2009 05:29 PM                     I have to respectfully disagree with you there, Scott. Labor needs can change dramatically week to week, regardless of the size of complex or if you have competition. Just look at this winter/spring so far. January and February were unpredictably busy, with most theatres reporting grosses exceeding those they had seen during the same period in years, if not decades. Many managers had to quickly adjust to increased staffing needs. Then, most of March dropped off to snoozeville, until last weekend when it got busy again, at least for those with 3D. I predict Fast and Furious to play well at nights, so this coming weekend should be good for early April too. Add to it localized exceptions such as spring breaks, how certain genres play at your location, what you are opening (or not opening) if you have competition, concerts or other events coming to town, etc. and the business can change quite a lot week to week. I know at my location, from one weekend to the next in March, I had a difference in 4 employes working during a certain shift. That is 15% of my staff, so that's quite a difference. That is why I do my schedules weekly. That being said, different systems work at different locations, so whatever is the best, go with it.  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 04-03-2009 10:02 AM                        quote: Chad Souder so ticket price would not have anything to do with it. Chad: If that was an answer to me, I may not have asked correct: Sitting in Europe, I have no idea of the strength of The Allmighty $ - that is: How much You get for Your money in general. The average ticket price might entlighten me.  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 04-03-2009 01:02 PM                        The average employee hourly wage is the important number, not ticket price. In California the minimum wage is $8.00 and our average wage is a little under $9.00. So for every employee hour worked we want to have at least 9 people coming in the door.  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-03-2009 01:32 PM                     Per, According to the National Association of Theatre Owners, average ticket prices in the United States for 2008 was $7.18.  |  IP: Logged Tony Ratcliff Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Madison, IN, USA Registered: Mar 2002 posted 04-04-2009 09:36 PM                     I, too, have always done the schedule just one week at a time, posted Monday night for the following Fri-Thu. The only exception is during Christmas time. Once the schedule is posted, it is the employee's responsibility to get an appropriate replacement if they want off. Our motto on schedule requests is "The first two get it, the rest can forget it." Prom and some family obligations may be exceptions. We keep a calander posted with all the upcoming requests already turned in on it. So the employees can see who all has requested off and when they requested it, so everyone knows who gets first dibs at the day.  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 04-06-2009 04:59 PM                        quote: Chad Souder According to the National Association of Theatre Owners, average ticket prices in the United States for 2008 was $7.18. That must include budget-priced theaters, because the Milwaukee area (certainly can't be the high priced leader in the country) hasn't seen sub-$8 first-run ticket prices since 2001. Out of curiosity, I've been tracking adult evening prices at a local first-run theater over the years: Marcus Ridge Cinema Ticket Prices Ticket Price History - Adult Tickets 4/6/2009 - $9.50 (Children & Senior Matinee prices also increased by $0.25) 1/13/2009 - $9.00 (Adult Matinee, and Children & Senior Evening prices increased by $0.25) 5/9/2008 - $9.00 (Children & Senior, and Adult Matinee prices increased by $0.25) 4/25/2007 - $9.00 4/1/2006 - $8.75 5/30/2003 - $8.50 11/13/2002 - $8.25 4/24/2001 - $8.00 Marcus' premier theater in the area, the Majestic, just crossed the $10 mark, a first for the area. And that's before the upcharges for UltraScreen and VIP seating! I'd be curious to know where you can see a first-run movie for less than $7.18 these days!  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-06-2009 07:08 PM                        quote: I'd be curious to know where you can see a first-run movie for less than $7.18 these days! Roxy Theatre in Forsyth, MT - $6.75 Montana Theatre in Miles City, MT - $6.50 Centre Cinema in Hardin, MT - $6.50 Washoe Theatre in Anaconda, MT - $4.00 (yes, it's true) I'm sure there are hundreds more but these are the ones I know about. They all have digital sound, too. All offer most shows either on the break or within 4 weeks, except the Washoe which plays a couple of weeks later. The average ticket price takes kid and senior discounts into account, too. All of the theatres listed above offer kid tickets for under $5.00. The Washoe is $3.00 for kids.  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-07-2009 11:02 AM                     quote: I'd be curious to know where you can see a first-run movie for less than $7.18 these days! The link you provided lists adult matinee tickets as $7.00. Kids and seniors are obviously cheaper. The Majestic you mentioned is $7.50 for adult matinees. It looks like the Milwaukee area is sub-$8 first-run right now! Keep in mind average ticket price is just that - the average of all ticket types from all day parts from every theatre in the country.  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 04-07-2009 05:04 PM                        It's good to hear that some theaters are able to keep a handle on prices, and not get grief from their distributors as a result. I've heard that some theaters in Michigan (non-metro areas) are able to keep their prices down as well. Yes, I know that Matinees are cheaper than the stated average price, but I guess I was thinking of Evening Prices. What percentage of movie tickets are matinee vs. evening? When the matinee prices end at 5:30pm, my assumption is that a majority of ticket sales are evening-priced.  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-08-2009 10:23 AM                     That's going to vary theatre to theatre. Some end matinees at 2:30. Some have early morning shows that are even cheaper. Some don't even open until the 7:00 set. Many run 3 matinee sets and two evening sets. Midnight shows and 3D presentations often command a higher price. There are a whole bunch of variables that enter the equation, so that's why they just use that average. My guess is that $7.18 will jump this year with all the 3D expansion.  |  IP: Logged Greg Haas Film Handler Posts: 18 From: Buffalo, WY, USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 04-09-2009 01:37 PM                        Our ticket prices are $4.50 and $5.50. Average is just under $5.00. During the winter we have four days open with two matinees and four evening showings. 6 showings all weekend. Twin theater. Open all week in the summer. Minimum wage is $6.55. Some employees make more than that. Not telling, in this here public forum, how many! We see a *huge* variation in what we need for staff depending on title. Especially when a runtime is longer than 2.5 hours. We clean between shows and need to have the counter staffed as well. So what I'm gonna try is having a base schedule and staff are expected to check each monday (online calendar or posted in staff/supply room) for changes/additions. This way busy titles will be a boon for employees, eh? Thanks again for all the followup discussion. Very helpful!  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 04-09-2009 02:45 PM                        Be careful about security when it comes to on-line posting of schedules. Schedules are personal information and should not be posted in any way that is accessible to the general public. Unless a url is behind some sort of log-in portal, it can be accessed by anyone.  |  IP: Logged

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