Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Some people know how to say "Thank You" after all.

This is topic Some people know how to say "Thank You" after all. in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 02-14-2003, 07:36 PM:

Yesterday, I boarded the Island Transit bus that supposedly was supposed to go to Mount Vernon, which is 22 miles up the road from where I live. ( I got on the wrong bus anyway. [Frown]

)

But anyway, during the short trip, I noticed the bus was full of kids ranging from age 10 to 20 years old. As the driver of the bus was making his rounds, I noticed that every kid (without any exceptions) actually thanked the bus driver as they departed the bus! What a pleasant surprise!!! I was actually shocked to see this.

Since I got on the wrong bus yesterday, I was going to try again to get up to Mount Vernon so I could pick up my vehicle. The Theatre Owner called me on the cell phone and said to wait, he was on his way to pick me up. About 5 minutes before the boss arrived, the same bus with the same driver came rolling along the highway. The driver apparently recognized me, and even though I waved him through, he stopped anyway to make sure I was or was not going to take the bus to Mount Vernon.

Island Transit does not charge a fee to ride the bus. Rides are free.

But the point I was trying to make is that some people do not forget to say "Thank You", and some service providers such as Island Transit has some drivers that will go out of their way to see if they can help someone. Isn't that great? I have never seen something like this in decades. Have you?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-14-2003, 07:39 PM:

I see it a pretty decent amount around Dallas, but it's nowhere near as commonplace as it probably should be. I think if someone is greeted in a friendly manner, the odds of a "thank you" is much more probable.

Quick poll...

How many projectionists here actually get told "thank you for the great job you did tonight" by their manager when they have a perfect shift of shows? (Be sure to specify whether you work for a large chain or a small chain/independent.)

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-14-2003, 07:44 PM:

I always get thanked by the owners of independent theatres when I leave at the end of the night.

I occassionally get thanked by 'multiplex chain' managers.

I always get thanked by head office personnel from the chains when they are around to see a show or just to 'visit'.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 02-14-2003, 07:55 PM:

After watching an enjoyable movie that was enhanced by good presentation, I've been known to thank the manager on my way out. I make a point of complimenting their presentation. This compliment usually results in a look of surprise followed by a big smile and a reply like "Thank you for telling me - We're glad you enjoyed it." Hokey but true. [Big Grin]

Naturally I would like to thank the projectionist too but that's usually not possible... [Frown]

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 02-14-2003, 08:11 PM:

Thank you...sure. But do they know how to say nee! [Razz]

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-14-2003, 08:33 PM:

I get a lot of our clients stop by the booth and say
Thank You for a Great Show, as they leave the theatre.
These remarks are coming from production staff like
Directors, Producers, Actors, all the way down to the
P R people. They say when we run a show here it runs
so smooth. Brad knows I run a Studio Screening Room
, here in New York. But when I ran theatres, I would
get a Thank You from management at the end of the night.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 02-14-2003, 08:47 PM:

I've had the pleasure of working with a couple of managers who expressed their appreciation. Sometimes, with a thank you and sometimes with free dinner or special snacks.

One theatre manager used to let me have first choice of shifts and I usually got a good amount of hours there...with the "good" managers.

Oh and there was this one manager who kept bringing me bagels. When I left the company, he gave me a present. I didn't know what it was, so I asked him and he gave me a strange look. "You're kidding me," he said. After I had convinced him that I really had no clue what it was, he explained that it was something you put at the entrance to your home. It's a Jewish thing. Somehow, he had gotten it into his head that I was "a nice, Jewish boy" and that was why he kept bringing me bagels. Nice guy. I put the thing up at the door to my apartment. It served as a reminder of good times. You're supposed to touch it as you enter and exit. Anyone know the proper name of this?

(This post took about 5 minutes. It was edited twice.)

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 02-14-2003, 09:05 PM:

I'm not Jewish and whether or not I'm nice is for others to decide but I think the item in question is called a Mezuzah.

I get thanked pretty often because departing visitors walk right past the booth entrance.

I did a reel change in the midst of this post; does that affect my timing?

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 02-14-2003, 09:31 PM:

Manny, do a Google search on Mezuzah. You might find it touching. [Smile]

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 02-14-2003, 09:32 PM:

At the end of a busy night, with packed houses for films like "Spider-Man" or "Lord of the Rings" (or even "Greek Wedding") and all the shows have gone off flawlessly and the customers have had a great moviegoing experience and the throngs exit with smiles on their faces, the manager definitely owes a big "Thank You" to whoever is working the booth. [beer]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 02-14-2003, 09:37 PM:

I usually get a "thank you" but only when I do something a bit beyond normal projectionist duties, like build a platter, swap an intermittent or figure something "complex" that eludes the managers

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-14-2003, 10:19 PM:

I recently ran a screening for a nonprofit group. I told them that I would do it for $50 flat-rate, which I think is pretty reasonable for a one-time show on a Friday night with the director in the audience in a venue that I had never seen before (which meant that I had to spend an hour or so visiting it the week before the screening). The screening went perfectly, and the director of the nonprofit was a very reasonable person to work with (which is why I agreed to do this in the first place).

Anyway, today I received in the mail a very nice note thanking me for my help, along with a check for $75. I was very impressed by this (not the money, but the fact that they cared enough to express their appreciation with a personal note) and would be very happy to do more shows for that group in the future.

