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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: "Little person" at the boxoffice
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Mike Blakesley
Film God
Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 04-11-2016 08:22 PM
You'd think approaching 50 years in this biz I would have seen it all, but... tonight a 20-something woman approached the ticket window with a very small girl. The girl looked to be around 5 or 6, and 5-year-olds are a cheaper ticket so (as I do with all kids) I said, "and how old are YOU!" while smiling. The little girl just sort of grunted a response and then the woman said, "She's 13." So I just "Oh! OK, that's $15.50" and went on like usual. She looked a little "annoyed" that I asked the question.
I felt like a dork but at the same time, I don't know what else I should have done. I think I was too surprised to come up with any other reaction. We've had small-stature people before but usually, an older little person will look older in the face; this girl actually LOOKED like a 5-year-old right down to the facial features.
No harm done outside of me feeling like a dork, I guess. (Well, hopefully the lady wasn't too put out....I didn't want to make a big thing out of it just in case she WASN'T really all that annoyed.)
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Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 04-12-2016 07:40 AM
I've had this happen to me enough times to give up.
A father and a very obvious 4 year old could come up to me now and say "Two for Zootopia" and my response is "Two adults or....?" So normally they'll say "Oh, one adult one child". Occasionally I'll get an asshole say "Does she look like an adult to you?" to which I'll say something like "I didn't know she's was with you" or something stupid. Dad could come up with a bus full still sitting in the parking lot, how am I supposed to know? If all else fails and they don't even respond or something I'll default to adult tickets. If they notice, they can come back for a refund, when I'll tell them "Please specify ticket type next time"
Just as bad with seniors, where you're REALLY damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you assume they're seniors, they'll bitch. I've had some INSIST on paying full price(get over yourself, ugh) and others that huff and accuse me of stealing when I DON'T assume. So I'll do the thing outlined above- "Two for Philomena" "Two adult tickets?" "Ye- er, TWO SENIORS!!" "Calm down bitch, I'm right here" Again, I WILL default to adult tickets if I can't get an answer out of them. If they come back, "UHH THESE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SENIOR TICKETS YOU CHARGED ME FOR ADULT!!!" "You need to let me know that in the future" "I DID YOU WEREN'T LISTENING!!" "Oh right, it's not like I have a headset on listening EXCLUSIVELY to you while actively WORKING SPECIFICALLY on what you're telling me or anything, I must've been in the other room shucking corn, do me a favor and die already"
But in all seriousness, people have serious entitlement issues and really have no fucking clue what they're talking about AND think they're always right because all "customers are always right!!" Thanks, cooperations.
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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 04-12-2016 01:36 PM
quote: Buck Wilson
Just as bad with seniors, where you're REALLY damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you assume they're seniors, they'll bitch. I've had some INSIST on paying full price(get over yourself, ugh)
That's true. I once walked up to the box-office and was given the "senior" price. I did get annoyed although I laughed and said, "I didn't ask for the senior price - I must look really bad today!" The ticket seller replied, "Sir, that's not the senior price, that's the daytime price!" Oh.
There's another nearby theater I sometimes go to that has the same price for children, seniors and everyone else during the day before 5pm. So why post three prices when they can post one?
But I think there's a way around it. If an elderly person doesn't say "one senior", simply say, "Child, Senior or Regular?" with a smile on your face (unless it's obvious that they're above 75). In that case, say "Senior?"
Or, put a sign up that says, "Please tell us how many Child or Senior tickets you would like to purchase - ID will be checked for age."
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While one can argue that it's discriminatory to give children or seniors a special price, you do what you have to do to get people into the theater. If it works, it works. And while it's true that most people are on a "fixed" income, on average, someone collecting Social Security is earning less than someone who is working.
One could also argue that movies shouldn't be priced the same - that either the price should be based upon the film's budget or that the price should be based upon demand. Although in those cases, people would be surprised when they got to the theater and you'd have arguments when a film that was supposedly in demand has a high price and a near-empty theater.
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Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 04-12-2016 04:34 PM
quote: Buck Wilson
A father and a very obvious 4 year old could come up to me now and say "Two for Zootopia"
I've quickly learned when the patrons says something like this and you pretty well know the age break just by looking at them, I do the quick results were they automatically got the break due to the age. This way, when they do mention the age thing, I've already go it covered where they don't have a reason to come back with some snide remark.
And I do it with the seniors: They come up to the window and want 'x' amount of tickets and I automatically give them the senior break before they can come back at me with what they want.
Plus, if they look borderline of age, reply back, "two adult tickets?" Let them make the correction or answer. This keeps the cashier out of target range with a comeback.
BIG, BIG, thing is that the cashier NEVER asks the senior citizens their age to see if they are in the age requirements for the senior rate. That can cause serious invasion of privacy issues. Once again, this is where the cashier asks, "'x' ADULT tickets?", and the patron will give the correct answer.
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