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This topic comprises 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5
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Author
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Topic: St. Croix Falls Theatre Owner Fails At Customer Service
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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 02-27-2010 03:27 AM
The most likely explanation for checking the tickets was the show was likely sold out and they had paying customers who couldn't find seats because some people auditorium hopped; more than likely teens trying to get around the R rating. I'm just spitballing here but that is my best guess. If that is what happened should the theatre have been checking tickets at the auditorium door? Probably, but sometimes despite the best planning you are caught unprepared.
I have done several tickets checks in the last few years and it has never taken me 20 minutes to check an entire auditorium. I have no idea how big the auditoriums at the St. Croix Falls theatre are but I'm betting they're no bigger than ours. Again, I'm spitballing, but one of two things happened:
1) because the staff didn't stop the show and tried to do the check in the dark it probably took longer than it should have to check everyone's ticket
2) the lady is exageratting on how long it took to check the tickets
In all likelihood what happened is a combination of both 1 and 2. Customers exagerate ALL THE TIME when it comes to these sorts of things; they're upset, its a natural thing to do believe it or not. I used to get customers complaining to me all the time back when we ran 35 and not digital that the trailers were over 30 minutes long. One guy even told me he timed it on his watch. This was with a slideshow before the feature and not a video preshow, so I don't think they were mistaking the preshow as part of the pre-feature content. Funny thing is I knew for a fact there was never more than 20 minutes of previews because I always built the previews on a seperate reel. I think I would have noticed 10 minutes of film spilling over the edge of the reel.
So I see problems on both sides. In all likelihood the lady is exagerating about how much of her movie was interrupted due to the ticket check. The theatre staff should have shut down the projector and brought up the house lights if they were going to do a ticket check though, both to make the check go faster and avoid having customers miss part of their movie.
Bottum line? When dealing with a customer complaint you have to see the issue from their point of view. Going back to my example of customers exagerating the length of the prievews; I never argued with the customers that there were only 20 minutes of previews on the film and not 30 because it didn't matter. They weren't really complaining that there were 30 minutes of prievews, they were complaining that there were TOO MANY previews. Even if I could have 'won' the argument (and no one ever won an argument with a customer) it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. The same goes for this lady. I can sympathize with the guy being annoyed at her sense of entitlement over using her credit card. I mean for god sake she says right in her email that the place took checks. You have to lay your ego aside when dealing with these things though. A simple apology would have ended the matter, even if no passes had been sent with it. Now the theatre has had huge damage done to its reputation. This is a perfect-albeit extreme-example of the damage that can be done when a customer complaint is poorly handled.
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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 02-27-2010 12:07 PM
I don't know how many times I can say this... Maybe if I put it in bold you guy's will get it... THE LADY HAD VALID COMPLAINTS, THE VP WAS WRONG IN WHAT HE DID
So you guys are saying that every complaint should be taken seriously no matter how off base or way out from left field it is?
When the one person in a theatre of 500 complains it's too loud you should lower the volume ruining the show for everyone else?
For that matter if a special interest group complains about a certain film you would stop showing it even though it has been a sell out?
quote: Chris Slycord
Honestly, I find this statement to be utterly pathetic.
I guess you have never heard of these things called "jokes" (Did you get the Dennis Leary reference in there?) and have no sense of humor.
What I find pathetic is that people who are charged with running a for profit business take the easy way out and are too lazy to stand thier ground. They admit fault when they have none, and often inconveinance the majority for one person. They give out free passes like candy for any wacky complaint.
quote: Mike Blakesley
I disagree. If eight tickets was really an issue to the studios, they would mandate that every auditorium have a ticket taker standing outside to make sure nobody switched auditoriums. I would guess that literally dozens of people see "free" movies every day in a lot of large plexes.
So that makes it okay? Because the studios don't mandate an usher in each theatre and because it happens everywhere makes stealing okay?
quote: Chris Slycord
Further, while her complaint was a bit sarcastic, it wasn't anywhere near what I would say is "rude."
