Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: When did Regal stop giving refills?

This is topic When did Regal stop giving refills? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-17-2003, 12:27 AM:

I went to the UA 8 tonight, and bought my usual popcorn and large drink. When I went to get my usual refill, I was told that I couldn't get a refill unless I had bought the drink as part of a combo. When did this start? I don't really have a problem with it, rather I was just a bit annoyed becuase when I bought the drink by itself the concessionist didn't mention it would not be refilled, and there are several signs in the lobby that state "Free refills on Large Drinks and Large popcorn tubs" These signs say nothing about having to buy a combo as a condition of getting the advertised refills. (The signs I'm talking about are those Cookie Dough Bite signs that are up at every Regal complex.) Like I say, if they no longer give refills that's fine, just let people know they've changed their policy and change the wording on the signs all over the lobby...

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-17-2003, 12:49 AM:

If Regal (or anybody else, for that matter) says via big signs, "Free refills on Large Drinks and Large popcorn tubs" (with no disclaimers attached in fine print)- that's the way it is supposed to be in my opinion.

I would recommend you send a complaint to Regal Entertainment Group if you cannot get it resolved with the theatre manager.

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-17-2003, 01:39 AM:

I have used the on-line comment card in the past and never got a reply, so I plan to write a snail-mail letter and see if they'll reply to that. I read the sign in the lobby rather carefully, and all it says is that if you buy a large drink (or 2 large drinks, I don't remember now) and a large tub of popcorn, you get a free pack of cookie dough candy. In a circle above the pitch for that, it says "FREE refills on large drinks and large popcorn tubs" These signs have been up for several months at all the Regal complexes in this area, and I have always gotten refills on large drinks purchased there, until tonight. (Well, when I say "always" I mean in the 3 or so years that Regal has owned UA)

I was bascially posting here in the hopes that a Regal employee could tell me if this is a chain-wide thing, and if it is, when they adopted this policy.

[ 05-17-2003, 04:47 AM: Message edited by: Daniel Fuentz ]

Posted by Christopher Duvall (Member # 284) on 05-17-2003, 06:10 AM:

Daniel, email me. I will shed some light on that for you. Unfortunately, I cannot do that here.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 05-17-2003, 11:44 AM:

The problem here is not the fact that they don't do free refills unless you buy it a certain way. But the lack of customer satisfaction to give you the refill anyway while explaining that future refills can only be given when certain combos are purchased.

Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 05-17-2003, 04:38 PM:

Daniel,

Give that online comment card another shot.

I had to use it last year. The theatre played Ziggy Stardust in 1.85 when it is a full frame picture. ( not to mention the silver rings around the speakers that showed through the screen! Very distracting )

They sent me 2 comp tickets in the mail. [thumbsup]

Danny

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 05-17-2003, 05:21 PM:

quote:
They sent me 2 comp tickets in the mail.

They send you two comp tickets in the mail no matter what. In fact, the letter enclosed with the tickets begins: "Dear Regal Patron." The classic "give them passes to shut them up" mentallity.

I wrote a letter regarding a free promo screening I saw once, in an auditorium with a blown speaker, and upon trying to get out of the front exit, an usher was holding it shut on the other side, with about 15 people crowded by it trying to get out, thinking it's jammed or something while he laughs it up.

What did I get? 2 comp tickets in the mail. I wonder if they even read the part about it being a FREE screening... [Roll Eyes]

=TMP=

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-18-2003, 01:19 AM:

Does it have anything to do with Regal Battery Powered, Side Mount Urinal Flushometers for a 3/4" top spud urinals? I guess they were manufactured by Sloan and have the Regal name. Sloan is a leading manufacturer of commode and urinal flush valves. [Big Grin]

Sorry....I just HAD to get "unprofessional" for a few seconds.... [Big Grin]

When the Maryland Stadium Authority built a new stadium in Baltimore, it needed a reliable valve that could handle the flushing demands of a 69,000-seat football arena. The flush valves had to be dependable enough to withstand the pressure at halftime, when more than 100,000 gallons of water are pumped in and discharged through underground pipes.

By the time construction began on Baltimore's PSINet Stadium, the valve had been selected. Approximately 1200 Regal 111-XL and 186-XL Flushometers manufactured by Sloan Valve Co. of Franklin Park, Ill., were to be installed at the new stadium. After 22 months of construction, the stadium was ready to open, in time for the Ravens' 1998 football season.

