This is topic Late-comers in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Sherry Legare (Member # 671) on 09-10-2001, 10:00 AM:
I was wondering what everyone's policies are on people who arrive late for a movie. We have a real problem with people coming 15 or 20 minutes into the show. As a patron, I actually walked out of a movie at our theatre one time because a group of teens arrived 10 minutes into the movie and were making a racket at the back of the theatre trying to decide where to sit, then were climbing all over in front of us trying to get into their seats. It was an important part of the movie, and by the time they were settled I had missed what was going on.After that, and several complaints from other patrons experiencing the same thing, we decided to implement a policy where nobody was allowed into the movie after the main feature had been running for 10 minutes. Situational exceptions are made, such as a person arriving late that was meeting people in the theatre.
Unfortunately we don't have the manpower to have someone escorting late-comers into their movies and helping them find seats. By this time our ushers are busy doing other, more important, things.
Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 09-10-2001, 04:54 PM:
We're a stadium seating complex, so the "climbing over people" problem isn't a huge deal. Our ticket seller program won't sell tickets after twenty minutes into the show, so late people have to wait around or go across town to the carmike with the small parking lot.------------------
http://www.mullerfamilytheatres.com
Posted by Mike Jones (Member # 522) on 09-10-2001, 06:20 PM:
I'm sorry, but I don't agree. It may be an inconvience to patrons already in the theatre but its just bad business to turn away money. It doesn't make sense to me though, I mean I would never pay $8.25 to a movie when I've missed 20 minutes of it. I don't even want to miss the trailers!Besides, it happens so rarely that people want to come 20 minutes or later to a show. Ten minutes is quite understandable. How can you account for traffic or a personal crisis? You can't.
Posted by Kyle Watkins (Member # 986) on 09-10-2001, 06:37 PM:
We always sell them a ticket. But if the last show of the night, and i dont think no one will show up for the movie, i wont start it. usally i just let them into another movie already playing for free. kyle
Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 09-10-2001, 07:18 PM:
Well Kyle I hope that you work at a sub run if you are letting people in for free. If I am working and someone shows up late for a movie that I haden't started, than I pull out the ring up to either the splice before the attached trailer (if they are 10 minutes late) or even start the movie after the first reel if they are 20 minutes or so late. This way the custumer gets to see their movie and you don't have to stay extra late.
Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 09-10-2001, 07:22 PM:
Uh... Last show of night latecomers aren't always what they seem. Take each one on an individual basis, but remember that people who want to be admitted after you have locked the doors can be wanting your deposit and not a movie. Be careful.
Posted by Lance C. McFetridge (Member # 95) on 09-10-2001, 08:03 PM:
I have a policy that if the patron shows up within 15 minutes of the last show, they get a ticket. If they are the only person in the show, and come up to 15 minutes late, we show the movie. I am paying the projectionist, they might as well be there until the end of the shift. First time I turn away someone in this small town, the word would spread like fire.
lance
Posted by Richard C. Wolfe (Member # 431) on 09-10-2001, 09:58 PM:
We seldom get people coming in that late, but as we have almost 600 seats it is not usually a problem to get a late comer seated.My problem is just the opposite. We get people that arrive a half hour before the end of the show and want to go right in and see the end, and then stay and see the beginning up to where they came in. My theatre is a single screen in a small town, and most of our patrons are well over age 40. Now you young people reading this may not be aware of this, but back when those patrons were young, it was not unusual for people to come and go at any time during a movie. The theatres ran continuous. They did not stop between shows to clean. Between the feature showings were the cartoon, trailers, and shorts as well as the news reel. Often the lights were brought up about 1/3 to 1/2 during those portions of the program, but film never left the screen. People came and went as they pleased, even throughout the feature. These people are not pleased when they have to wait until the end of the show to get in. Oh, how things have changed. Some for the better and some for the worse. Holding people out after 15 minutes until the next show is certainly one of those things for the better.
