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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Ticket collector position

   
Author Topic: Ticket collector position
Thomas Pitt
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: May 2007

- posted 03-20-2008 04:43 PM      Profile for Thomas Pitt   Email Thomas Pitt   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Where do you place the ticket collection usher in your cinema? Do you place him/her at the entrance to the auditorium where the film is about to start? At the entrance to the auditorium corridor? Outside the main building entrance?

I'll give a couple of examples here:

Bradford Cineworld - the ticket collectors are positioned at the entrance to the corridor that leads off to the auditoriums. You have to have a ticket to get into an auditorium or use the restroom there, but you can buy refreshments and use other entertainment (video games etc.) without a ticket.

VUE Leeds Kirkstall Road - here, the ticket collector is positioned right behind the box office. You need to have a ticket more or less to enter the building - even if you just want to buy some refreshments or play on the video games!

Also, any thoughts on these arrangements? The former seems more common, from my experience.

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

- posted 03-20-2008 05:33 PM      Profile for Sean McKinnon   Author's Homepage   Email Sean McKinnon   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
You answered your question sort of... The problem with putting the ticket taker at the box does not allow for people to come in who just want to buy popcorn (which they do!) and negates those extra sales.

In my opinion putting the ticket taker at the entrance(s) to the auditorium hallway(s) is the best way to go, much more cost effective than putting one at every auditorium but allows those extra concession sales.

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David Zylstra
Master Film Handler

Posts: 432
From: Novi, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

- posted 03-20-2008 05:43 PM      Profile for David Zylstra   Email David Zylstra   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We currently place the ticket post just after box office so patrons have to buy a ticket to enter the lobby.

Loews (and Star Theatres) "prototype" buildings had a large central lobby with 2 hallways for the auditoriums - these locations put the ticket post at the entrance to each hallway.

I personally liked the Star/Loews layout with the "free" lobby . . . . only downside was with slower locations and labor costs (i.e. needing 2 ticket takers instead of 1) - managers found creative ways to save labor during the week. My current buildings actually have 4 hallways so it's not easy to set up 4 posts.

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Richard P. May
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 243
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Jan 2006

- posted 03-21-2008 10:06 AM      Profile for Richard P. May   Email Richard P. May   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
With the ticket taker at the lobby entrance position, how do you prevent "cross-overs", where patrons buy a ticket for one film, but go see another? Can people see one movie, then go see a second one without paying? What about control of underage kids going to R films?
Good control needs more staff, which I know is a problem.

RPM

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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!

Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000

- posted 03-21-2008 11:57 AM      Profile for Paul Mayer   Author's Homepage   Email Paul Mayer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The Cinemark (Suncoast) and the Regal (Village Square) closest to me use two collector positions - when it's slow, the collector is right behind the box at the entrance to the lobby. When it's busy two positions are set up at the entrances to the two hallways.

Only rarely do I see enough floor staff at any theater here to enable checking tickets at an auditorium entrance. Crossovers are common it seems - my roommate does this routinely on slow business days.

The layout of the Suncoast separates the two hallways which tends to limit crossovers to just the screens on that side of the building, though my roommate just buys something at the snackbar while crossing over to the other hallway if the next film he wants to see is on that side.

The Village Square is an Act III layout with a single continuous hallway to all screens. Much easier to crossover in that place when business is slow.

The Regal at Redrock Station and the Cinemark at Santa Fe Station both use a single hallway but with the entrance at one end instead of in the middle. Only one collector location is needed no matter how busy the place is, though they may have two collectors at that single location during peak times.

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

- posted 03-21-2008 12:53 PM      Profile for Scott D. Neff   Author's Homepage   Email Scott D. Neff   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I enjoy ACT III buildings with the pass through bathrooms. Once or twice I remember being told by a Regal manager we couldn't take photos, and while I took the lecture, Adam used the bathroom and walked through to the other side and took a few photos.

Of course we don't do that anymore... [Cool]

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Sam Graham
AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues.

Posts: 1431
From: Waukee, IA
Registered: Dec 2004

- posted 03-21-2008 09:54 PM      Profile for Sam Graham   Author's Homepage   Email Sam Graham   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Smaller Cinemarks with a single hallway format (most 10-16 screeners) I've been to have a ticket selling station at the end of the concession stand (right by the ramp to the auditorium hall) for slower nights, so that the ticket seller and the ticket taker are the same person. The customer buys a ticket, is given the torn half, and sent up the ramp.

Of course on the weekends, the normal front box office operates and a ticket taker staffs the normal position.

Either way, you can go in and just buy popcorn or play video games without checking in with anybody ahead of there.

The most inefficient example is probably Megaplex 17 in Sandy, UT, where their unique design requires FIVE dedicated ticket takers at all times (four for the regular auditoriums and one for the IMAX). The builds they've done since funnel everybody through one.

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Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

- posted 03-21-2008 10:44 PM      Profile for Jeremy Weigel   Email Jeremy Weigel   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I once had a customer upset that we didn't have a ticket taker on every door to prevent his or anyone else's under-aged children from sneaking into an "R" rated feature.

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

- posted 03-22-2008 09:45 AM      Profile for Sean McKinnon   Author's Homepage   Email Sean McKinnon   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
because of course it is your responsibility to parent their children.

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

- posted 03-22-2008 10:57 AM      Profile for Chris Slycord   Email Chris Slycord   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Exactly. If he hasn't taught his kid that it's wrong to defraud someone then there's not much we can do.

The best was when a woman dropped off her kids for a movie and when they couldn't get in they found some guy to buy them the tickets. The box employee didn't realize he was selling to a guy who was purchasing for the kids and they had given him cash for doing this. So when they went to the ticket taker, he asked for ID and they were told they could get a refund. Then when they came to box they were told "These were bought on a credit card; we can only refund to the card it was purchased on" and obviously they didn't have the/any credit card.

