9 Things Movie Theater Employees Want You To Know
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Adulting

9 Things Movie Theater Employees Want You To Know

Because Hollywood isn't as glamorous as you think.

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9 Things Movie Theater Employees Want You To Know

Finally - you have the whole day to yourself! The weather is a bit unfortunate though, so what better place to go than your local movie theater? You love experiencing all of the sights and sounds Hollywood has to offer right from the comfort of your recliner chair behind your 3D glasses and your large bucket of popcorn.

What you don't know is everything that goes on behind the scenes to make your experience as magical and immersive as possible. As a former movie theater employee, I am here to give you a (very candid) list of everything we want our customers to know.

1. You don't need to see a movie every time it rains

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Every seasoned employee knows that if it's cloudy, raining, cold, snowing, thunder-storming, blizzard-ing, or any other type of unsavory weather, everyone avoiding their errands or yard work will be at the movies. And if it's a weekend day? Even busier.

Some few people enjoy the hustle and bustle of crowded places, but most people do not. It being as such, on the next rainy day, consider staying in and snuggling up with Netflix and your favorite blanket or spend some quality time with your dog - the movie theater employees will thank you.

2. Please be nice to the cashiers

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Not only are the cashiers trapped behind their registers and being forced to interact with every customer that enters the building, the technology they need to do their job is most likely going to be extremely outdated and slow. That is enough to frustrate anyone after 7 or so hours.

Therefore, the next time it takes longer than expected to get your tickets or your popcorn, or something went wrong and needs to be fixed, take a breath and think about the teenager helping you before you snap at them and ask for a manager (because they will most likely tell you the same thing). Interacting with those one or two polite and patient customers can make that employee's day.

***This goes for all cashiers, not just the ones at the movies!

3. If your online tickets aren't working...

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In this new age of digitization, it is increasingly popular that patrons will buy their movie tickets online, and will, therefore, get a digital ticket. This process is meant to be easy and streamlined, however, it only works out that way about 60% of the time. The other 40% involves dead phones, lost confirmation emails, cracked screens, duplicate tickets, barcodes that won't load, and more.

When this happens, it's easy to get upset - after all, this was supposed to be easier! However, it is not the time to insist that you can figure it out on the spot, or refuse to listen to the employee or let them touch your phone. Most likely, the employee has seen the problem before and can solve it faster themselves than if they were instructing you how to do it.

That doesn't mean that you can't ask them to show you how to fix it for future reference, that should always be an option, but remember that giving them the reins will allow them to solve the problem faster.

Also, please don't start a "back in my day" rant about it. Just because most of the cashiers are teenagers, doesn't mean faulty technology is their fault.

4. The employees or the managers do not control the prices

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It's obvious that theater snack prices are inflated quite a bit ($8 for a 4-inch pizza? Are you serious?), but the employees selling you the products have nothing to do with that. The pricing comes directly from corporate, and there's nothing any of us can do to change it, even if it is highway robbery.

Also, keep in mind that up-selling is part of a concession employees job, so even though we know you probably don't want a box of candy to go with that, we have to ask you anyway. Remember this for next time when you ask to see a manager about the $7 (previously $5!) popcorn.

5. Please take your garbage with you

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Almost everyone who traipses through our lobby gets sucked into buying popcorn - and while you're at it you might as well get some pop...and some candy...and a pretzel. Snacks are a crucial element to a positive movie-going experience, but what isn't so great is when everyone in the auditorium leaves their empty packaging behind for the employees to pick up; that makes for a lot of garbage.

Now, you may be thinking "but that's their job!", and you would be correct. However, movies times are generally not as far apart as you think - on average, between the end credits of the last movie and the pre-show advertising and trailers of the next, there is only about 15 minutes of dead screen time.

This may seem like plenty of time, but the auditoriums that start around the same time usually end around the same time too, so there could be ten auditoriums ending all within 5-10 minutes of each other.

If every patron leaves their garbage behind in every auditorium, it takes the employees twice as long to clean each one. So please, try your best to take your large items with you (we don't expect you to pick up every kernel of popcorn you dropped) and throw them out as you leave. And trust us, there are far more disgusting things hiding in the seats that you want us focusing on instead.

6. To people with children:

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Are children generally messier than adults? Yes. Do they understand movie theater etiquette? Not always. Do they usually have to use the bathroom during the good part of the movie? Yes.

The employees understand all of this, as it is normal and expected. However, there are certain things that I personally have seen parents and/or children do (some of these on more than one occasion) that are typically frowned upon.

1. Please do not let your toddler go the bathroom by themselves. We know you asked them if they had to go multiple times before the movie, and we know it just got good, but most of the time they end up making a huge mess or getting lost (or both).

2. Please do not let your children wrestle in the lobby. The floor is really dirty.

3. Giving your child a large Icee on an empty stomach will make them vomit. Trust us on this one. Also, we can tell when that's the only thing they've had.

4. If your child does vomit (or anything else gross) please tell us as soon as possible. The disinfectant isn't going to use itself.

5. If your baby is crying, please go out into the hallway. You can do whatever you need to do in the hallway, but if you stay in the theater at least three separate people will come to complain to us about it.

6. Do not buy your 14-year-old and their friend's tickets for a rated R movie and then leave. Not only is this illegal, but you will have to come to pick them up when we ask them to leave. And when the employee informs you of this, do not freak out and demand a manager, because they will tell you the same thing and now you've wasted everyone's time.

7. Please try to keep your kids in their seats during the movie. We know two hours is a long time, but the seats aren't built to last as trampolines.

8. If you're chaperoning a class field trip, please get an employee to help you with the kids. 5 adults trying to get 80 first graders into their seats is a daunting task in the dark - let us help.

9. Do not let your children loose in the building just so you can drink at the bar. We usually have a hard time catching and returning them.

10. Please keep your children from using the cardboard standees as playground equipment. We think they're super cool too, but they need to last us more than a week. And they're cardboard, they easily fall over and could potentially harm your child, which nobody wants.

7. It's okay to complain about other patrons, but...

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We have all sat in front of a kid who thinks the seat back is a soccer ball, or between the teenagers vaping and the drunk college kids, and frankly, it can ruin the whole experience.

Good news: it is totally acceptable for you to tell an employee about it! However, while it is okay to be a little miffed, it is not okay to take your anger out on the employee - your anger can make the situation worse. Simply explaining the issue is enough for us to handle to issue appropriately.

8. Listen to the employees

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We know the building and its standard operating procedure inside and out, so when you have a problem that needs solving, we can most likely solve it. Please refrain from asking to see the manager unless you absolutely have to speak to one - if a manager is truly needed, the employee will call them.

Most of the time, the manager is going to tell you the same thing the employee did, maybe just in more words. Also, not even the manager can force the bar to open at 10 am or refund your tickets just because the movie was bad. Believe it or not, managers aren't magical beings who can fix everything.

9. We're trying our best

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Whether there is a kernel of popcorn left on your seat, a bathroom stall with no toilet paper, no butter in the dispenser, or a huge line at the register, we never intend it to be that way.

Things can get out of hand very quickly during peak hours, and we know it dampens your experience, but sometimes getting everything done on time isn't possible. Whether it's due to improperly scheduled breaks, a small staff, an unscheduled incident or just poor timing, there's no need to yell at us extensively about it - odds are our manager already did.

So, the next time a Marvel movie that you've been dying to see (along with everyone else) comes out in theaters, remember: be nice to us, because if you end up being "that customer" your story will live in infamy to be told to trainees for years to come.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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