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Topic: Belligerent people

Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
Jedi Master Film Handler

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

posted 02-20-2011 08:06 PM

I find it hard to take someone seriously when they mention going to the competition.

The best is when they try and cite a Act of Parliament they've heard on TV somewhere. I wish I could go in to specifics but there have been a couple recently where it's been way too funny to be true.

What annoys me most though is when the customer has obviously been rude to my staff, then I walk out in my suit and they're all smiley and happy to me, and then they leave after I've said exactly the same thing my staff have to them.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 02-20-2011 08:07 PM

My favorite was the girl who said "I'm going to write to your boss and GET YOU FIRED!" when I told her she couldn't have her cellphone on in the theatre. I said, "Great, good luck with that!"

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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 02-20-2011 08:42 PM

Good one, Mike. Yet, even if you had ID'd yourself as the owner, they probably would not have believed you anyway.

People today are used to taking everything to the top. I maintain it's what we taught them in school- If you don't get satisfaction from the teacher, you go directly to the school board. Forget talking to the Department Head, the Principal or the Superintendent. For that matter, why bother to go to the teacher at all? Just show up at a Board meeting.

Likewise, if patrons confront the theater manager and don't get what they want, they feel they have to take it to the top. It's the new rules of society. No need to be civil- just bitch and moan and put up a stink until you get your way.

People no longer understand what the word "NO" means.

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Chase Pickett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 142
From: Irving, Texas, USA
Registered: Nov 2010

posted 02-21-2011 12:45 AM

I noticed a guest chowing down on some Kung-Pow Chicken (we are right next to a p.f changs) while about to start a show. I called down to the floor staff to ask this lady to take the food outside the auditorium, and last I heard of the situation, the police had escorted her out of the building. Absolutely ridiculous. Our theater has a policy of ALLOWING outside food or drink in the lobby, after passing the ticket taker. I think it's the most ass backwards policy I have ever heard of, and has caused more head aches than just not allowing any outside food or drink at all. But when a customer asks why we have a no outside food or drink policy, I explain to them that we not only show movies but serve concessions (just in case they missed the stand) and that they wouldn't take their Red Robin to go over to p.f. chang's to eat it.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 02-21-2011 01:05 AM

Didn't AMC once allow outside food and drink even in the auditoriums and then somewhat recently change that policy? It is because of AMC that people are accustomed to taking in outside food or drink into the auditoriums.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 02-21-2011 01:48 AM

quote: Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
What annoys me most though is when the customer has obviously been rude to my staff, then I walk out in my suit and they're all smiley and happy to me, and then they leave after I've said exactly the same thing my staff have to them.

When I was managing theaters, I had a code that I devised for my trusted employees to use.

A - "There is a gentleman/lady who would like to speak with you."

B - "There is a customer who would like to speak with you."

C - "There is a customer who would like to speak with you immediately."

A meant the person was polite or had a legitimate reason to be angry. They always got taken care of regardless of what it took.

B meant the person was being rude and an overall ass (usually about a company policy the employees were enforcing). Typically these people just needed to be calmed down a little bit and made good on whatever was wrong.

C meant the person was being threatening or otherwise crossing the line and to be particularly on guard if they turned into a bed of roses once I got there. Most of the time they left vowing to never return (a victory). [fu]

I started that code because there were too many times where I was in an auditorium or upstairs when the complaint hit. Of course by the time I spoke to the patron he/she was a bed of roses and I bent over backwards to make sure they were satisfied, only to find out they had been cursing and threatening my staff before I got to the lobby. Not cool. [Mad]

quote:
My favorite was the girl who said "I'm going to write to your boss and GET YOU FIRED!"

Sweet. Of course for those who aren't the actual owners of the theater they manage, they could always use my tactic.

Theatening dipshit: "I'm going to have you fired for not letting me bring my open bottle of alcohol into the theater!"