And when they called the mom she came to figure out what was going on she immediately was both annoyed with her kid for not knowing common knowledge that we can't give cash for credit but mostly for purposely defrauding a business and pretty much lectured her kid in front of us. She was unsympathetic to her son/friends not getting their money back for being underhanded.

Sadly, I don't recall any similar incident before or since.

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Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

- posted 03-22-2008 11:30 AM      Profile for Sean McKinnon   Author's Homepage   Email Sean McKinnon   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thats awesome. Unfortunately 99% of parents would have;

1.yelled and screamed and insisted I give them a refund.

2.Threatened to call my boss and have me fired.

3.Threatened bodily harm to me and my family. (one time I had someone threaten to burn my house down over an 8 dollar movie ticket because he "lost" it and was trying to duck under the stantion to avoid the ticket taker and was caught... for real.)

4.Threaten to call the State Attorney General and say that we are stealing peoples money.

5.Threaten to call the media and say that we are discriminating against;
5a.Children
5b.Blacks
5c.Hispanics
5d.chinese
5e.Whites
5f.fat people
5g.skinny people
5h.short people etc...

Because their little Angel would never do anything wrong, and we are all racist liars who get our kicks by tricking 13 year olds out of their allowance money! [Eek!] [Roll Eyes] [puke]

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Thomas Pitt
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: May 2007

- posted 03-22-2008 04:34 PM      Profile for Thomas Pitt   Email Thomas Pitt   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Here, when something is bought on a credit card and needs refunding, it can usually only be refunded to the same credit card - you can't give cash for credit.

I've only asked for a refund twice when I've been to the cinema:
1. When Beowulf 3D's sound messed up and put out white noise into all channels - the cinema gave me a cash refund AND a free pass for another film!
2. When I saw Cloverfield, and the shaky-cam made me sick. In this case, they couldn't give a refund but they did give me a free pass for another movie.

What's wrong with cinemas just giving out a free ticket voucher instead of a refund? That would avoid the complication of having to refund credit cards or give cash out.

I visited Bradford Cineworld yesterday. Being a bank holiday, there were many more people (including children) going to the cinema. Therefore, they actually split up the auditorium corridor using those seat belt style barriers. The auditoriums seemed to be 'grouped', and they had a ticket collector at the entrance to each group of auditoriums.

Perhaps we could do with subway-style automatic ticket barriers at the entrance to each auditorium - insert your ticket. Though it would cause a slight problem if someone had to leave the auditorium during the movie to use the restroom, or get more refreshments

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Drew Daniluck
Film Handler

Posts: 12
From: Frederick, MD, United States
Registered: Feb 2008

- posted 03-22-2008 11:09 PM      Profile for Drew Daniluck   Email Drew Daniluck   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
My theatre is unique. The box is on the ground level, then you have to go down three stories to the rest of the theatre. We have escalators and an elevator. We have to wings of theatres with the concession stand in the middle. During slow periods we have a ticket collector at the bottom of the escalator and elevator collecting, then on busy times we have two collectors for each wing. Watching for theatre hoppers is difficult and unfortunately something that can be easily done. If we could afford to pay 13 employees for 8 hours to stand guard at every theatre, then of course we would do that, but that just isn't cost effective. The amount of money we are losing to theatre jumpers compared to what we would have to spend to keep it from happening is nothing really. Past theatres I ran where jumping was such an issue that sold out theatres were over flowing (and our system doesn't allow overselling), is I took down any marking of what was showing in each auditorium. The only way you knew where to go was to have a ticket.
When we have rated R movies though, we try to tighten security and watch over the auditoriums with the R movie for anyone trying to sneak in. The good thing with being underground is that you can not sneak in from the outside. There are several doors that would have to be opened or proped open, so we don't have that problem.
And I wish giving passes would solve every problem... And usually that is our first plan of attack. But sometimes you get those customers that feel free movies passes just isn't good enough. They want there cold cash back. So, in the name of customer service, we give them what they want...
Drew

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Mark Hajducki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Edinburgh, UK
Registered: May 2003

- posted 03-23-2008 11:48 AM      Profile for Mark Hajducki   Email Mark Hajducki   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Thomas Pitt
Perhaps we could do with subway-style automatic ticket barriers at the entrance to each auditorium - insert your ticket. Though it would cause a slight problem if someone had to leave the auditorium during the movie to use the restroom, or get more refreshments
That has already been done at the EasyCinema, Milton Keynes.

From BBC News
quote:
Instead of an ordinary ticket, customers print off a barcode which they scan at the turnstiles to get into the auditorium.

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Brad Allen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 688
From: Evansville, IN, USA
Registered: May 2000

- posted 03-23-2008 05:03 PM      Profile for Brad Allen   Email Brad Allen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Thats awesome. Unfortunately 99% of parents would have;

1.yelled and screamed and insisted I give them a refund.

2.Threatened to call my boss and have me fired.

3.Threatened bodily harm to me and my family. (one time I had someone threaten to burn my house down over an 8 dollar movie ticket because he "lost" it and was trying to duck under the stantion to avoid the ticket taker and was caught... for real.)

4.Threaten to call the State Attorney General and say that we are stealing peoples money.

5.Threaten to call the media and say that we are discriminating against;
5a.Children
5b.Blacks
5c.Hispanics
5d.chinese
5e.Whites
5f.fat people
5g.skinny people
5h.short people etc...

Because their little Angel would never do anything wrong, and we are all racist liars who get our kicks by tricking 13 year olds out of their allowance money!
Wow Sean, have you been eve's dropping at our theatre? [Big Grin]

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