Coffee at the movies

[Bright_Star]

Why would someone drink coffee in a movie theatre? I mean, that's just weird...lol.

[solidmetalgear19]

I just want to clarify that I have never been rude with my responses.

When I make the comment about Panera bread, it is usually in jest and not said with a sucky tone.

But seriously, it just annoys me.

Who in their right mind drinks coffee at a movie theatre? I can understand it kinda during the winter months. But we have huge menus detailing what we do and do not serve.

I happen to stand like 10 feet away from these menus. Their big, bright and in full veiw. There is no reason a person shouldn't be able to see them and shouldn't be able to see what we do and do not serve.

[hotelnpa]

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.

The theater I worked at was near restaurants but we had a strict policy of not allowing outside food. The vast majority of profits come from concession sales, not ticket sales. But that didn't stop people from bringing large bags from McDonald's or pizza boxes.

[AngryCas]

I get lots of annoying question vs. Things we don't have and things we aren't allowed to do. The two top big ones are:

1) If you have them in the shop, then why can't I buy it?
2) Why can't you trim this for me?

All of these, when answered (1. Because they are our supplies & 2. It's against company policy and I could get fired for it) are usually followed by the entitlement sigh, re-questioning (Can't you do it for ME just this ONCE?), and finally "Fine! I'll just go to your competitor!"

It's not like I don't have sympathy for the customers who had to walk 50 miles in the snow, uphill both ways with no shoes in order to find out we can't do that for them, but policy is policy and I'm not losing my job over a 5$ sheet of foamboard.

[Sableonblonde]

Yes, people should read the menu board first. It gets annoying after awhile to have people just wander up to you and ask if you have something without taking a second to scan the menu. When I worked at a concession stand over the summer, there were two huge, giant, collosal neon menu boards hanging right on the wall above my head. Still at least once a day someone would come up and ask if we had something that we didn't have. It was even better when they would just go ahead and order something that we didn't have, and you'd have to interrupt them to inform them they had the wrong stand.

I agree it's not THAT big a deal, and no one should be rude about saying no, but whenever I go to any kind of food stand the first thing I do is locate the menu, read it, and pick what I want off of it. So I hold others up to that same standard

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.