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Author Topic: What do you do about an erroneous checker report? Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 07-08-2012 01:41 PM                     Hey Ron, I've known Louis only through these forums for a few years but have come to believe he is one of the most straight forward, honest people I have ever known. I think you are out of line scolding him that way. A person has not only a right but an obligation to stand up for their morals. The problem in our country today is too few stand up for good morals.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-09-2012 12:30 AM                        quote: Mike Frese Mike actually is in a better position than most to boycott a studio I don't know how you figure that. This problem is with one of the majors and there isn't a major we can "do without" over the long haul. However I do agree with Louis about not sending them any more $. For one thing, it would be an admission of guilt. For another, this is a movie we played on the break and so we already paid top dollar for it. On the other hand, Ron's right that we don't have a lot of bargaining power. Just 30+ years of straight dealing, on top of 50 more years of straight dealing (so far as I know!) from the previous owners of this place. Hopefully that will count for something. I still haven't heard anything about their "more information."  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-09-2012 06:09 AM                        Gosh, guys, thanks for all the kind words. My small guys have been so beaten up by film companies, that they just roll over. Conversely, with only one screen, it is impossible to play all films. (I had one guy who always excluded one company when they treaded him badly--no Warner from 1961 to 1971.) Later another replced Warner. At the end of the day, you have to stand for something. Conversely, there is no corporate memory since turnover is so great and you never see the same guy twice. You can't sue them; they have too much money and 75 "sharks" just to keep you at bay. Disputing things by withholding money is about your only option. Louis  |  IP: Logged Mike Frese Master Film Handler Posts: 465 From: Holts Summit, MO Registered: Jun 2007 posted 07-09-2012 10:33 AM                        quote: Mike Blakesley I don't know how you figure that. This problem is with one of the majors and there isn't a major we can "do without" over the long haul. You only have one screen with too many movies to play. Plus you have said for years that you do not like playing on the break very much. So, could you not play that studio going forward for 6 mos? You might. Could you play this studio a lot less than you have been? Yes (I have done this before and I am doing it right now and I have 4 screens and do NOT have too much product to choose from) Could you not play this studio on the break and play them only after 3-4 weeks? Sure you could. My point is, you have the ability more than most to do any of the above options if you feel that they are treating you poorly.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-09-2012 11:03 AM                        quote: Mike Frese Plus you have said for years that you do not like playing on the break very much. I never said that at all. I love to play movies on the break. I would like to play a movie on the break every week. The only thing holding us back from doing that is the 3-week, or 4-week, playtime requirements for some movies. Many movies are only worth one week in a town this size. If we could play those lesser movies on the break for 1 week, I'd gladly pay the higher film rent and play on the break as much as possible. Some movies are easily worth a longer time for us. The Avengers? Yes. Ted? No. As it is, we have to pick which blockbusters we think will hold up. The ones we desire the most are the super-hyped-up ones that everyone MUST see on opening weekend lest they feel like an outcast. Every major has one or two of those every year, it seems. If we wait a month to play one of those movies it cuts our boxoffice by half, because people who "can't wait" will go out of town to see the movie. Also keep in mind, if we refuse to pay this thing we will be shut out of playing this particular studio AT ALL, not just a few weeks off the break.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-09-2012 11:20 AM                        Mike is in the same position we art houses face, though maybe he's slightly better leveraged. A good week in Montgomery is like a bad opening Friday in NYC, so if we were to close tomorrow, most of the art disturbs (especially the studio owned ones) wouldn't give a damn. I'm sure a really good gross at Mike's house barely gets their attention. And, of course, they can punish him much worse than he can punish them. I think he should just keep contesting until they give up or escalate. It's totally possible one side of the business doesn't know what the other is up to.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-11-2012 11:16 AM                        I'm sorry if I offend anyone with my comments to Louis. It wasn't my intention but I do tend to get on my soap box from time to time. I have always protested with the film companies if we didn't jive but it has never been more than one or two ticket sales, so I paid under protest. at that time I had eight screens in one town and 3 in another I needed their product and telling them they were wrong and repeating it every chance I had was enough for me.  |  IP: Logged Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 07-18-2012 11:42 PM                     In a very factual sober tone, I would send them a letter stating the following: 1) You have had an unimpeachable reputation for so many years. And they are free to check up on your theater's track record in accuracy over the decades with other film companies and that your track record spans a much longer duration than a random checker. 