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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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Jonathan Smith
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 201
From: Youngstown, OH
Registered: Jan 2010
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posted 03-01-2010 12:38 PM
Having read the e-mail, it kind of sounds like the person that responded to the complaint was an underling with access to the GMs account or maybe even it was the GM and he was drunk or dead-dog tired.
Upon realizing what he had done the following morning, he apologized.
I don't excuse this behavior, but it is very very very easy to do or say something with e-mail that never would have been said over the phone or with a letter, where you have time to cool down before you respond.
I'vea been to theatres taht only take cash; they are hurthing their own business perceiving there to be a real "savings" not taking credit/debit/check cards. You save 2%, but probably lose at least 5% of your business.
Not to mention, you have to GUARD cash. There is a risk there that you will get robbed. The people who tend to not take cards tend to not have adequate insurance protection either.
As for checking stubs of everyone in the theatre that is totally unacceptable. I have had a situation where I was watching the last movie of the night, and a guy just walked in to the theatre, after we had already closed the ticket stand out.
I walked out, told the manager, then, finally, I had to go in there, and, as quietly as possible, sit down next to him and ask him if I could see his stub.
Instead of kicking him out or calling the cops, like I should have, I gave him and opportunity to buy a ticket. I walked out, got his change, carried it back to him, and let it slide.
There have been several times I have caught people red-handed with their own snacks, or carrying coats into the theatre that are clearly laden with at least 10 lbs. of goodies.
In the interest of the good customers, sometimes you have to take a loss on the bad ones, to maintain a good image.
The commotion from a scene made by catching the crooks, will cost you the customers that ARE worth bending over backwards for.
Everything this lady said I agree with, even if she is uneducated on the theatre business world.
You always want to LAST when handling customer complaints:
L Listen to the customer complaint. Don't take it personally, get angry, or, for God's sakes, use profanity.
A Apologize, not taking responsibility for the mistake if it isn't, indeed the theatres fault. Rather, apologize for the inconvenience the customer has suffered or has perceived they have suffered.
S Satisfy the customer; retain their business, even if they are fishing for free-bes, they will pay for themselves the next time they come back and buy one concession item. A rain check essentially costs the theatre nothing in lost sales or dues to the studio. It is essentially FREE to make up for a customer's dissatisfaction. This is one of the few industries where this is the case anymore.
T Thank them for bringing the matter for your attention (even if they are full of hot air and you are anything but thankful for them bothering you.)
Customer service is like sales, you have to always keep it positive unless the customer is actually causing distress to your OTHER customers. This is the ONLY time that it is acceptable to raise your voice, become forceful and even become angry.
You don't do this to make yourself feel good or to get something that is bothering you off your chest, you do it for the good of the rest of the audience.
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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 03-01-2010 02:04 PM
I generally agree with you Jonathan and have done what you did in the past with sneakers (made them pay rather than kicking them out).
However, if the St. Croix Falls situation was how I assumed (and we'll probably never know for sure why the ticket check was done) the only thing the theatre did wrong was not doing the check during the previews. With two staff members working a ticket check should take no more than 5 minutes-hardly a large inconvenience. By not doing a ticket check you are allowing people to circumvent your R-rated policy (this will happen no matter what usually, especially when the movie slows down, but still a concern) but more importantly you are denying people who paid for seats the opportunity to watch the film they paid for. I think the customers in the auditorium won't mind giving up 5 minutes so that potentially troublesome teens can be kicked out and people who actually paid for the movie can see it.
Let me share a little anecdote of a very similar situation I experienced once. It was opening night of the movie 'Quarantine' and as with any R-rated horror movie the teen crowd was trying its best to get in. The film sold out and about halfway through the previews there were four people who couldn't find seats. I did have four seats, but just singles and no way to 'squeeze' people to even get two sets of two. After talking with the other manager we felt there was maybe a few too many people in the theatre. We stopped the show, brought up the lights, and did a ticket check. It turned out everyone had a proper ticket (we think the cashiers had just sold past the normal buffer). The show was restarted and no one seemed to mind.
Except the four people who had to get refunds.
