Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Dealing with kiddies

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Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 10-27-2004, 03:48 AM:

Last friday was quite an interesting day for us, as PG-13 horror releases usually are. We had theatre upon theatre full of pre-teens who just happened to feel the need to be as obnoxious as possible. In one theatre we had several complaints before the show even started it had gotten so bad. Several kids were removed from that show, which shut the rest of them up for the most part. This friday we'll have more of the same, with a large amount trying to sneak into "Saw" as well. I'll be downstairs on the floor again working with this, so I was wondering what kind of methods others have used to subdue the kiddies aside from warnings followed by removal with no refund which tend to be messy and loud(although sometimes the cheers from the crowd completely offset the inconvenience).

Posted by Chris Medley (Member # 2145) on 10-27-2004, 07:02 AM:

It got really bad at my old theater...we had fights and I have had a couple of punks take swings at me. I would suggest getting off-duty police secuirty for your high traffic nights. This can cost you some money on the front end ($25 an hr here)..but your older patrons will tend to go somewhere else and take their money with them if things are not under control and if they do not feel safe. I've had patrons go both ways on the armed police...some love the security some are worried that we need it.

If forking over that kind of cash is not an option I would post one or two people outside the door of SAW(preferably at least one manager)to check tickets and another inside to "seat" and too watch for kids opening exit doors.

I did theater annouments in problem shows...Just started by welcoming them to the show and telling them that we appreciate their patronage. Then just let them know that to ensure that everyone enjoys the show, your theater has a zero tolerance polciy in regards to theater disturbances and while it is not your wish to remove anyone from the show, if they are distrurbing other customers they will be asked to leave.

Saying something like that cut my problems in half and got a great reaction from the patrons. Also, one thing that would always piss me off when I would go to another theater...a kid is making a lot of noise...someone complains...enter the manager..instead of asking the kid to step outside the manager/employee will carryon an even louder conversation with the kid before taking them outside. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK THEM TO STEP OUTSIDE..IF THEY REFUSE THEN WALK AWAY AND CALL THE POLICE...It does seem that adults are worse about wanting to not step outside, but if you stand firm and simply inform them that if they do not wish to step outside then you will have to call the police and have them removed..they will usually get the picture.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 10-27-2004, 07:09 AM:

A mag-lite to the back of the head usually works with loud kids. But seriously, off-duty police for security seems to work well. Like Chris said, dont stand there and argue with them and disrupt the movie. Let security handle it. As far as us, we give them 3 warnings. The first 2 is the usher or manager asking them to quiet down, and the 3rd is asking them to leave. If they refuse, its in the officers hands from that point on.

Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 10-27-2004, 08:50 PM:

3 warnings! If I were a patron I would be very upset watching the guilty party get two warnings before getting the boot.

I like to warn problem shows ahead of the show & on the first offense they are gone. It's good to set an example early so the rest of them know their place.

As for the security, I just ask the police department to make a courtesy patrols through all the auditoriums when they are in the area. They come in on their own schedule and just walk around the place. They are more than willing to walk through the shows, they get to see some parts of movies and of course they get free bag of popcorn

[Big Grin]

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 10-27-2004, 09:02 PM:

we have off duty police every weekend, Friday and Sat nights when it's busy we have two during the night. As for kids...I give them a warning, leave the theatre and come right back in...if they are being loud or another customer comes out....bye, get a refund.

Our cops make GOOD money though, and the free popcorn and drinks lures other cops to come in and waste my tax dollars too. Some nights, we've had 6 cops just talking for an hour.

Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 10-27-2004, 11:43 PM:

Refund?!

If they disrupt the show, they deserve nothing but the door. If you make a scene at a sports game & get removed, you don't get a refund. If you make a scene at a symphony & get removed, you get nothing; why should the little snot get rewarded with their money back if they ruin a show for others?

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 10-28-2004, 01:29 AM:

Good advice from all.

Fortunately our general manager read through our log books and listened to our concerns about last friday. We have 3 managers(including myself) and 2 security guards(one indoor, one outdoor) to keep kids out of saw and to keep them from causing problems in other shows for this friday. Our goal is to keep the hallways clear and the shows quiet.