Me: "Ok, but please let me make that easier for you, because I wouldn't want you to have to put too much effort into that task. (Grabs business card and pen.) Here is my business card. I am going to write my district manager's name and direct phone number on the back. Ok? Now just in case you don't get me fired after talking to him, go ahead and call HIS boss. This is the regional manager and his direct phone number. If for some reason you still haven't succeeded, go ahead and call the CEO of the company. I'll put his name and phone number on here too. Is there anything else I can do for you sir? (I hand the dipshit the card at this point.)"

After they picked their jaw up off the floor they without fail stuttered their next comment and left, pretending to be satisfied.

Only once that I know of did anyone call. The DM told me the call was hilarious and made his day. [Razz]

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Christopher Crouch
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 128
From: Holywood, ca, usa
Registered: May 2006

posted 02-21-2011 02:06 AM

I'm not sure how much of the issue is related to AMC "relaxing" their rules for a few years and how much is a general shift in the public's attitude, towards a growing sense of entittlement. There have always been issues with people trying to sneak food in, but now people seem to act like it's their right to do so.

The theatre I manage is a bit of an extreme example of this attitude, as we are located in a very affluent area, but not a day goes by when I'm not inundated by guests who are outraged that we won't allow them special privileges. Many are fully aware of the rules, but seem to believe that they shouldn't be held to such rules. Not only am I constantly lectured about "rights being violated", I've actually had people call the police because we wouldn't allow their coffee in to the theatre. Of course, the police blow them off, but the very idea that someone would take that action says something very disturbing about their outlook on the world. I've noticed similar attitudes towards cell phone use, having to pay extra for 3D, hours of operation, having to wait in line, etc. Basically, more and more people seem to believe the world revolves around them.

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Chase Pickett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 142
From: Irving, Texas, USA
Registered: Nov 2010

posted 02-21-2011 02:49 AM

AMC, to be courteous, allowed outside food/drink from restaurants and shops within the surrounding shopping area for a while. I want to say 3 years or so that wasn't the case, but since trying that we reverted back to the original policy after diminishing per head rates. Being around box office during the beginning of this year (that's when we went back) was like hell. Most guests were understanding and nice about it, but we had the douche bags too.

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-21-2011 08:30 AM

quote: John T. Hendrickson, Jr
People today are used to taking everything to the top.

In defense of "going to the top", but not general douchebaggery, anyone who has tried to get a legitimate problem remedied by a large corporation knows you have to hack your way through layers of cannon fodder before you can get to someone who is even capable of helping you.

I think the to-the- top mentality is a reaction to generally awful customer service and a corporate attitude of "we can outlast you." I don't know how many hours of frustration I have suffered and caused just to get someone who can say "We made a mistake. We're sorry. How can we fix it?"

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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 02-21-2011 09:08 AM

Well, there you go, Martin. I agree, because you are speaking about a legitimate problem. And often, you do have to go to the top in that case.

What I'm commenting about is the general attitude of people who have learned to bitch and moan without regard to allowing anyone to solve a problem, so they go right to the top.

Can't begin to tell you how many customer emails I have read where people embellish everything that happened. We recently had a guy on our security camera jumping up and down and carrying on, yet he claimed it was all the fault of management. Different story in real time, so to speak.

It's unfortunate, but people have been conditioned to lie in order to get what they want.

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 02-21-2011 01:23 PM

I've got a different take on the outside food/drink thing ... Making a customer dispose of outside food / drink does NOT result in them suddenly buying something from the stand, so as long as it's not something that's going to bother other customers (pungent odor, etc), what's gained by the confrontation? It's not like they're going to suddenly say "Wow ... I need to buy popcorn and a soda instead." They're just going to toss their items / put them in the car, watch the movie, and still not buy anything from the stand, at best. At worst, they'll no longer be a customer. Some of the highest per caps I've seen in the industry are from theatres that allowed outside food / drink (Century) anyways...

