Film-Tech Cinema Systems
  Home     Products     Store     Forum     Warehouse     Contact Us    
Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE


  
my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Ridiculous customer/show scheduling (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4   
Author Topic: Ridiculous customer/show scheduling
Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

- posted 09-27-2000 04:13 AM      Profile for Mike Spaeth   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Spaeth   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
So I have this old guy come in around 7:30 and ask me when "Way of the Gun" starts. I kindly inform him that the next show isn't until 10:20. When he asks when the previous show was, I tell him 4:25 (it's alternating show's w/ the Replacements). So he proceeds to cuss me out, "No one goes to a 10:20 movie on a work night..." Then asks when my showtimes are tomorrow. I tell him the same thing. He gets pissed off and tells me that I should alternate those every day (i.e. show Replacements at 425/1020 and Way of the Gun at 730). I explain to him the way that show scheduling works, yada yada, only to cringe when I hear his next question "When does it show next week" (knowing that my bookings next week call for last show only - the magical 10:20 show). This really ticked him off, he was basically threatening that hell to consume my theater because my showtimes weren't to his liking. Question: If you wanted to see this movie THAT badly, why didn't you see it during the first 2 weeks, when I had a full round of shows? Kind of like the people that got pissed at me when "I Dreamed Of Africa" went to last show only for the second week of it's engagement (which also happened to be the last).

A second question: for all you managers out there: do you write your own show schedule or have corporate office mandate one for you? That's one thing I like about my company - the show scheduling is 100% up to me. If their is a problem with it, my booker advises me otherwise (i.e. you need to fit 5 shows over the weekend, which is VERY rare) I think it would take 75% of the fun out of my job, as the bookings are my favorite management activity (sure beats inventory).

 |  IP: Logged

Chad Souder
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 962
From: Waterloo, IA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

- posted 09-27-2000 03:50 PM      Profile for Chad Souder   Email Chad Souder   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I don't know any managers that don't set their own showtimes. Just play as many shows as you can for the length of the movie, and stagger times so your projectionist doesn't have a heart attack imitating Carl Lewis. I would not say this is the most enjoyable part of being a manager, but it does give you a little bit of a God complex.

Oh, and if people complain about a show not being on at a certain time, just tell them "Well, we could run both movies at that time, but it would probably be hard on the machinery, and it might even mess the sound up" and see what they say.

 |  IP: Logged

Michael Gonzalez
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 790
From: Grand Island , NE USA
Registered: Sep 2000

- posted 09-27-2000 07:16 PM      Profile for Michael Gonzalez   Email Michael Gonzalez   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Tonight I had a older couple show up 20 minutes late for Space Cowboys. Since no one had previously show up for that feature, I had never started it. So of course the lady threw a fit because I wouldn't start the show late for her. You know the usual... Whats my bosses name? The owner's name etc. Of course I tried to explain the concept of show scheduling and movies running over but she wouldn't hear of it. She was nice enough to let me know that it was ok to "fast forward" through the previews because she dosn't like to watch them anyways. I of course wussed out and started the movie late for her.

 |  IP: Logged
Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

- posted 09-27-2000 07:34 PM      Profile for Mike Spaeth   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Spaeth   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
That's precisely why we start everything. If there are no customers, we simply kill the Xenon and the exciter circuit breakers, so the auditorium runs "dark" - basically the film is just being motored through. If someone shows up, we simply turn on the xenon and the exciter, and, voila, there picture is right where it should be. (i.e. you don't get a "special start" if you're late).

 |  IP: Logged
Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 09-27-2000 10:30 PM      Profile for Dustin Mitchell   Email Dustin Mitchell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I don't know what kind of market Mankato is, but 10:20 does seem awfully late. The Replacements isn't THAT long is it? When does it start and get out? But yes, it sounds like the guy overreacted .

As far as setting your own schedule, this summer every feature came with "mandatory showtimes" . Now we're doing our own again though, they don't care about the movies now.

On the issue of starting on time, Its quite easy for me to pull the previews out, set them up on a platter-ring and all just like it had rewound there, and thread the projector without cutting the films or breaking a splice and remaking it. Did it yesterday afternoon as a matter of fact.

 |  IP: Logged

Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

- posted 09-28-2000 12:29 AM      Profile for Mike Spaeth   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Spaeth   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Basically, I have 2 rules when writing a show schedule. First, no 2 movies start at the same time, always spaced 5 minutes, plus I make sure that there is a 30 minute intermission plus 5 minute spacing between drop times, so that I can more efficiently schedule staff (i.e. spread things out so that I only need 2 people working 8 hours, rather than 3 working 7.) BTW, 10:20 is my last start of the night, and, being a college town, my 9:30-10:20 round is the largest of the evening, beats the 7's.

 |  IP: Logged
Zach Zagar
Film Handler

Posts: 45
From: Jefferson City, MO
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 09-28-2000 10:18 AM      Profile for Zach Zagar   Author's Homepage   Email Zach Zagar   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
One problem I've had with shutting off my Xenon bulb after I start the movie, the hour meter still goes (at least on the Christie, Xetron and Strong lamphouses I've worked with). What's the point of shutting it off if your eter runs? (unless you log hours you didn't run it). The way I've found around it, is if someone's in the theater, or we sold for it, I press start. However, if its a no show, I will simply flip on the motor and it goes. Then if someone shows up, we/I press start, it then overrides the motor and we can flip off the manual motor start and then the lamphouse meter is only logging ACTUAL hours, not just hours that the start button was pushed.