About having off-duty police officers I am not sure why we don't. I know we had a police officer come in and ask if we needed some help with security on weekends but nothing came of it, i would've jumped on the opportunity personally. We do have police officers patrol the parking lot frequently and when we do have problems they are more than happy to fill out our documentation as well as their own.

I think I'll try announcements before shows, should cut down on incidents where the patrons insist they didn't receive a warning. I could always make an announcement and give one more warning before booting them w/out a refund. Not sure what I'll do yet.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 10-28-2004, 02:24 AM:

quote: David Yauch
I think I'll try announcements before shows

Don't stand near the screen, unless you want to clean.

Posted by Chris Medley (Member # 2145) on 10-28-2004, 06:23 AM:

Nope.. If they get booted they get no refund. We also give them about twenty minutes to get off the property because we have had issues with vandalism and car breakins. Do any of you have no loitering ordinances? Have a few friendly citations helped with keeping the crowds of kids from hanging out after the show?The family restaurant that shares a lot with us wanted to get one but Corporate said no dice.

Posted by Kevin Markwick (Member # 2698) on 10-28-2004, 07:48 AM:

quote:
Chris Medley : I've had patrons go both ways on the armed police...some love the security some are worried that we need it.

Armed? In a cinema? That is one of the most shocking things I've ever heard. Is this normal?

Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 10-28-2004, 12:14 PM:

Heck I'm sure in some cinemas, riot gear is probably in order. [Eek!]

One warning and they are gone. NO refunds.
Just remember, you can't make money off of roudy kids, they tear up more than they spend, and they run off the good paying customers in short order. If you don't control them, you'll not be in business very long.

I've been known to clear out whole rows at a time, and send them packing.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 10-28-2004, 01:24 PM:

quote: Kevin Markwick
Armed? In a cinema? That is one of the most shocking things I've ever heard. Is this normal?

Yes... Anyone talking during the movie is shot on site, with much applause from the audience. [Big Grin]

Posted by Chris Medley (Member # 2145) on 10-28-2004, 03:02 PM:

Eric..your making assumptions...we don't shoot them on site, that would get blood all over the seats..not to mention other customers. We stop the movie, bring them down to the front of the theater and shoot them execution style..In the words of Ron White "That'll shut um up" [Big Grin]

When I said armed I meant they carried a side-arm...not a 12 gauge riot gun, but there have been times when I thought they would need it. We couldn't get wannabes with a club and mace...the punks would walk all over them

[ 10-29-2004, 06:54 AM: Message edited by: Chris Medley ]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 10-28-2004, 08:23 PM:

quote: Brad Allen
I've been known to clear out whole rows at a time, and send them packing.

My favourite pastime which is usually followed by

quote: Eric Hooper
much applause from the audience.

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 10-29-2004, 12:40 PM:

We have a supervisor over here that has taken a fondness to kicking out little kids over the years. The other day he kicked out the lower section of an auditorium which was probably around 100 seats. As the kids got up and left the laughter in the auditorium was far louder than the movie.

Fortunately we scheduled him tonight too, a nightmare for twelve year olds theatre-wide...

Posted by Greg Davis (Member # 2687) on 10-29-2004, 01:26 PM:

I for one have long refused to even bother going to see movies that will have large kid audiences during the busy hours, and pretty much avoid large theaters all together. Last time i went to see a movie that i knew was going to be jammed with teenies it was Dawn of the Dead. There was so much talking and giggling and screaming at every nudity scene that eventually some huge guy in the front turned around and started yelling at them. This only prompted an applause, which was retarded to do during a movie. SO... a few nights ago i walk into a theater to bust some kids who are bringing in an Albertsons bag... and as I go in i hear a thump and see it hanging from a speaker. I kicked them all out and my GM had to let 3 back in out of the 6 because technically they didnt do anything wrong. big case of good cop bad cop, but thats usually the norm. i kick them out, managers let them back in. I guess i would too if i had to deal with parents. Oh yeah and it was team america.

Posted by Brandon Willis (Member # 2345) on 10-29-2004, 04:04 PM:

When I get a complaint, I go into the auditorium, go down in front where the audience can plainly see me but not where I'm blocking the screen, and just stand there and stare at them. Sometimes I stand there through the whole movie. I've also had the police shove disruptive kids out the fire exits by the screen. I never give refunds to people I kick out, and I always inform them that if I see them anywhere in the building again, they will be arrested. I like to handle troublemakers by being as much of an asshole as possible.

