I don't know, maybe its just me, but do any of you have customers that get VERY irate when you card them for a rater R movie?

I had one guy threaten to KILL me last night (Quote: "Im taking you out dawg. Im not even joking, im taking you out" Then he stared at me very evil as he walked by) The employee next to me had someone start pounding on the glass screaming for a manager because he didnt think he should show his ID. Literally screaming obscenities and banging his fists on the glass.

Is it just me? What is the big deal? Please someone enlighten me as to this aspect of humanity. Why we threaten to beat, kill, cuss people out over showing a piece of plastic with our age on it.

Sorry, rough night last night :-)

-Jeff "Box office god" Newman

P.S Funny side story:

Told people all last night "Walk around the chains, not over them! They are there for a reason!" I even had some lady scream back at me "Ill walk over them if a damn well want to!" (I told her when she came to my window to buy a ticket, "No, you will not! Do you understand? If I see you do it again you will be escorted off the property!") Anyways, not 1 hour later, somebody was walking over the chains, tripped, fell on their face splitting their chin open.. People never listen and just think your being a jerk for saying something. Until they trip and realize that you were not ust being a jerk.. I told one of the managers I am going to weld spikes onto the top of the chains to prevent people walking over them. :-)

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Word gets around quickly, and a--holes hate being taken to task and made to apologize.
They usually end up threatening to get the manager fired or some such.

There is no reason you should ever accept being cursed at or threatened. If the management expects that of you, and repeatedly refuses to take action despite your requests, wait until it happens again in the middle of a Saturday night rush, and tell the manager you are leaving immediately and he can deal with the customer. Eventually some crackpot will take a jab at a face, and better that jab get directed at the person who allowed things to deteriorate.

Thirty or forty years ago, there wouldn't have been a question. The doorman, manager, or even a nearby customer would have taken the guy out back and... err.. given instructions in manners.

The other side of that coin was that employees always had to treat customers with utmost courtesy and respect, and present a professional appearance at all times, with no friends hanging around, no leaning on counters or walls, etc. In other words, standards were equally high for both customer and employee behavior. Civilization can be like that.

I find that placing an assistant manager or a really big usher in the ticket line to direct traffic tends to eliminate most of the abuse.

"Hi! How are you this evening? Welcome to the theatre! The shortest line is right over there!" This also keeps the youngins from harassing other customers to buy their tickets for them.

The second usher checks stubs at the auditorium door.

When I was little, I was a wiz at sneakin' into the R rated films!

I guess it takes one to catch one *grin*.

Obviously, with the gargantuplexes, cash security is an issue, hence the glass - but if the box office is inside the lobby is it absolutely necessary? It's not in banks.

As to the topic of this thread, if the person doesn't appear to be at least 17, then yes, by all means check their ID. However, a policy of checking all id's for R rated films is ludicrious. No one 30 or over will find it anything but absolutely ridiculous, not to mention a waste of time. The longer people wait at the box office, the less likely they are to get in line to buy concessions.

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Now about the cussing thing. If I do have someone in front of me cursing, etc.. I have the right (and the managers back me) to stop the sale immediatly, give them their money back and tell them to leave. The problem is most of the people take their change/tickets and walk away and say "Thanks asshole" or something to that effect. Now, the line is to the back of the door, as soon as they step away, someone walks right up to my window. My options are very limited. I can run around the corner and eject the person, leaving the window/customer. Or I can yell to the guest services desk for a manager and hope they are not busy etc.. My point is that the options are very limited, unless the sale has not yet been completed and they are standing in front of my window. I can say that management is usually VERY supportive, and do not expect us to be cussed at or anything. They have a very limited tolerance or patience for cussing :-)

When they elevate the verbal assualt, I offer to call the police and let them settle the matter. This works 99% of the time. Kids are assholes these days because they KNOW that they will most likely be allowed to get away with it. I blame it on the liberals in society who have allowed anyone and evryone BUT themselves to raise their kids, but that's a story all it's own.

Corporate policy or not, I simply REFUSE to be treated like a dog from a customer anymore. It's bad enough that corporate folks treat you the way they do....

Bottom line, stand your ground and keep the riff raff out. The money they bring in is not sufficient enough to replace the money you will eventually lose when the regular customers you have stop coming to your facility due to the troubles kids create.

Your milage may vary. Rant mode off. The above did not happen to me this wknd, instead I had a run in with a drunk middle age man who had $27 worth of gift cert's that expired 12/31/00. If anyone cares to hear the story I'll tell it if asked.