Customer Complaints
I worked in this cinema some years ago and as I visited London last week I popped in to visit some of my friends. I suddenly remembered some anecdotes. I think I was one of the staff members who collected most customer complaints. And I don't really know why.
The complaints:
• I remember this one woman, who sounded fairly posh, like a woman from Old England, if that says something. After a brief conversation, where she booked her tickets, with a certain arrogance or not, I can't recall, but upon asking if she could pay by a card, I answered, sure, if you have any money on your card. Something which did not particularly please the woman. How stupid of me not to remember that you can't talk of sex, money or anything in public.
• The cinema was showing this gay friendly movie, there were always men in their fifties coming to see them on their own in the day. Leading to the screen there is a long corridor. This time a man arrived fifty minutes in to the film. I am annoyed myself when people come in at all hours distracting everyone from the purpose of them being there; the movie. I stood up from my comfortable usher chair and asked the man quietly and fairly gently, although he could have mistaken my accent for aggression
- Can I see your ticket please?
- "I am late and it is none of your business"
- Well, it kind of is my job to see your ticket
The man just stood there for a long time shouting, not wanting to show his ticket, upon which I was quite keen to refuse him entry. We don't really allow customers in after 15 minutes and this was well 45 minutes in to the film. His shouting and disrespect for the people in the screen, did not really raise my symphaty for him.
I decided not to let him in and we squabbled for a bit, me quietly and him shouting, and after some time I just gave up and mumbled to myself Oh you are such a pain in the ass, I turned round and walked out of the corridor. The man ran after me, breathing in to my nostrils (almost) " I am not a member of my family" and all I could say was Thank God I don't have to Spend Christmas with you as well..
Hmmm, he wanted me sacked and really badly.
Tip Jar
I had this picture on the counter with the sentence: "Please Help Me To Bring Food On The Table"; it did not only make me happy that the tip jar was full, but I also gave me a profound sense of hope that people are so gullible. Not for a vicious manipulative reason, but I find it a Hope for the humanity.
posted by Yrsa Roca Fannberg @ Wednesday, July 11, 2007
6 Comments:
How funny Yrsa!
I think you forgot to mention asking one of the main distribution representatives, who was English (white English), "are you a triad?".
Rob Kenny loves recounting that one,
as he had to apologise on your behalf.
Do you remember the old Chinese woman with the surgeons mask? Sunday double bill time. I still have vivid memories of her. Limping with her walking stick past two sets of heavy fire-doors to complain of phantom cigarette smoke, "I AM CHOKING", whilst miming a strangling gesture round her throat. What was really odd was that she repeated it three times, then returned to the screen.
"How stupid of me not to remember that you can't talk of sex, money or anything in public."
hahahahahahaa!!! excellent...
So much for english being laid back and relaxed..
@ Edwin
We should try to recollect all stories from Curzon.
I will set it in motion.
Ui, I forgot the one about the triad.
@ Jordi
Can you talk of Sex in Catalunya?
yrsa...I haven't really tried yet. Maybe my catalan is not good enough though, however I will give it a try.
my sister-in-law worked for a time in a Cinema, it seems a very interesting job if you like cinema (and well, anyway, even if you don't, you end liking it). She always says that seeing the same film again and again and again, (even if it's only bit by bit) allows you to catch a lot of technical mistakes you wouldn’t belive possibles in a SuperHolliwood production such as micros on top of image and so... Only that when you see a film just one time you don’t realize of them.
Another curious thing: trailers translations are never the same as the final film ones, as the trailers are produced on early stages than the final comercial version. So she associated some scenes to a certain dialog just to realize that some months later they’ve changed to another ones.
Anyway I have to say that I haven’t gone to the a cinema for the last three years. And to my surprise, life goes on at the same speed of 24 hours / day.
Cheers!
@ mr towers,
I did not know about the trailers, interesting. I think the true good trailers are the one which tell you a different story of the film. Not a different one, but that you take something with you. One of my top favourite trailers, is Lilya 4-ever, it is just hardcore techno and images. I remember once, we were in a "funny" mood, me and this guy who is a film maker went in to the screen (someone else was ushering) and started dancing like crazy, and walked out when the film was finished.
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