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Author Topic: Admission price Kara Tillotson Film Handler Posts: 87 From: Manistee Mi Registered: Jul 2006 posted 11-18-2006 01:42 PM                        This is for first run theaters only, what is your admission price? We had a lady complaining to us about our "exorbadent"(sp) price of 5$ for tickets, and 10$ for a large popcorn and 2 med drinks with free refills. Now I dont think these are such high prices...the larger nearby towns all have multiplexs like Carmike where children are $5.50, adults are $6.75-$7.25 Even the 2nd run theatre charges $5.25. So I am really baffled about the complaints. People will even reference the other theaters, Theater A doesnt charge 5$ (which is right, they charge $1.75-$2.75 more....) So tell me, what am I missing here. I mean math is NOT my best subject, but I think I understand the basics. [ 03-31-2007, 09:29 AM: Message edited by: Kara Tillotson ]  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-18-2006 03:00 PM                        Maybe you should sponsor (as a promotion) a "New York Weekend." Admission price will be $10.50, etc...a gimmick, but, if you did it on a very special film, it would illustrate what a bargain you are. My experience is that "the public" does not actually appreciate a bargain; but gauges your respect level by what you are able to extract from their wallet. Not only that but the troublemakers are priced out. Louis  |  IP: Logged Christopher Crouch Expert Film Handler Posts: 128 From: Holywood, ca, usa Registered: May 2006 posted 11-18-2006 04:17 PM                  The kind of people that vocalize their complaints about such matters are the type that will likely complain under any pricing. I think any sort of price change brings this issue out. People tend to believe they are being "ripped off" because they are now paying more for the same service, even if the price remains less than what they could recieve elsewhere. They fail to realize unseen issues, like business expenses, change and focus on it being the same experience/service for a higher price than they were accostom to paying.  |  IP: Logged Kara Tillotson Film Handler Posts: 87 From: Manistee Mi Registered: Jul 2006 posted 11-18-2006 06:43 PM                        LMAO new York weekend. Thast great.  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 11-18-2006 08:31 PM                     Just blame the ticket prices on the film companies and compare your concession prices to a ball game. Customers don't understand how the business works anyways, so they won't know if you are embellishing.  |  IP: Logged Kara Tillotson Film Handler Posts: 87 From: Manistee Mi Registered: Jul 2006 posted 11-19-2006 11:41 AM                        yeah, but the part I dont understand is that our prices ARE cheaper than the ones they compare us too....  |  IP: Logged Ron Curran Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 504 From: Springwood NSW Australia Registered: Feb 2006 posted 11-19-2006 03:16 PM                        We once had a special All Tickets $2 and the first customer complained "don't you have a seniors concession?"  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-19-2006 03:37 PM                        $5 is ridiculously LOW for first run movies. You should be charging at least $6, and probably more. We are at $6.25 for adults and will probably go to $6.50 after the first of the year. Previous posters are right, you could lower your price to $4 and you'd still have gripers. Most people who gripe about ticket prices just haven't thought things through. Here are a few tactics I've used on griping morons. Find out what the movie cost to produce. If you don't know, just assume around $50 million. Divide that by the running time, let's say 110 minutes, meaning the movie cost over $450,000 per minute to produce. Now, at your ticket price, you're charging them LESS THAN A NICKEL A MINUTE to watch the movie that cost nearly half a million per minute to produce. It's the bargain of the century! If that doesn't sway them, start listing off what stuff in your building costs. I've done this too. "Well, the seat you're sitting in cost $165, and the sound system is worth $42,000, and we're using a $30,000 projector and showing the film on a $2,000 screen, and our heat bill was $825 last month, etc. etc." If they still don't shut up, mention that over half of their ticket price goes to the film company. Then mention how much money you spent on your last remodel and say, "it takes a lot of five dollar tickets to pay for something like $15,000 worth of carpet!" Once people understand that you're not just shoveling money into your pockets, they'll usually lighten up considerably. As long as you're nice about it (saying all the above with a smile helps!) you'll quiet their discomfort.