Movie Theater Ignores Policies!

[Ironclad Alibi]

when i saw 2012 a few weeks ago, the theater was full of idiots. people texting, twittering, talking, coming and going every few minutes and being generally annoying. and of course, i'm not one to complain. but i totally should have. coulda gotten free tickets, apparently...

Why would you have wanted tickets to go back to that theater?

[Mikkel]

Why would you have wanted tickets to go back to that theater?

You could unload them to someone else? Perhaps get some of your wasted money back that way?

[elsporko]

I think the reason corporate is so willing to fold is because people aren't normally willing to take a complaint that far so they assume it is a huge issue and not an unbalanced individual.

[Canarr]

The phoning and texting people in movies are annoying; that the manager would fold like that, especially considering the assault on the usher.

However, I'll plead guilty on occasionally smuggling food and drink into the movies (mostly a bottle of something, or some candy). The price at the concession is simply outrageous, for (at best) mediocre snacks. No way I'm paying that.
Fun fact on the side: under German law, movies are actually not allowed to prevent you from bringing your own food into the cinema. Reason behind this is that the main business of the theater is showing movies for money, not selling food, and that by barring foreign food from their premises they are establishing an unlawful monopoly on food sales. Restaurants, being in the business of selling food, are allowed to bar external food from their facilities. However, that's not very widespread knowledge, and I'll normally still smuggle my food in, just to avoid the argument.

Plus, no one prevents the theater management from just barring somebody on general principle (right to refuse service, and all that).

One more thing, though: is it possible to change the title of the thread? Every time I read "ignorse", I'm reminded of Jar Jar Binks...

[LillFilly]

You know, if people were actually smart about sneaking food in, like under their coat, in a pocket, etc. at least other customers wouldn't see it and thus would be insulted that it was allowed. What can the ushers do if they don't see it? But these people are carrying in plain sight subs, sodas, bags of mcdonalds, bags of pretzals or candy. But by now they know that the managers will let them in anyway. I know the prices are high on theater snacks, but that's how they make their money and hey, just cause I don't like the price on something doesn't give me an excuse to steal.

[Canarr]

I take umbrage at the use of the word "stealing" in this context. I paid for my movie ticket fair and square, and I don't steal food from the concession stand, or from other customers. If I don't want to buy overpriced stale popcorn, then I won't, simple as that.

But I'm still a customer of that theater, whether I choose to bring something in from the outside, or simply go hungry, and in no way am I a thief. If the theater can't make money on their ticket sales alone, then that's their problem, not mine.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Movie theaters are going the way of the dodo. I read an article in Business Week about it. Between outrageous ticket prices, sucky movies, and lack of enforcement of any sort of order, they are losing their shirts right now, and rightly so.

[Geek King]

Movie theaters are going the way of the dodo. I read an article in Business Week about it. Between outrageous ticket prices, sucky movies, and lack of enforcement of any sort of order, they are losing their shirts right now, and rightly so.

They have to adapt or die. While the article is right when applied to the industry, I know of several theatres that are doing decent-to-good business by offering a better experience. One that I go to quite often keeps my business just by enforcing their rules and responding to people complaining about people disrupting a movie in progress. They also have comfy seats, so that doesn't hurt either.

[MergedLoki]

yea thats total spinelessness on the managers part.

which sucks.

what's even more idiotic though is letting people bring their own food in.

Yes as a movie goer i have no wish to pay $537 for a bag of popcorn and a coke BUT I also know that if I was the manager/owner/etc. of a movie theatre I'd realize that for hte most part the only way a theatre makes money is OFF the snacks and drinks sold there. the ticket price doesn't really turn a huge profit even if it's some bank breaking crap like the new twilight movie. MOST that money is going to studio's etc.

so yea.. by breaking policy A. he's angering customers (therefore less repeat business) and B. costing the theatre money that will... hopefully end up with him and other spineless one's being fired due to 'lack of profit' hmm.. wonder how that could have happened?

[KitterCat]

For a large part I've simply stopped going to the movies because of behavior like this. I don’t want to have to deal with idiots who cant keep their trap shut, or are so enamored with becoming a Borg that all of their little electronics cant be turned off. So on the rare times I do go to see a movie its at a Drive in Theater (3 hours away) or a very small Mom n’ Pops theater (4 hours away) that only has showings on weekends and will not only ban the talking teenagers from their theater, but call their parents as well.

[tropicsgoddess]

Sounds like there's a spinal deficiency with the theater's manager(s) and/or just laziness.

[fireheart]

They have to adapt or die. While the article is right when applied to the industry, I know of several theatres that are doing decent-to-good business by offering a better experience. One that I go to quite often keeps my business just by enforcing their rules and responding to people complaining about people disrupting a movie in progress. They also have comfy seats, so that doesn't hurt either.

My local one does just that. While the prices are somewhat expensive, particularly with the tickets, they'll respond to complaints efficiently and they don't enforce that you buy stuff from their candy bar. We can bring in food from outside, but only if it's things like lollies or chips. No hot food, no Subway etc. in the theatre, and no glass or anything like that.

[Flying Grype]

I dunno if they can ever make it comfy enough. :P Theaters are freezing, the seats are too small for the junk that is in my trunk, the food is expensive and very limited.

I want to save all my movie-ticket money and buy a big wide TV and a really comfy couch.

[lordlundar]

Personally, I would have told the usher to complain to HR or the labour board. It is the duty of the company to provide as safe of a place to work at as possible. Permitting an assault is just as illegal as the act itself, and is certainly a faster way to lose your job than following policy.

[Jetfire]

Sadly, the squeeky wheel gets the grease. While the Cellphone Idiot (CPI) was ruining the experience of the 100 other people in the theater, none of the 100 thought to complain (or rarely would complain); they chalk it up to the "modern theater experience", grumble about it elsewhere, but don't actually tell management.

Meanwhile the CPI DID complain, and is apparently the only complaint, so the manager, spineless though he is, sees CPI as a possible lost customer and tries to fix it. (Meanwhile ignoring the fact that CPI is probably causing him more lost customers in the form of people who dont' like the "modern theater experience"; ie the ones who quietly stop coming). Those lost sales aren't visible, so, out of sight, out of mind.

In other words, when you have a CPI interrupting your viewing experience and not shutting down after talking to the appropriate people, then by all means take it to the manager. Make it clear CPI is the problem. Otherwise the problem continues.