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Topic: What does your theatre do when the power goes out?

Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 12-29-2015 01:28 PM

quote: Randy Stankey
Rain checks are quick and dirty and 90% of people would rather have the "free pass."

That's the issue here. We never just do cash refunds. Even if a person has to leave a show for an emergency, we'll ask first if they want a pass. If they would rather have the cash we will happily do that, but it's way easier on the customer AND us to go with the pass. First, we don't have to hassle with the cash or refunding their card; and second, they don't have to mess with cash the next time they come to the show. Plus, there's always the chance they'll lose the pass or forget they had it. [Smile]

So it's a potential win-win-win!

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 12-29-2015 03:52 PM

Actually, we kinda hope they will come back with a pass. They're thrilled that they got a deal... we're glad they're happy... and they nearly always spend the ticket money (plus) at the snack bar.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 12-29-2015 05:37 PM

That last part was somewhat of a joke, hence the [Smile]

. Of course we hope they'll come back, but if they lose the pass, we still have the money! [Smile]

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 12-29-2015 07:00 PM

That was our experience (that ONE time) Jack, folks were thrilled with the pass, it's kind of a "deal" anyway, they can come back with more people in the car, and not only do they spend the money on snacks NEXT visit, but we got a nearly full night of sales before the show went down.

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Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted 12-30-2015 04:17 PM

The theater where I'm running the "Hateful 8" shows has this big friggin' 200KVA diesel generator
in the event of power failure. There are actually two of these here. This one is for the theater.
There's a similar one to power the cell phone antenna farm equipment on the roof.

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Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010

posted 12-30-2015 04:49 PM

Is the heat just exhausted outside?

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-30-2015 05:16 PM

I only had this happen once, a few years ago, at a screening at an art museum. It happened a couple of minutes before the scheduled show start. The lights went out completely--no battery-operated emergency lights or anything--for about twenty seconds, leaving everyone in the dark. Then, once their generator had stabilized, all of the house lights came back on, giving the audience the impression that the show would go on as planned. Some had to be convinced that the generator did not power the projectors or sound system and that the show would, in fact, be cancelled. I don't know how this was handled at the boxoffice level, but the museum's security guards led everyone out of the theatre and building. I suspect that patrons were told to hold onto their ticket stubs and that they would be good for admission to the same film whenever it was re-scheduled. I do know that they did not give cash refunds at that time, as they sell movie tickets at the museum box office and those cash registers were not powered by the generator.

Also, some lady got stuck in the elevator, which is a see-through glass box that is visible from the lobby. I left before they got her out, but that can't have been much fun for her to have a dozen people staring at her while she was in an elevator that was stuck between floors.

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Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted 12-30-2015 06:46 PM

quote: Buck Wilson
Is the heat just exhausted outside?

Buck: Here's a different angle:

The engine heat and exhaust go up that giant duct which pumps it into the employee break room.

(Ok- - just kidding- - there's apparently some stupid regulation against doing that, so the gasses
go out through a big exhaust vent on the back of the building)

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Brian DeCiancio
Film Handler

Posts: 52
From: Warren, OH, USA
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 12-31-2015 03:00 PM

We always try to give passes first, but issue cash refunds (regardless of original payment method) if insisted upon IF they have their ticket. Otherwise it is a pass only.

Keep your tickets, people!

We too will get some who want their concession purchase refunded. Nothing is wrong with the food/snacks, so no refund there.

I'm amazed at how angry some people get when a power outage happens--as if we WANT to inconvenience them and listen to their complaints!

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 12-31-2015 03:46 PM

quote: Brian DeCiancio
IF they have their ticket. Otherwise it is a pass only.

I guess I don't understand why you insist on a ticket, unless it's for "home office bookkeeping" purposes and your hands are tied. After all, you KNOW they had to buy a ticket to get in so it's not like they're out to scam you. If they're a tourist or maybe an infrequent moviegoer, you'd run the risk of turning them into a huge PR liability if you insist on a pass only if they (like lots of people) tossed their ticket into the trash once they were in the auditorium.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 12-31-2015 04:17 PM

quote:
The engine heat and exhaust go up that giant duct which pumps it into the employee break room.
(Ok- - just kidding- -

WOW! I bet the percentage of theatres that have something like that is pretty small. ... maybe in states with a lot of storms? Good thinking on someone's part to be able to carry the whole place.

quote: Scott Norwood
Also, some lady got stuck in the elevator, which is a see-through glass box that is visible from the lobby. I left before they got her out, but that can't have been much fun for her to have a dozen people staring at her while she was in an elevator that was stuck between floors.

Older building? I was under the impression that most modern elevators had a way to bring the cars to ground floor. I've seen several hoists that run on inverters which have banks of car-type batteries to do just that.

If nothing else, you'd think the hydraulic ones could be brought down manually.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-31-2015 04:43 PM

It was a 2006 building, actually. I didn't get the full story, but the fire department wasn't interested in helping, for some reason, so the museum had to get the Otis technicians out to fix the elevator and let the poor lady out. I believe that it is an hydraulic elevator, although it is counterweighted.

Edit: I checked this out today (1/2) and it turns out that the elevator in question is a traction elevator, not a hydraulic model. Not that this matters except maybe to people who know more about elevators than I do.

[ 01-02-2016, 09:20 PM: Message edited by: Scott Norwood ]

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Frank Cox
Film God

Posts: 2234
From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 12-31-2015 05:42 PM

I suspect that if the fire department came to help, you would end up with a broken elevator.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 12-31-2015 06:07 PM

I'd think it would probably be left to building personnel or the elevator company. Our local department didn't offer elevator rescue training, though maybe they should have. We've got a lot of them here.

(Cue visions of "Speed")...

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Brian DeCiancio
Film Handler

Posts: 52
From: Warren, OH, USA
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 12-31-2015 06:41 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
I guess I don't understand why you insist on a ticket, unless it's for "home office bookkeeping" purposes and your hands are tied. After all, you KNOW they had to buy a ticket to get in so it's not like they're out to scam you. If they're a tourist or maybe an infrequent moviegoer, you'd run the risk of turning them into a huge PR liability if you insist on a pass only if they (like lots of people) tossed their ticket into the trash once they were in the auditorium.

I am the "home office" [Big Grin]

We have some clever customers that do try to exploit things when they can.

But mainly, I have 2 primary reasons for this policy:
1. If they came in on a pass, I don't want to give them cash back.
2. Our point of sale system requires the transaction and ticket number in order to refund/void.

(I have bent the rules on occasion.)

I am a big fan of doing what I can to keep customers happy--within reason of course, but honestly, I don't feel I should lose money if they threw their ticket away. They just have to accept the pass.

The problem rarely happens to begin with and any complaint with the policy, even less.

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