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 10-31-2004, 01:20 AM:

(Un)fortunately, I didn't have to kick anyone out. After first warning they were shutting up and putting cell phones away. I only had to visit one theatre more than once, and that was a small theater in which i talked to two different groups once. We did sent about 1 in 10 people for Saw out because they didn't have ID or the proper ticket. Shame on them.

Posted by Chase Hanson (Member # 2779) on 10-31-2004, 04:03 AM:

I personally revel in being built like a small house, it generally makes getting people to shut up much easier.

I will usually do the "make your presence known" option which is fairly easy.

If choice individuals cant read between the lines, I will usually stare at them, intensely, from one row away. Or ill sit down right next to them and tell them to simmer down or leave.

If they cant read the lines, then they get to go home early. If there are numerous offenders, ill "pick a bitch" perferably up front and parade said individual(s) across the auditorium and out the exit doors.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-31-2004, 12:40 PM:

quote:
I go into the auditorium, go down in front where the audience can plainly see me but not where I'm blocking the screen, and just stand there and stare at them. Sometimes I stand there through the whole movie.

Uhhh, I think that would be really distracting/annoying.

Posted by Ramin Hashemi (Member # 2694) on 11-01-2004, 12:35 AM:

for those in small towns, with no other theatres, doesn't it get trickier? On the one hand, the fact that the kids have no other theatres to go to, one would think they would behave. On the other hand, half the theatre are the kids that are making noise, and the vary small minority are the ones complaining.
What would you do in that case?

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 11-01-2004, 01:41 AM:

In a small town? Call their parents, since you probably know them anyways.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-01-2004, 02:08 AM:

We get that all the time -- people drop the kids off, and say "If they act up, give me a call."

Some people's kids are BETTER behaved when they are dropped off , than they are when the parents are around. Never could figure that one out.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 11-01-2004, 02:45 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Uhhh, I think that would be really distracting/annoying.

I agree. When I've been in shows where an usher did that, all I could think was "What are you doing? Get out of there!"

It's "The Usher Show" as long as they're down front.

Posted by Chris Medley (Member # 2145) on 11-01-2004, 08:26 AM:

It does very little good, IMHO, to stand at the front...you might end up ducking flying objects. If they are disturbing others just give them the boot. "Staring them down" only shuts them up when you are right there, plus that is a horrible waste of payroll.

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 11-02-2004, 12:39 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Some people's kids are BETTER behaved when they are dropped off , than they are when the parents are around. Never could figure that one out.

Maybe it's that mentality that as long as the parents are there they will be able to just keep pushing it, but if the parents have to drive down there to get them, they are going home.

Posted by Jarrod Cocker (Member # 2773) on 11-02-2004, 07:22 AM:

Ha Ha, this stuff... i enjoy!

If we have problems, its usually with a groupd of about 4 or 5 kids - either talking, throughing stuff, climbing over seats, walkinga around, etc etc

So, what i Like to, is go and sit right in the middle of them. Even tell them to move, so you can have the middle seat in the group.. Usually, after 5 mins or so, i'll leave, and everything will be ok. I once sat there for the last 30mins of the film, hey- i had nothing else to do!

Another trick i pull out on a regular basis - Seperate the Group. Move them all down to the front row. Usually, their friends will laugh at them, make them embarrassed, and they just dont know what to do.

My final trick - Kick them out a whole row of kids.. No Refund.

Ahh, the memories

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 11-02-2004, 09:14 AM:

We recently kicked out a whole row of kids, no refunds. Then we had a parent come back and say thay their kids never act up at the movies, and demanded a refund. We told them that the usher sat right behind the group and heard them all talking, and thats why they were removed, and we dont give refunds for that. The parents demanded that the usher tell them exactly what their daughter said in the conversation, and if he couldnt that means she wasnt talking. They then proceeded to threaten to sue the usher in question for yelling at their daughter and kicking her out. [Mad]

[ 11-02-2004, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: Jeremy Fuentes ]

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 11-02-2004, 02:49 PM:

Yeah I had a couple kids threaten to sue me for their tickets the other day, and then they called me a jerk. Now I'm both scared and offended.