I'm curious, if a partron wants to stay and see part of, or all of the show over again, do you let them? That was another practice that was the norm years ago. You could come in at noon and stay all day if you wanted to... watching the film and shorts up to five times. Some of the shorts I believe were made with the intent of clearing the house between shows... boy, were they ever long and boring! Maybe it was just to drive them to the concession stand?
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 09-11-2001, 02:00 AM:
We let them stay to see the next show... If they buy another ticket.. 
Posted by Kevin Baglow (Member # 721) on 09-11-2001, 08:42 AM:
I've had nearly 30 years experience reading moviegowers body language now. I reckon I can pick a problem patron at 100 yards, an would know who and who not to let in late. Of cource there would be a technical problem why they couldn't be admitted if I decided not to.------------------
Posted by Sherry Legare (Member # 671) on 09-11-2001, 05:39 PM:
I completely disagree with Mike.The statement that "it happens so rarely that people want to come 20 minutes or later to a show" may be true for some, but it is not for us. It happens on a regular basis, especially during our midnight shows on Friday and Saturday. We are a discount theatre, so people don't mind missing half their movie when they are only paying $3.00. People often come in much later than 20 minutes in fact.
It may be bad business to turn away people, but in my opinion it is worse business not to care about unnecessarily inconveniencing your patrons that arrived on time and are enjoying their movie. Those are your valued customers and those are the ones you want to return. As I said in my original post, we do make situational exceptions, but if a group of loud, rowdy teens shows up 20 minutes into a movie, I don't want them disturbing the 50 or 100 people that are already in the theatre.
More than traffic or personal crisis, I think a large problem is that people have been brainwashed thanks to the larger chains to think theatres always run 20 minutes of commericals and crap before the show starts and many people want to miss that.
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 02-16-2003, 10:44 AM:
The AMC Hamilton just opened The Guru on a Central New Jersey exclusive. I was at the 8 PM show on opening night (2/14) and at least 10-15 people came in after the feature started.
Here's a good way to solve this problem. Program the box office so it cuts off sales to a movie after the published show start. That way patrons will learn to show up on time. Otherwise, You wait -- you're late!
Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 02-16-2003, 11:43 AM:
Any policies that involve turning away paying customers is probably not a good thing. All that I usually do is ask the customers when they purchuse their thickets if they are aware that the feature started X minutes ago. What tends to happen is that we find out that the customer was looking at a competors ad and not ours and thus received the incorrect showtime.
Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 02-16-2003, 12:54 PM:
The Arclight thearres in Hollywood have a policy that no one will be seated after the main feature starts. Latecomers are given either a refund or a re-admit.
Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 02-16-2003, 02:31 PM:
We haven't had much trouble (yet) with customers showing up late. Our pre-game show is pretty short... about 10 minutes of trailers, a policy strip & right into the show... bam, bam, bam (like TV! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
). Those who frequent the place know they don't get a lot of crap before the show... and they've learned not to dawdle.
As for early arrivals... we hold them in the lobby while the crew cleans up the auditorium(s). Being relatively small, we have the luxury of being able to do a pretty good cleaning before each show, so people don't have to wade into the last crowd's mess.
Posted by Chad Calpito (Member # 1562) on 02-17-2003, 01:01 PM:
The company policy of the theater that I work at is that no tickets are sold after 20 minutes of the original start time. No exceptions. This makes perfect sense. It is because of the ticketing program and because once the movie starts, people don't want to deal with situations that was explained in this topic.
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-19-2003, 05:53 AM:
As others have noted, the design of the auditorium is a big issue. If latecomers can be seated without disrupting those who did turn up on time then no problem. But if they cannot, then it becomes an issue of whether you turn away the latecomer or risk turning away those who have already paid. Personally I would side with the latter, and not admit latecomers in cases when doing so is likely to cause disruption.
Another solution might be to reserve a few 'house seats' until the start of the feature (e.g. in the front row) which can be reached with minimal disruption, and to seat latecomers there.