You must have read a different letter than I did. I will re-post the lady's letter here with the partts I find rude in bold.
My husband and I just went to your theater to see Shutter Island. First off, the year is 2010 and your establishment does not accept cash cards or credit cards. We did not have enough cash on us and neither did your ATM. If you run out of cash by Saturday evening you should have a higher allotment of cash. Since most people expect to use their cash card, the ATM, I'm sure, is utilized frequently. Frankly, get with the time. I know you are charged for transactions on a card machine but frankly your customers would be better served. How many customers do you lose because they don't have cash or check (since 90% of establishments don't accept checks anymore).Thankfully, we had friends who had 1 check on them. We would have had to go to the bank to get cash to see a movie. Should we charge you for time and gas? Secondly, after the first 10 minutes a staff member came in and announced that there were 8 people who should not be in that movie. She proceded to check tickets of paying customers trying to enjoy a movie. She also brought in the ticket clerk to see if she would recognize the 4 remaining people who did not leave after the announcement. This ruined the first 30 minutes of the movie. Frankly, we lost the first part of the plot and new characters. I did not pay 18.00 to have a distracted experience. Are 8 people worth a theater full of refunds? Why not wait until the movie is over and check people leaving? Why not pause the movie? I expect a refund, but only by check card. Oh wait, sorry, we are all out of check cards. Get the point yet? I would rather drive to White Bear Lake, where they obviously know how to run a theater than have this experience again.
Sarah
Taylors Falls
We are in customer service to do our best to provide a good experience for our guests not be punching bags for people who either are having a bad day or feel that they are above the rules. In this case the lady's complaints were valid I just think it would have been more constructive and she would have gotten a better response by being more polite about it.
Again, The lady has valid complaints and the VP should have never responded in that manner! here is any excuse to stoop to that level and treat them poorly. no matter what a "customer" sais or does I don't think it is right to treat them disrespectfully. But honestly this made me laugh the same way a movie like "waiting" does. Do I think spitting in peoples food is wrong? Yes. Would I ever do it? No. Did I still laugh when they did it in the movie? Yes! (I have a sense of humor)
My last comment on this is I guess you guys are lucky. I guess you have never had a "customer" make up fake complaints just to get passes. I guess you have never had a customer yell at you, curse at you, or threaten you and your family just because you were doing your job. I am honestly happy for you because no one should have to be treated that way just because they choose to work in a certain industry. I guess if you have never experienced that and had to bite your tongue and ignore your pride and right to be treated with common decency I can see that you would not get a little secret smile out of someone (no matter how wrong they are in doing it) not taking it blindly.
and once again just so we are clear...
I think the lady had valid complaints, I think the VP was totally wrong. I think the lady could have been more polite and that the VP would have been more recepptive to her however he still should have never responded in the way he did.
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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today
Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-27-2010 02:16 PM
quote: Sean McKinnon
When the one person in a theatre of 500 complains it's too loud you should lower the volume ruining the show for everyone else?
Well, that's the thing... not everyone who finds it too loud or too quiet will get up and complain. If you turned it down a bit and "ruined" the show for everyone else, then surely you'd get at least a couple complaints as a result of that either during or after the show, right? What if the sound literally causes pain in my ears, like when I visit the "large" auditoriums at certain local Regal theaters? Should I not complain about how friggin' loud it is because of their crappy EQ on their even crappier Klipsch speakers? Should I suffer physical pain throughout the show just because everyone else's ears in the auditorium have already been damaged? This statement from you insinuates that the theater is always right in regards to sound level. You can shove the 85db spec around all you like, not every movie is mixed equally and not every sound system is equal, even when they are all calibrated. Hell, I'd venture that most theaters out there are not even close to being EQ'd properly.
quote: Sean McKinnon
Did you get the Dennis Leary reference in there?
Not everyone is a fan of, cares about or even knows who Dennis Leary is. I know who he is, but I don't give two shits about him.
Also, I don't think the lady saying that she'd rather go to another theater can be considered rude. I do not comprehend why you find that particular statement rude. If I lost a customer for good, I'd like to know.
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