Coffee at the movies

[solidmetalgear19]

This is kind of a short one but it's happened enough times to annoy the piss out of me.


There have been at least 4 occurances of someone coming up to me while I work, and ask if we serve coffee.

Now I understand that not every movie theatre is the same. Some sell booze and coffee. We are not one of those theatres.

My response to such a flatfooted question is usally a resounding "No" Followed by "There's a Panera Bread, like, 500 yards that way *insert pointing gesture*". And yes, I have said this.

Note: I used to be a golf caddy so i know how to ball park distances.

and yes, i miss-spelled coffee in the title. My bad.

Any one else got stories similar to this but perhaps a bit more colorful?

[smileyeagle1021]

When I worked at westates I had a guy complaining that we didn't serve hot dogs, and he even went so far as to say "well if even those backwards people in Reno can serve hotdogs I think you should be able to too"
ok, background, I grew up in Reno and at the time I lived in Logan Ut, and this DB has just called my hometown backwards and implied that we too were backwards in Logan...
(what's funny, salt lake now has movie theatres with full food courts... I wonder what joy the DB would have felt when he walked into one of those)

[friendofjimmyk]

My response to such a flatfooted question is usally a resounding "No" Followed by "There's a Panera Bread, like, 500 yards that way *insert pointing gesture*". And yes, I have said this.

?

Now, I really don't think someone inquiring if you serve coffee is an instance of suckitude. I mean, it's an innocent inquiry especially since you know that some places do serve coffee...even beer and liquor...so it's not far fetched for someone to think that you may serve coffee....the suckiness would begin if they insisted or got rude about it..

[South Texan]

Now, I really don't think someone inquiring if you serve coffee is an instance of suckitude.

I am glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking that.

[cactus]

At least 2 customers per week:
"Hey, I can't find your light bulbs where do you keep your light bulbs I need light bulbs."
Me: Uhm...we don't sell light bulbs. Haven't done that in a looong time.

(So far, this isn't so sucky. But here it comes: )

Extra bonus:
Customer: Whyyy don't you sell light bulbs??!?!? (Asked in a whiny tone.)
C: But wheeere should I buy light bulbs then??!! (Uhm, don't tell me you've reached the age of 50 without ever noticing that almost EVERY grocery store i this country sells light bulbs? Where have you been bying light bulbs before?)
C: But...that's what I came here for. *sobs* (Yes, actually happened.)

[Kuterthnur]

I'm not sure about by you, but by me they actually made it not (legal I think) to bring food into a movie theater. Many people are now afraid of this and will sneak things in or buy candy from the dollar store and sneak it in. Its possible they were just trying to stick with that rule and ask if they serve it there. Would be hotter and fresher to just get it there instead of bringing it.

[angelicafire]

It's probably not so much the questions that sucks but the fact that the OP gets asked the same one repeatedly. That can be annoying.

[Sliceanddice]

my usual haunt (i see at least one movie a week, recently due to the fact that A. Im girl who likes to cry and b which will be mentioned in a moment, i have started to see another each weeek with my sister. B is i saw good luck chuck with my father... my FATHER.... god.... it was horrible.....) lets us bring in food from the out side the reason being with all the resurants in litteral spitting distance that they actually lost about 50% of their customers when they wouldnt let them in with outside food and after the candy store closed down and got replaced by fatburger they didnt have to worry about to much of hit to concessions, walmart is just to damn far away

[Sparky]

It's probably not so much the questions that sucks but the fact that the OP gets asked the same one repeatedly. That can be annoying.

That IS annoying. But no one has any way to know that the question's been asked before. I mean, unless the other three people were standing there when the first one asked, how are they to know.

[PepperElf]

well i've seen places carry pizza and full menus but those were speciality theatres.

normal ones i've only seen carry soda, water, candy, popcorn, etc
and of course all overpriced

[powerboy]

I am glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking that.

I fail to see the suck of people asking for something, if they are not rude about it.

[hotelnpa]

Maybe if people would actually read the menu and discover that they theater doesn't serve coffee...We had 4 menus written in big letters showing what we served. But people still asked for stuff we didn't have.

[Dips]

There's nothing wrong with being annoyed by repetive questions, as long as we don't act annoyed when the customers ask them.

And it's certainly nice having this place to vent about it to people who get it and won't judge us for having thoughts and emotions.

I kind of like how the OP is handling the situation. It gives the customer accurate information on where to find coffee. It also politely deflects sucky behavior from developing by giving the customer a concrete course of action (going to Panera) instead of potentially standing at the counter trying to argue the coffee into existence.

[friendofjimmyk]

It's probably not so much the questions that sucks but the fact that the OP gets asked the same one repeatedly. That can be annoying.

I used to get annoyed by the same question being asked of me or same comment being stated again and again...until I realized it's not their fault. They don't know what the last person I had contact with said to me...so I looked at it as an opportunity to come up with funny canned responses....

When I drove a tow truck, I heard the same stuff all the time....

Statement/Question: S/Q
My response: MR

S/Q: So, you been doing this long?
MR: (stolen from an advertisement) No, this is my first day, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express!!!
- or -
MR: No, I was kind of hoping you could tell me where this chain thingy goes. (Said with a silly perplexed look on my face)

S/Q: You're such a tiny little thing and you drive that big truck?
MR: That's the secret to dieting success...drive a big truck...
- or -
MR: Really? I kind of thought the truck makes my butt look big. (Said while looking at the truck and turning to look at my butt)

S/Q: So, what does your husband/boyfriend think?
MR: I don't allow him to think.

There are many more...but that's all I can think of now.

So, rather than be annoyed...look at it as an opportunity to make someone have a giggle.

[South Texan]

It's probably not so much the questions that sucks but the fact that the OP gets asked the same one repeatedly. That can be annoying.

As others have said so well, there is no need to give a "resounding NO" to such a question - nor to assume the person asking it is stupid or asking a "flatfooted question". That the question is asked often does not justify being rude in answering. The customer has no way of knowing other people asked for coffee before.

A simple, "No, I am sorry, but we do not" is all that is needed. If the theatre allows outside food to be brought in, then it would be ok (and rather nice) to add that there is a store a nearby that does sell coffee and that the coffee may be brought in.

If the customer becomes rude and demanding in responding to you, then you have an SC. Simply asking a question many others seem to ask does not in and of itself make the customer an SC.