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 11-19-2006 04:57 PM                     1st run prices here in Lawton: Carmike 8: Adults - $7.75 evening, $5.75 matinée Children - $5.75 day and night Active Duty Military - $5.25 day and night Dickinson Central Mall 12: Adults - $7.50 evening, $5.50 matinée Children - $5.50 day and night Students - $5.75 evening Active Duty Military - $5.50 day and night Early Bird 1st Show special - $4.50 Over the past 15 years movie ticket prices in this area have risen a little over $2. That's not too bad compared to price inflation happening in a lot of other areas. Inflation is out of control in areas like health care/insurance and education. It was out of control in the housing sector, but now the balloon has popped on that and we're seeing serious price decreases in a lot of coastal housing markets. Certain food and clothing items have seen serious cost inflation. While gas prices have receded some, they're still a lot higher than they were 2 or 3 years ago. I agree people complaining about high movie ticket prices have not thought through their argument. They're just reacting emotionally. Perhaps some of them are getting squeezed by high prices elsewhere and oddly taking out their frustration on movie theater staffers.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-19-2006 06:34 PM                        Cinemark 17 in Springfield: Adult Evening $7.25 Adult Fri/Sat after 6pm $7.75 Child/Senior $5.00 Adult Matinee before 6pm $5.25 First Matinee Showtime Mon thru Fri $4.50 Student $5.75 $1.50 surcharge for 3D DLP shows Regal Cinema World 8 is usually 25 cents lower than Cinemark across the board. No "premium" for evening weekend shows, no bargain first matinee show. Will be interesting to see what happens when Regal's new 15-screen opens, currently scheduled for Feb. 2007. Note that Oregon's Mimumum Wage is currently $7.50 and is adjusted for inflation annually. On January 1st 2007 it increases to $7.80. Movie ticket prices seem to rise 25 cents with each minimum wage adjustment.  |  IP: Logged Sam Graham AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues. Posts: 1431 From: Waukee, IA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 11-19-2006 09:20 PM                        Des Moines first-run multiplex admissions according to the respective company websites (evening/matinee) Carmike Wynnsong 16: $8.75/$5.75 Carmike Southridge 12: $8.75/$5.75 Carmike Cobblestone (slope seating): $6.00/$4.00 Cinemark Century 20: $8.25/$5.25 Fridley Springwood 9: $7.00/$5.00 Fridley Cobblestone 9: $7.00/$5.00 Fleur Cinema & Cafe (alternative) $7.00/$5.00  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-20-2006 01:08 AM                        quote: David Stambaugh Note that Oregon's Mimumum Wage is currently $7.50 and is adjusted for inflation annually. On January 1st 2007 it increases to $7.80. Montana just passed a similar min. wage bill. It raises the wage by a dollar an hour in January with annual Cost of living adjustments. (The minimum here is currently $5.15 so it was due for a raise.)  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-20-2006 09:41 AM                     quote: New York Weekend , Admission price will be $10.50 Well try $10.75 and no bargain matinees gimmick. If it's IMAX at AMC/Lincoln Square it's $14.00 The Ziegfeld Theatre just upped it's admission to $11.00 for BOND. Or try the "Hollywood ArcLight Adventure" and sell them reserved seats at $14.00. [ 11-20-2006, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Bill Gabel ]  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 11-20-2006 10:35 AM                        In our area (NW Washington), I paid $9.25 for evening tickets to "Running With Scissors". Evening tickets for "Happy Feet", in Imax are selling online for $10.50 + $2 fee.  |  IP: Logged John Joseph Fink Film Handler Posts: 60 From: West Hartford, CT Registered: Feb 2006 posted 11-20-2006 10:57 PM                        We don't have it any easier in NJ either - the nicest theater around Edgewater Mutliplex just raised its ticket price to $10.25, the new AMC Rockaway 16 charges $10.00. So come on, five bucks, I wish we had theaters like that around here, the crap ones charge at least nine bucks here for adult evenings. In CT - it's up to 10 bucks also at Showcase Buckland Hills. I don't mind paying it if its a top notch theater (National Amusements builds great theaters), but I hate paying those kinds of prices at a low quality Clearview Cinemas-owned theater (they are up to 9.25/9.50). Personally I like what the Crown Palace did in CT, they have Crown Movie Madness during the week - prices are 6.00 and 4.00 for first run movies. I wish more theaters in more areas did this.  |  IP: Logged

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