Posted by Aldo Baez (Member # 790) on 02-14-2003, 11:36 PM:

I wish. The managers at my place get annoyed when I want to wait for the bulb to cool down after the last show finishes.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 02-15-2003, 12:41 AM:

I'm sure that there are exceptions, but impatience seems to be a requirement for being a manager. We have one guy who will come up to the booth as the last show is in credits and keep asking "are you done yet are you finished well can you go faster?" etc. My response is always "no, but I can go slower!" He has since stopped doing this (to me). Usually his big hurry is to either get to a bar or to get home and have some drinks. Any excuse to drink. He does say thank you when I help him out or save a show, though. He's actually pretty easy to work with except for the impatience part.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 02-15-2003, 01:06 AM:

quote:
The managers at my place get annoyed when I want to wait for the bulb to cool down after the last show finishes.

We have timers on our blowers. They cut off after ten minutes. I did work for one manager a few years ago who always complemented you when you were doing a good job. I really appreciated working for him.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 02-15-2003, 02:40 AM:

Thank you is a magic phrase. It's not only appropriate, it's positive reinforcement for a job well done, and encourages loyalty. When I managed a drive-in, I always made sure I thanked everyone for their good work. I'm sure this helped in my having a fiercely loyal staff (there are always exceptions, of course, and I had only one). They were always willing to step up to the plate.

I say "thank you" in my daily life, as well, it's not difficult to do, and often helps you get better treatment. People reciprocate. More youngsters should learn how to say it -- especially those who work the register at fast-food joints.

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 02-15-2003, 04:01 AM:

Thanked by a manager at the end of a shift that ran like clockwork? [Roll Eyes]

Then again, when the vast majority of your shifts run without a hitch, you and your skill almost get taken for granted. [Frown]

(The multi-plex I work at is part of one of the smaller companies, not one of the large beasts.)
I have gotten the "How much longer are you going to be?" question on several occasions.
[Razz]

If the lamphouse exhaust system was on some kind of timer (other than a patient projectionist), I would probably have been asked that question a lot less.

Generally, if I'm screening a film with other employees, I'll get a 'thank you' from at least one person. Yet nobody bothers to wander up to the booth to say 'thanks' if I was not in the auditorium with them. ...Just as uncommon is for someone to come up to the booth after a screening has ended to see if I need a hand moving anything. 'Help for moving prints' is something that I always find in short supply!

As for when the tables are turned...
I am one of those people that will thank cashiers, wait-staff, highway toll collectors, and so on and so forth. Courteous manners, plain and simple. I rarely feel compelled to go out of my way to be a rude bitch to someone. "Kill them with kindness" is how I handle people with super-sour attitudes.
At the same time, I could really care less what some random stranger thinks of me, I am who I am because I am comfortable with who I am, and if someone has a problem with that, it is their own problem, not mine. [Big Grin]

Me? Angel? Devil?
[Wink]

It all depends on who you ask!

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 02-15-2003, 11:48 AM:

I recently did some rewiring so my lamphouse blowers and exhaust fans can be left running on a timer. They don't take a long time to cool to a safe level* but I normally commute by train and often a few minutes can make all the difference in the world.

* The reason to keep the fans running is to protect the bulb seals whose temperature can actually rise if everything was simply cut off at once (from the heat stored in the mass of the bulb electrodes). The rest of the lamphouse doesn't much matter since during operation things get as hot as they are going to get and when the lamp is shut off they cool down...quickly with a fan; slowly without a fan but cool they do. But bulb seals are another story and require continued cooling for at least a little while.

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 02-15-2003, 12:40 PM:

<- is a projectionist, not an electrician!

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 02-16-2003, 12:41 AM:

How about Projectian vs. Electricist? Or projectioneer? Projectologist?

Posted by Alan Plester (Member # 852) on 02-16-2003, 10:22 AM:

Our dear departed manager,( passed away 3 weeks ago ) never missed to say thankyou everyday, at lock up time, we also received mail from patrons, on a good show.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-16-2003, 10:58 PM:

A "Projectologist" is also a person who's a fan of the Alan Parsons Project.

(1970s-1980s British progressive rock band, for those younger folks!)

Posted by Ray Brown (Member # 1449) on 02-16-2003, 11:11 PM:

I help out at a 150 seat, single screen, non-profit independent located in a small town.

I'm always getting a thank you from the theater's manager and board members. Makes me feel appreciated. [thumbsup]

Posted by Don Bruechert (Member # 1538) on 02-17-2003, 11:24 PM:

Hmmmm.... Interesting.... Should I thank myself at the end of the night if I do a good job??? [Smile]

I am one of those manager/projectionist combo type dudes, so I get to do it all, including if it is a crappy night I will send one of the "kids" home and I will run the box too. One gets in the habit of lacing up all the movies ahead of time when doing this, so you only have to leave your post for a few minutes to start each movie... I think it is a thankless job, but I feel good when I do a good job and everything goes right.

I guess I did get a compliment from the owner the other night. He knows when I started there I wrote down everything I did and later typed it into a reference sheet for myself that I used for a while to keep me on track. I am in the process of training a new guy, and the owner told me to give him those sheets. I told him that stuff was from "way back" when I didn't really know what planet I was on. He then told me I must have wrote it down right because I am the only one that never has any problems in the booths. I said thanks, and then knocked on wood to clear the curse.... [Smile]