Do you ever roll your eyes at ridiculous people in line in front of you? You are not the only one. I know first hand the worst customer experiences working at my local movie theater complex. Today's community treats workers like trash, and this needs to end. Nobody is perfect, but we took the job to do the best we can. Here are ten things movie theater employees hate you doing.
1. Talking on the phone at the front of the line.
"Excuse me can i help you?" No, because you're too busy on your phone. Believe it or not, movie theaters typically open around 8 a.m. or 9 o'clock a.m. in the morning, and I definitely did not roll out of bed to deal with your crap. Do everyone a favor, put the phone down or leave.
2. Not knowing what what movie you came to see.
If you do not know what movie you came to see, how are we supposed to know? Wait, let me use my telepathic powers sir. I once had a middle aged woman ask to see, "that movie." She didn't point to a movie on the screen or anything. She looked me straight in the face and expected me to know which movie she wanted to see. She grew angry with me to the point I had to get a manager to handle the situation. Before you get into line, know what movie you want.
3. Leaving trash everywhere.
I don't know where you were raised, but when your done with your garbage, there is something called a garbage can. I love when you leave your cups and wrappers all over my register, and I bet the customers behind you will appreciate it as much as I do!
4. "You didn't charge me for senior price."
This is one of the most undoubtedly awkward things I have to deal with when I am selling tickets. I don't want to assume the customer are over the age of 60 and make them upset, but I also don't want to charge them full price and have them get mad because they did not get the senior discount. It's only a fifty cent difference, but apparently that is a big deal.
5. When customers hook up in the seats.
It's not as much the fact you're doing the nasty as much as it is what you leave behind. What amazes me is how I will find a used condom... after a full theater leaves the auditorium. How do you seriously pull that off? All I have to say is if you're gonna do it, we do not want to know about it. Throw that crap away.
6. "Can you rewind the movie, I'm late."
The movie isn't ready when you feel like it hunny. It's not fair to the other people who came on time to see the movie. If you want to rewind the movie when you please, try Netflix.
7. When you let your 10 children roam free.
You might as well call it world war three, except one side is completely defenseless. Left and right, napkins get pulled from dispensers, candy is thrown from the candy racks. And where are the parents? Who knows. Please supervise your children, we are not a daycare and neither is any other retail store. I once had a father ask if he could leave his five year-old child alone in the movie "Finding Dory" and pick her up later. I felt really uncomfortable and had to get a manager to try and talk sense into him.
8. Yelling at me because of the prices
I'm sorry, but if I was the one making the prices, do you think I'd be behind the counter? When the "customer is always right" it is hard to make an explanation for why the twenty-five items you ordered costs you one hundred dollars. For those who did not know, movie theaters only make a small percentage of money from ticket sales. (Around 5 to 10 percent) Because the movie companies receive most of the money from sales, the only way to make money and keep the building open is to rack up the prices on concession items.
9. Destroying the bathroom with your excrement.
Believe it or not, it happens. A LOT. My first incident occurred on my first day on the job. It was a slow Thursday night, when my manager handed me a mop and told me to follow another first time employee to the men's bathroom. He had made sure that nobody was inside, and I blocked the bathroom with a cleaning sign. While placing the sign up, the stench of excretion filled my nostrils. Upon walking into the bathroom you could say it looked like a murder scene but instead of blood, poop. Not only was it in several urinals, but in multiple stalls, on the sink, soap dispenser, and spread on the floor and walls. Two pieces of evidence was left behind, a pair of underwear and a single sock. This was just one of the many disgusting things I have encountered.
10. Trying to use other theaters' gift cards
If you wanted to spend money at that theater use that theater's card. I do not understand how difficult that is? Every time someone hands me a different theaters card, I really, really want to punch you in the face. It is not because you handed me the wrong card, but because you get mad they can't use it.
I hope by sharing my physical and mental suffering working in customer service, you treat the man or woman at the check out counter in-front of you differently. If you want the children's or senior discount, ask for it. Speak up at the counter. If you want to go see a movie, tell the worker which one. Watch your children. The phone can wait. Clean after yourself. Treat each other with respect, and treat your community as you do your own house (Unless you're a slob, then do the opposite) and maybe everyone would be a little happier. Even the smallest comments make the biggest difference. When you notice someone doing a good job, tell them! We love it.
Next time you go to the movies, think about these things.