In the opinion of one of the gentlemen (early twenties) we hadn't done the ticket check properly. Even though I had walked through every row checking tickets and the other manager had stood in the middle of the auditorium making sure people didn't pass stubs between rows after I checked them this guy insisted that is what had happened and that we should kick people out so they would have seats. Knowing this is not what had happened we certainly weren't going to do a second ticket check. As the guy angrily grabbed his money he yelled at us over the box window "This is fucking BULLSHIT." As he walked out of the theatre and into the mall's food court he turned around and yelled at the top of his lungs so that everyone could hear him: "THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT", no joke.
Now, this guy probably falls into that category of people you can't please. I told the story though to illustrate a point; even if you double refund the patrons who can't find seats (money back and refund tickets) it doesn't mean they're going to be happy. Maybe they got a babysitter that night and won't be able to come back to the late show. Maybe they normally don't have time to go out or have a hard time finding a babysitter so coming back next week isn't an option. Point is, their evening is ruined and giving them refund tickets doesn't un-ruin it. So long as the inconvenience is small to the rest of your patrons there is nothing wrong with a ticket check.
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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 03-02-2010 04:43 PM
Joe, I really wasm't trying to be a dick, I am very sorry if I came off that way...
quote: Joe Redifer
What if the sound literally causes pain in my ears, like when I visit the "large" auditoriums at certain local Regal theaters?
I honestly took that statement to mean that you had a medical problem that caused pain with extreme high frequencies. I know people who have such problems and it is very painful and can be debilitating for them.
As far as people trying to be dicks though everyone is entitled to thier opinion. I have mine, other's have thiers. I don't like that sometimes things degenerate to the point of nastiness here. I am sure I am not 100% innocent of it myself. In this thread alone my opinions have been called "Utterly Pathetic" I don't think anyone in the world has pathetic opinions. everyone has thier right to thier own opinion based upon thier life experience. Maybe some people here have never worked at very large, and very busy suburban multiplexes where a small segment of the clientel make it a mission to "get over" on the business and see a free movie. Maybe you have been lucky enough not to have to deal with the tyoe of people who feel "entitled" to having everything thier way 100% of the time.
Ian summed up my point perfectly. Maybe if I had the communication skills he does this whole discussion could have been avoided.
As far as the fader at 7 thing... Yes, I realize you have to listen to known content and not every room is the same. I have eq'd enough houses to know. Fortunatly at this point in my career I am lucky enough to work in a non-commercial house with some very good equipment that is well maintained. We are a few blocks away from the Dolby NY offices and have had them out to EQ and set SPL for some of our bigger premieres. In those cases I find it a good assumption that the room sounds good. If one perso complained that it was too loud for them and I using my personal judgement of listening and finding the volume ok and knowing all the levels were just checked would have to politely explain to the cusatomer that this is the way the director intended it to sound. Now in a common commercial multiplex I agree with you that all the levels are most likely all over the place and 7.0 could bee way too loud, or way too soft.
I really don't want to keep arguing about this. I have enough problems still being without power after six days and living out of a hotel room which is draining my bank account. All I ever meant was that 1. No matter how hard you try you cant please everyone all the time. 2. Trying too hard to please one individual can sometimes lead to the majority of customer being unhappy this is where a managers good judgement comes into play. 3. As managers you are stewards of your business. Sometimes some people will fabricate complaints fo get something free. If you are known as a theatre that blindly gives passes some will take advantage again good judgement is important. 4. Just because we are theatre employees does not make us human punching bags everyone makes mistakes. If we are working hard and doing our best we deserve to be trated with the same respect and dignity which we treat our customers with.
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quote: Jonathan Smith
S Satisfy the customer; retain their business, even if they are fishing for free-bes, they will pay for themselves the next time they come back and buy one concession item. A rain check essentially costs the theatre nothing in lost sales or dues to the studio. It is essentially FREE to make up for a customer's dissatisfaction. This is one of the few industries where this is the case anymore.
Actually at least with independants if you accept too many passes they will start making you pay a percentage on some of those tickets. I also disagree that hey will pay for themselves. The freebie seekers are often the one that sneak in food or don't buy anything from the stand, and if they get away with it once they will just do it again next time.
If someone has a legitimate complaint they should be compensated and the problem should be fixed, no question about it. If someone is clearly taking advantage and coming every week and asking for passes everytime there has to come a point where enough is enough. That's where judgement comes in.
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