With the holiday season comes the spending of time with family and friends. One popular option is spending time at the movies. Having worked at a movie theatre for over 2 years, I've noticed the right and wrong things people do when visiting. So, I've created a guide so you can enjoy your movie-going experience more with less strain and frustration. To many it will be common sence, but it would be wise to follow it non-the-less. Step 1: Get to know your local theatres When going to the theatre, it's best to learn where they are located before you plan to visit them. Check your local newspaper's entertainment section for a list of theatres and thier locations. Also, check the prices for tickets and see how they compare to eachother and if they have a matinee price(morning shows). For a estimate on how big the theatre is, look at the number that is listed in the theatre's name, that tells you how many separate theatres the building contains. For example, a place named "Belville 20" would have 20 theatres in one building. Step 2: Know what you want to see Getting back to the entertainment section, look at the movies being shown and at what times they are played. If your going as a group, check to see what each person wants to see and at what times they prefer. Also, decide how much your willing to spend on tickets and food. Step 3: Choosing time to visit The best times to visit the movies are in the morning or early afternoon hours. They usually have the smallest rushes. If the theatre has a matinee price, the morning shows(usually before 3PM) will be cheaper to purchase tickets for than in the afternoon. Always arrive early for your show. Plan to arrive 30-45 minutes before the sheduled starting time to account for traffic and waiting in lines. Step 4: The Concession Stand Ah, the place I know best, been working behind one of these for years. This is where your wallet will hurt most. ok, first, before aproaching the stand, look at the prices listed for the foods; popcorn and drinks are stables, but many will also have hot dogs or even chicken. Check to see what thier combos are and how much they save if you get them over buying each item separately. second, after choosing, get into the shortest line. These will usually be at the ends of the stand as most people tend to stay at the middle. There have been times where I work at the end and have 2-3 in my line, while the middle has 7+ in thiers. Be sure to return the greeting the worker says to you, it puts us in a better mood and makes us more willing to help you get better deals. third, when ordering, be sure to watch for our 2 favorite tricks: suggestive selling and upselling, though these can usually be helpful to you, they can sometimes be used to drain your wallet of more than you bargained for. suggestive selling- this usually happens before you can even start saying what you want to order. It's when the concession worker will state "Hello/Hi/Good day, would you like to order...". This is useful if you were unsure about what's best to order as its usually a good combo or limited deal they will advertise to you. upselling- this is the trick that's usually used to try and make you spend a little more cash than you would have. It's usually used to get you to buy a larger size item or extra stuff like candy. Usually said as "For only (money amount), you can upgrade (item) to (next largest size)." This can be helpful as larger sizes will sometimes have free refills when the smaller size didnt. Step 5: the movie If you are unsure where your movie is located, your ticket should say which theatre it is in. Then follow the signs located above each entrance until you find one with your number on it. Unless the theatre has reclining seats, don't sit in the first 1-5 rows, as you will be required to look upwards which could hurt your neck. The best seats are usually about 1/3 to 1/2 way back from the screen, as it will be at comfortable eye level and still easy to hear and see. I hope you guys found this guide useful, as the holidays seasons are actually the most popular times for movie theatre business. If you found anything missing or incorrect, please feel free to comment. ~Happy movie going~
T_T this guide is totally useless to me T_T it is much better to save your money for something else cause you know that it will come on TV in a few years, and even tho poeple will say that your missing out on the fun, im not since it does come out, just a few years later so i miss nothing, i just have fun at a later time, and its much better to save that money for something else that can really help me in this world, like collage, or retirement money. (continues to complain about how people waste money on something that they can get later for free)
If you dont go to the movies ofc this guide would be useless to you It;s going on the assumtion that you going to a movie
I love how you criticise suggestive selling and upselling, while trying to "upsell" them to us at the same time. You sure know your thing
I don't think he does this sort of work anymore. Or maybe, he just doesn't want to see his forum friends fall victim to it.
It's not neccessarily something that makes you a victim, just something to be careful of. Normally, both sides get out ahead, the theatre gets more money, and you get more food/amount you spent. For example, the small cup where I work is 16 ounces, while the medium is 32 ounces. Yet the small is $3.25 and the medium is only $3.75. So for just $.50, you double the amount you get, and the theatre makes i little more cash. Just be sure not to get pulled in too far if money is tight, though, as I've seen some good workers turn a $10 order into something $15+ by upselling/suggestive selling.
This is more how to survive going to the theatre. But inside the actual theatre? Cluster**** waiting to happen right there.
That cuz it was about 1AM when I wrote this, and was too tired to complete the last part. I'll edit it later when I've got the rest of my ideas collected together.
Tell something about the mothers that look at you like you're the most vile thing on the planet when you turn around and as politely as you can muster, tell their kids to stop kicking your seat.
Also don't fall for buying those large sizes with free refills. Unless you are sharing with a large group, you won't be able to finish that liter of soda or half a pound of popcorn to take advantage of the refill. The plastic cups with free refills for a year are good though.