That should make Mr. Mike Campbell walk proud... [Smile]

Hi, Mike! Nice to see you browsing....Please come and join us. [Smile]

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-18-2003, 02:33 AM:

You may be onto something there. Maybe the refilling of drinks lead to an increased use of the restroom facilities, causing a sharp increase in maintenance costs for all of their cinemas, so they had to stop offering refills before the toilets broke and flooded all their locations and the entire chain was bankrupt once again!

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 05-18-2003, 04:37 AM:

quote:
I have used the on-line comment card in the past and never got a reply, so I plan to write a snail-mail letter and see if they'll reply to that.

Good luck. About 4 years ago, I sent a gripe to them by snail mail, complaining about the crappy presentation at one of their local houses. After asking the manager if the focus could be touched up a bit, they spent 10 minutes making it worse, which was how it stayed through the show.

I got no reply to my grumble-gram... but a year after that they closed it, and now 2 years later, it's mine.

Irony is a wonderful thing, eh? [Big Grin]

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 05-18-2003, 03:05 PM:

We don't offer refills. It's my toy store and you will play by my rules. We feel that offering refills sends the wrong message. We are an art theatre not a commercial daycare facility.

People in this town are very cheap and feel that they are entitled to stuff. I feel it's my mission to dissuade them of that notion. I also thought it was unsanitary to offer refills and I don't understand how fast food joints can get away with turning the soda fountains around towards the customers.

If 44 ounces of soda and 170 ounces of popcorn aren't enough for you, buy some more.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 05-18-2003, 04:35 PM:

Well, of course the real reason refills are a bad idea is because the customer has to miss part of the movie to get them, so it's in their best interest. [Smile]

That was the reason I gave people 12 years ago when I worked concession where they didn't give free refills, though another theater nearby did.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 05-18-2003, 04:45 PM:

The Pacific 14 in Pasadena just sells you the size of cup you want and you go to the dipensers down the hall and fill them with what you want. I assume you can fill them as much as you want.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 05-18-2003, 05:14 PM:

Down the hall? [Confused]

If you have your own cup do you still need to buy one?

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-18-2003, 05:54 PM:

quote:
We don't offer refills. It's my toy store and you will play by my rules. We feel that offering refills sends the wrong message. We are an art theatre not a commercial daycare facility.

Just to clarify, I never said I had a problem with it if they had changed the policy on refills. My problems were 1) the fact there were signs in the lobby offering refills on large drinks with no fine print with restrictions on that offer and 2) the way it was handled at the snack bar. Regal has offered refills the entire time they have been operating in this market, (About 3 or 4 years) so you would think they would inform patrons buying large drinks by themsleves they would no longer be refilled.

You are absolutely correct in saying it's your theater and you can set the rules. I went to the UA and Festival/Mann locations in town for years, and they never offered refills on anything. I never had a problem with that, nor did I expect it. However, since the Regal locations started offering "extras" such as refills, I had been visiting them exclusively over the Signature theater in town that does not offer any "extras".

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-18-2003, 07:40 PM:

Someone told me (or I read it somewhere) that Regal has its own toilet paper. Each "square" supposedly has the big "R" embossed in it (or was it the counter napkins???) Maybe they were both interchangable. Can anyone verify that?

I know one thing....the stuff they used at a theatre I was with was like wiping your ass with a corn cob. [Big Grin]

Actually, there is a company called "Regal Wholesale." This is what I found out from their website:

Regal Wholesale is one of the countries leading suppliers of Paper products to independent businesses. We carry a wide range of products and in particular are distributors of Georgia Pacific products.

Georgia Pacific is one of the worlds leading paper companies supplying many major brand names including Nouvelle and Kittensoft.

Our partnership with Georgia Pacific means we are able to offer our products from their range of Toliet Rolls and Kitchen Towels at competitive prices.

PRODUCT VARIANTS PACK PALLET QTY
Kittensoft Toilet Tissue Twin Pack 4 COLOURS
Kittensoft Toilet Tissue 4 Pack 4 COLOURS
Kittensoft Toilet Tissue 9 Pack 3 COLOURS
Nouvelle Toilet Tissue 9 Pack 3 COLOURS
Nouvelle Toilet Tissue Twin Pack 4 COLOURS
Nouvelle Toilet Tissue 4 Pack 4 COLOURS
Kittensoft Thirst Pockets Twin Pack Tissue Towel 6 Pack
Beatrix Potter Twin Pack Kitchen Towel 6 Pack
Winnie the Pooh Twin Pack Kitchen Towel 6 Pack

Regal is into everything form toilet paper to movies...with a few stops in between..... [Big Grin]

I'll bet Mr. Campbell wishes I would just "wither up and die...."
[Eek!]

[ 05-19-2003, 03:09 AM: Message edited by: Paul G. Thompson ]