2) It is unfair to go by a single checker's report. Such random sampling needs to establish a trend of some sort , short of verifying numbers right on the spot, which he did not. Say it would be a shame if this got down to some random checker's one instance of failing to do the job right. Shouldn't they at least find two reports before they establish any kind of a trend to eliminate contractor error? 3) Call their bluff. Say you appreciate their business, and that your calling is to serve the community , and it would be a shame to deprive the loyal patrons of certain movies because of one isolated instance of a checker's report clashing with the theater's own records. Say you would be welcome to do on the spot auditing of a movie, if they so desire. But you would sincerely not agree to pay the difference as you believe strongly in the integrity of your records.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-18-2012 10:59 PM                        Just to update everybody on this situation, we are still waiting for the supposed "more information" from the studio. I told them we disagreed with the report; they said they would "contact the vendor" and obtain more information on how the count was conducted. That's the last I've heard. Our booker told me he's going to just ask them to forget the whole thing, since it's been almost three months and they haven't been able to substantiate their claim. I don't know if he's made that request yet. The good news is their cashier is being very nice about the situation. He told me the balance is not showing as "past due," and not to worry about it until we get it settled. And, they're still willing to book their movies with us. (But we haven't played any.)  |  IP: Logged Timothy Eiler Expert Film Handler Posts: 126 From: Litchfield , Minnesota, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 09-16-2012 07:48 AM                        These checker issues sometimes take 4-5 month to resolve. One very wet spring I see a semi-cab entering the property i go running out there to stop them as it wont fit through the boxoffice and it to heavy for the lot. I stopped them half way in and told them they could not enter with that vehicle and they need to Back it out. I was then informed that I have to let them in they are checkers. I said I don't care who they are that cab in not going into my property and they need to back it out. It they want to check they could park it on the highway and walk in. They made threats about reporting me for not letting them in i did not back down on this. At this point they said they were leaving. unfortunately the didn't try and back up like I had said they needed to do multiple times but they tried to make a u-turn and got the front tires buried to the frame Blocking both lanes of incoming traffic on fri. talk about making me pissed. About an hour later they finally got unstuck with the help of a pickup with duo back tires pulling on the semi as it rocked back and forth. The upshot was the the company the studio hired could not get a hold of these "independent contractors". After about 4 months I got a letter from that company that said while they accept no responsibility for the action of there people here is a money order for $100 as a apology. To bad there was about $400 of repair costs to the lot and fence. After this i decided when another checker shows up he has to show me a workers comp and liability policy the is current before he can come onto my property to do any work. After 5 years I'm still waiting for one to show up.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-16-2012 03:52 PM                        It's now been nearly 4 months since the date of the alleged "offense" and we still have not heard anything. They are still willing to book their films with us (although we have not booked any) and they have stopped sending me "dun" e-mails. So maybe they just decided to forget the whole thing. I should be so lucky.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-08-2012 04:07 PM                     Then they should do the right thing now and send you a letter reflecting that fact so you can move on and not have worry about it anymore.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-08-2012 07:12 PM                        That would be nice. But remember this is a MOVIE STUDIO we're talking about, they don't behave the same way as ordinary businesspeople would.....you know, treating the customer well and all that. We're booking one of their movies a week from Friday, so we'll see if they try to dun me for the "balance."  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 10-13-2012 08:48 AM                        A letter of apology would be required before I would spend any more cash with them. Louis  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2012 02:34 PM                        Well as a final update on this issue, it appears that the studio has dropped the charges. I had a phone call about six weeks ago from their cashier asking about this past due balance, so I reminded him it was from the "discrepancy" that I had a disagreement with. He then remembered it and said "OK, I'll take care of it." That was the last I heard about it and we are now booking movies again from the studio in question. We actually only "missed" one of their movies this summer and we didn't really have the space in the schedule for it anyway. So, amazingly, the whole thing was taken care of without me having to hire any lawyers or write any nasty letters. But thanks to all for participating in this thread and also for the various personal emails I received about the issue. I learned a lot and got a lot of good advice.  |  IP: Logged

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