Only problem is those cashiers who forget to tell you if they sold a ticket. Once I fix that problem, there's no flaw whatsoever, I guess.

------------------
If ya smell, what the Zach is cooking.

Zach Zagar, the most electrifying man in theater entertainment today.

 |  IP: Logged

Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

- posted 09-28-2000 01:06 PM      Profile for Scott D. Neff   Author's Homepage   Email Scott D. Neff   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
At Cinema West we would give the manager's the option of writing their schedules. The only catch was that we'd have to call some of them early on Mondays and Tuesdays because of newspaper deadlines. Those who didn't mind, got their schedule the way they wanted it. Those who would rather sleep were sometimes tortured by little intermission, little lead time and sometimes repeating start times.

Having the Main Office do your times is okay though. They would keep your shift times low... meaning your first movie would get in LATE and your last movie would start and finish EARLY -- keeping payroll AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. I loved starting at 6:00 on weeknights and getting out at 10:30.

THE WORST however was getting your movies spaced out too far. I ran a 4-plex where the WORST schedule was 12:30 / 1:00 / 1:30 / 2:00. That meant NO DOWN TIME! ARRGh.

Scott Neff
The Guy Formerly Known as Asst. Dist. Mgr.
Cinema West Theatres

 |  IP: Logged

Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 09-28-2000 02:54 PM      Profile for Ian Price   Email Ian Price   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I was raised to respect punctuality. If I wasn't on time there was hell to pay.
Last night was my day off, in theory. One of our employees was sick so I came in to close the theatre.

Our schedule is such that all our films save one get out by 10:45 PM. The other film gets out at 11:30 PM. It has the last start time at 9:15 PM. 9:15 came and went without a ticket sold.

You all have had this happen to you.

9:25 two ladies come in and ask for tickets to the show that I am not running. I tell them that it is cancled and please come again tomorrow. They start whining and saying that they drove here from Petaluma which is 25 miles away. I relent and start the show at 9:30. This means that I am here one more hour on my day off.

Why is it that people can be on time for the train, plane and symphony but they are always 5 to 10 minutes late for a film?

I have to go. My staff is due here in one minute.

 |  IP: Logged

Dave Cutler
Master Film Handler

Posts: 277
From: Centennial, CO
Registered: Jun 2000

- posted 09-28-2000 03:15 PM      Profile for Dave Cutler   Email Dave Cutler   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I must have been raised the same as Ian. If I was late for anything I got an earfull growing up, not that I am complaining. Now I find myself irrated when I have to wait on someone who is late. I go by the moto "If you're on time, you're late!"

If it was up to me (and it's not) I would stop selling tickets 2 minutes prior to show start, no exceptions. But then again, I am an a**hole when it comes to things like that.

 |  IP: Logged

Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000

- posted 09-30-2000 08:03 PM      Profile for Jesse Skeen   Email Jesse Skeen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
One of my biggest customer pet peeves is when only 1 or 2 people show up for that one movie that runs 45 minutes or more later than the last shows of everything else, and they don't stay through the end credits!!! That shows they didn't really care about seeing the movie, so why waste my time??? Then I have to stay while those credits run to an empty house anyways, while if no one had been there at the BEGINNING of the movie I could've just stopped it and gotten it ready to start for the next day then gone home early!

 |  IP: Logged
Russ Kress
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 202
From: Charleston, WV, USA
Registered: May 2000

- posted 09-30-2000 10:51 PM      Profile for Russ Kress   Author's Homepage   Email Russ Kress   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Jesse, Lighten up!!

I personally don't care who your boss is! (LOL)

You advertised that you were showing a movie.

A customer was late.

Believe it or not, that customer is more important than the person who signs your paycheck.

If you really have a problem with this, you might want to apply for that position at the bank. I hear that their hours are much more structured.

"A waste of your time?"

You are definately in the wrong line of work.

Thank you for creating such a pleasant customer experience that will eventually affect us all.

God help me! I just agreed with my boss! Start every show! Even if it's empty.

Russ

 |  IP: Logged

Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 10-01-2000 12:56 AM      Profile for Dustin Mitchell   Email Dustin Mitchell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Here here Russ! The customer is ALWAYS right, even when they're wrong.

 |  IP: Logged
Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

- posted 10-01-2000 02:18 AM      Profile for Sean McKinnon   Author's Homepage   Email Sean McKinnon   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
so... if the customer is always right what do I say when they insist that I rewind the movie???

 |  IP: Logged
Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 10-01-2000 10:13 AM      Profile for Dustin Mitchell   Email Dustin Mitchell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Apologize (even though you didn't do anything wrong) and apologize again. Offer passes if they're really upset. Try to explain to them why you can't do that, offer to show them the booth if they want.

 |  IP: Logged


All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
This topic comprises 4 pages: 1  2  3  4   
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
- Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:



Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.

© 1999-2020 Film-Tech Cinema Systems, LLC. All rights reserved.