Posted by Chase Hanson (Member # 2779) on 11-03-2004, 02:07 AM:

Ohh jeez David,

That sounds like Emotional Trauma right there...thats gotta be worth a couple thousand at least

Posted by Jarrod Cocker (Member # 2773) on 11-03-2004, 04:59 AM:

Maybe you should have singled the ring leader out - and made them sit down the front row by themselfs????

As i said before - a common practice where i work~~!!!

Its also fun to do eh! If they refuse, then bye bye to them [thumbsup]

Posted by Ben Holley (Member # 2247) on 11-03-2004, 09:36 PM:

quote: Kevin Markwick
Armed? In a cinema? That is one of the most shocking things I've ever heard. Is this normal?

well working at the theatre in question, i feel better with cops walking around with guns, i've never seen a cop in uniform w\out a gun. (i remember even officer friendly carried a gun when he told the evils of drugs when i was young). I can remember several occasions where handgun rounds have been found by ushers(live and spent). If i was going to do an armed robbery i would hit up a box office for sure [Big Grin]

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 11-04-2004, 02:53 AM:

quote: Chase Hanson
Ohh jeez David,

That sounds like Emotional Trauma right there...thats gotta be worth a couple thousand at least

Well the emotional damage caused by being embarrased in front of a theatre seating well over 200 for that show might have been worth that, if the little shits didn't deserve it.

Posted by Chris Medley (Member # 2145) on 11-04-2004, 07:10 AM:

Oh god...if I could count the number of times I have had parents tell me that they were going to be on the phone with their lawyer in the morning...or I give them my name and they tell me that I will not have a job in the morning..and when I final did leave after four years, it was of my own accord. But they best was the punk ass rich kid that asked me if i knew who his father was. [fu]

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 11-04-2004, 08:27 AM:

Hey everyone, new to the forum and decided this should be my first topic.

I'm a manager at a small 5 screen in a small town (10,000-15,000) people. We are the only game in town so we get everyone. We have simple rules for trouble some kids. One verbal warning, where we take them out of the theater so you don't bother your other patrons. As we all know our customers don't like us haveing conversations with the said kids somethimes adults too. If we still have problems with them then bye bye. No refund, no second chance. Get your ass out we don't want your busniess.

A funny story from Saw's opening night. A fellow manager got complaints about a group of kids in the theater. She went in and as she was walking up to them she heard a crash. As she looked between the groups two of the boys had a open bottle of beer...as well as one broken on the floor between them. She asked the boys to come with her out side the theater the ignored her (By the way she is about 5'3 110 lbs) She asked again and they ignored her, she got on her walkie talkie and called for another manager...as this happened the two boys jumped up and jumped over the seats in front of them...with one of the boys triping over the seats and doing a full face plant. The entire theater erupted in laughter and applause. After all was said and done..there was 4 unopened beers, and one lost Puma sneaker.

I also beleave staring at problem kids will not do anything but get them to stop talking while your there...and most likely laugh at you. Along with annoy your consumers.

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 11-04-2004, 09:51 PM:

Welcome Curt! I'm still new myself, I'm sure you'll like it here.

quote: Chris Medley
Oh god...if I could count the number of times I have had parents tell me that they were going to be on the phone with their lawyer in the morning...or I give them my name and they tell me that I will not have a job in the morning..and when I final did leave after four years, it was of my own accord. But they best was the punk ass rich kid that asked me if i knew who his father was.

Well I am grateful for the education in law I have received from the 10-12 year old group. I never knew that so many things we do every week were so illegal!

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 11-04-2004, 09:58 PM:

quote: Chris Medley
But they best was the punk ass rich kid that asked me if i knew who his father was.

I've had that, "Of course I do, he's worked for me for over five years now. Do you know who I am?"

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 11-06-2004, 03:18 AM:

This evening patrons thanked me for removing almost an entire row of kids from the 7:00PM Grudge...
Apparantly they were being loud, in and out of the theater, on phones, etc.
I of course pulled them out. The first group, of four, were louder than any other I've ever dealt with. Including the 6 that wanted to start a fight...The were junior high age girls. There's nothing more annoying than little Britney Spears wannabe's.
I actually got cussed at by 3 of them as they yelled at me while being escorted out of the building.
The second group wouldn't shut up either and chucked a cup of ice at another patron who told them what I was thinking all along..."Shut the fuck up!"