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Michael Brown
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1522
From: Bradford, England
Registered: May 2001

posted 02-21-2011 01:52 PM

Regarding the "we didn't see a sign". I've actually had someone pull that crap when they were kicked out of an auditorium for constantly talking. They complained that we didn't have any signs up saying that they couldn't talk in a movie.

quote: Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
What annoys me most though is when the customer has obviously been rude to my staff, then I walk out in my suit and they're all smiley and happy to me

I had a situation over christmas where a group of girls were demanding I give then 3D glasses even thought they had claimed they had paid for them but "lost" their receipt. As soon as I call my GM and they see a guy in a suit they completely change their story that they haven't even paid for them.

quote: John T. Hendrickson, Jr
People today are used to taking everything to the top

Had a customer discover their toilet stall had run out of paper. They came out and wanted to get the phone number of head office, rather than just asking an employee who would have been more than happy to go the the supply cupboard and get a new roll of toilet paper.

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Dan Biegner
Film Handler

Posts: 13
From: Northampton, MA USA
Registered: Dec 2010

posted 02-21-2011 02:49 PM

The thing that I really don't get is haven't any of those people had jobs in customer service? The thing that I really take away from being in this job is that I as the employee am always going to go the extra mile and try and help out people who are super nice and polite about things. I, as well as the rest of the staff, do tend to make little exceptions when people are nice about things. Nothing major, but stuff that isn't going to make an impact at all really. But once someone starts putting up a fight, or starts being supremely rude about something, I immediately don't want to help those people, so then I start playing by the book and all of a sudden every rule is life or death.

So when I go out to the movies or to a restaurant or something, if there's ever a problem and I need to complain, I'm super polite and understanding, because most of the employees legitimately are invested and want you to have a good experience. Being rude makes people not WANT to help you!

Oy. People. We had a pretty nasty old woman who actually not only threatened the staff, but when the customer behind her tried to intervene because she was being so rude and holding everything up, she turned to him, lifted her walker, and challenged him to a fight! Craziest thing I ever saw!

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 02-21-2011 03:22 PM

I am always highly amused when people refer to customers as "guests". Absolutely NO movie theater is a high-class establishment. It's a frickin' movie theater. That's like referring to eating inside McDonald's as "dining in".

quote: Martin McCaffery
In defense of "going to the top", but not general douchebaggery, anyone who has tried to get a legitimate problem remedied by a large corporation knows you have to hack your way through layers of cannon fodder before you can get to someone who is even capable of helping you.

Very true, but EVERYONE thinks their problem is legitimate.

quote: Mike Spaeth
so as long as it's not something that's going to bother other customers (pungent odor, etc), what's gained by the confrontation?

The other highly distinguished exclusive guests in the auditorium will see the items and feel they can bring stuff in, too. Then that increases exponentially and soon a lot more people than you would like would bring food in.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 02-21-2011 03:25 PM

We stayed in one of the Disney World hotels a few years ago, and on the first night of our stay the toilet clogged up following one of my epic outputs. I called it in to the front desk but, to be nice, I said it would be OK to wait until the next day to fix it since it was late at night. So the next morning we went out for the day, and came back that night to find the damn toilet was still plugged, even though our room had been cleaned!

So this time I went to the front desk in person and told them the problem. Again, I said it would be OK to wait until the next day to fix it since it was very late. They apologized profusely and said it would definitely be taken care of. (Disney has some of the best front-desk personnel in all of hoteldom.)

The next day, we went out again and got back that night and the DAMN TOILET WAS STILL CLOGGED!! So once again I went to the front desk and this time I said, "This is day three of us having no toilet in our room, and it's getting pretty smelly, so I would like to have it fixed right now." So they got some non-English speaking dude from somewhere, and he had the clog fixed in a few minutes.

So, if I had blown a fuse on Day 1 would the toilet have gotten fixed any faster? Probably. Did Disney give us any perks like a park voucher or a room discount or anything for having no toilet for 3 days? No. If I had really raised hell about it to the manager, would we have gotten some kind of a complimentary deal? Maybe...but I was nice the whole time, so they got off cheap.

What's the moral of this story? Sometimes you might have to raise your voice a little but you should still be civil, I guess.

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