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On opening night of “Stephen King’s Thinner” I worked a long shift. I started work at 10:30 a.m. and worked until about 10 after midnight. During the seating of the midnight shows I was taking the tickets as my ushers finished cleaning some of the movies just letting out. After the midnight shows started I went home – approx 4 miles from the theater. I had just gotten home and changed when my phone rang. I knew right away it had to be work as nobody is going to be calling me at 20 after midnight. When I picked up the phone, Ken – my assistant manager on duty, was on the other end. He told me that there was a problem at the theater. After working almost 14 hours straight I was not in the mood for stupid customers. I knew Ken would only call if there was a serious problem. I made it very clear to all my assistants that they had the exact same authority as me with 2 exceptions. They couldn’t hire or fire employees. If they wanted to suspend them I would back them up and I may actually fire them, but that was the limitations I put on my assistants. I also knew who was working the close shift and knew that that wasn’t the problem. I knew it had to be stupid customers. I was right.
Ken told me that Natalie, one of the best employees I ever had, had come to him that there were 3 “ladies” smoking in the theater. When she approached them, they basically told her off. She went and got Ken, when he approached them, they denied that they were smoking and said “That bitch is lying.” First off, nobody EVER calls ANY of my employees a bitch without there being repercussions. Ken asked me what he should do. I told him to call the cops, to keep Natalie there, and that I would be right back. I am now in street clothes and got there before the police. When the police arrived I let Ken explain what had happened. They then asked me what I wanted to do. I told them that I wanted the “ladies” out of the theater and that they were not going to be refunded. I had Ken go and get our rainchecks because I knew that this was going to disrupt the movie for the 20+ people who were in the theater.
The police went in with Ken while I stood in the back of the theater and watched this unfold. The reason that I stayed out of this, for now, and let Ken handle it, is that I wasn’t there, he was. Also, I am not going to override my employees, if I didn’t trust him, he wouldn’t have been one of my assistant managers. On top of that, if I stepped in too early, it would erode his authority with customers – not something I was going to let happen. They approached the “ladies” and asked them to come with them. Two of the “ladies” were ready to comply, but there always has to be one. She got up, and was in no way quiet, demanded to know why. The police told them it was because they were smoking in the theater, it was illegal, and they were not welcome to stay. The SC who was apparently the “leader” got very belligerent and told the officer that they weren’t smoking. One of the officers shown his light on the ground by their feet, bent over and rubbed his finger on the floor. He then stood up and told them that that was cigarette ash and that you could still smell it in the theater. SC then almost shouted, “I paid for this movie, I’m not leaving!” To which one of the officers replied, “You are leaving or you are going to jail, you decide.” At this point I slipped out of the theater and stood in the hallway by the doors of the theater right across the hall, about 5 feet from their theater. Natalie was in the hall by the theater they were in. As they came out they apparently didn’t recognize me as the person who was joking with them as I took their tickets. The main SC got in Ken’s face and complained about how this was wrong and she wanted his name. He told them, and they demanded their money back, to which Ken refused. Ken explained that not only was smoking illegal, nobody treats our employees that way. They continued to complain about both Natalie and Ken. Ken and Natalie both just kept their cool, all the while I am standing there not saying a word. After about five minutes of them being completely obnoxious they finally got the picture that they weren’t going to get anywhere. Then they got kind of haughty and said that they wanted they wanted the name of his boss and that there were going to call and get both of them in trouble. To which I responded, “His boss’s name is Mark, he’s right here, and there is no need to call because there is no way you are getting your money back. Anyone who calls one of my workers a bitch and makes me call the police isn’t welcome. You have already cost me over $100.00 for all the rain checks I have to give out because of the disruption you caused. You can leave now and not come back, or I can have the police remove you, you decide.” (Yes I intentionally used the same phrase as the police officer). They immediately shut up and left and I must admit, I never saw them again. They may have come in when I wasn’t working, or I may have missed them, but I never saw them again.
As the movie was letting out and people were leaving, we handed everybody a rain check. We had a number of people thank us for taking care of the situation. The best response I got was “I don’t need this, that show was better than the one on the screen.” He refused to take the rain check. I loved my job as a manager.
Ken told me that Natalie, one of the best employees I ever had, had come to him that there were 3 “ladies” smoking in the theater. When she approached them, they basically told her off. She went and got Ken, when he approached them, they denied that they were smoking and said “That bitch is lying.” First off, nobody EVER calls ANY of my employees a bitch without there being repercussions. Ken asked me what he should do. I told him to call the cops, to keep Natalie there, and that I would be right back. I am now in street clothes and got there before the police. When the police arrived I let Ken explain what had happened. They then asked me what I wanted to do. I told them that I wanted the “ladies” out of the theater and that they were not going to be refunded. I had Ken go and get our rainchecks because I knew that this was going to disrupt the movie for the 20+ people who were in the theater.
The police went in with Ken while I stood in the back of the theater and watched this unfold. The reason that I stayed out of this, for now, and let Ken handle it, is that I wasn’t there, he was. Also, I am not going to override my employees, if I didn’t trust him, he wouldn’t have been one of my assistant managers. On top of that, if I stepped in too early, it would erode his authority with customers – not something I was going to let happen. They approached the “ladies” and asked them to come with them. Two of the “ladies” were ready to comply, but there always has to be one. She got up, and was in no way quiet, demanded to know why. The police told them it was because they were smoking in the theater, it was illegal, and they were not welcome to stay. The SC who was apparently the “leader” got very belligerent and told the officer that they weren’t smoking. One of the officers shown his light on the ground by their feet, bent over and rubbed his finger on the floor. He then stood up and told them that that was cigarette ash and that you could still smell it in the theater. SC then almost shouted, “I paid for this movie, I’m not leaving!” To which one of the officers replied, “You are leaving or you are going to jail, you decide.” At this point I slipped out of the theater and stood in the hallway by the doors of the theater right across the hall, about 5 feet from their theater. Natalie was in the hall by the theater they were in. As they came out they apparently didn’t recognize me as the person who was joking with them as I took their tickets. The main SC got in Ken’s face and complained about how this was wrong and she wanted his name. He told them, and they demanded their money back, to which Ken refused. Ken explained that not only was smoking illegal, nobody treats our employees that way. They continued to complain about both Natalie and Ken. Ken and Natalie both just kept their cool, all the while I am standing there not saying a word. After about five minutes of them being completely obnoxious they finally got the picture that they weren’t going to get anywhere. Then they got kind of haughty and said that they wanted they wanted the name of his boss and that there were going to call and get both of them in trouble. To which I responded, “His boss’s name is Mark, he’s right here, and there is no need to call because there is no way you are getting your money back. Anyone who calls one of my workers a bitch and makes me call the police isn’t welcome. You have already cost me over $100.00 for all the rain checks I have to give out because of the disruption you caused. You can leave now and not come back, or I can have the police remove you, you decide.” (Yes I intentionally used the same phrase as the police officer). They immediately shut up and left and I must admit, I never saw them again. They may have come in when I wasn’t working, or I may have missed them, but I never saw them again.
As the movie was letting out and people were leaving, we handed everybody a rain check. We had a number of people thank us for taking care of the situation. The best response I got was “I don’t need this, that show was better than the one on the screen.” He refused to take the rain check. I loved my job as a manager.
Every so often, a good customer almost -- almost -- makes up for the bad ones. Especially when the good customer has a sense of humor about the situation. Would that there were more of them.
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