Price complainer returns ... twice

[cinema guy]

Working the kiosk tills at the cinema means you get a lot of complaints about the prices of drinks, popcorn and sweets.

"£x.xx for a bottle of water!"
"I'm going to need a mortgage for this!"
and so on.

Well last night I had a guy with four kids, ranging from around 6-12. His kids get various things, they each run around and get their own thing. He's struggling to make sure they don't get too big a portions.

Anyway the two older girls come to the till with bags of pick and mix sweets. I tell him the price and he says "How much?! But this bag has got hardly anything in." I give him my best 'Sorry' expression.
He says, "You think its funny, don't you."
"No," I say.

Then his other kids come to the till with two medium fizzy drinks and a small popcorn.
"How much? This place is a rip off."
"Yes it is." I admit.

Anyway, they sit in some seats, I assume they are waiting for a film. The kids are noisy but otherwise well behaved.

About ten minutes later he comes back and buys some more pick and mix.

A few minutes after that he comes back again and buys another drink!

I don't get it. Complain about the price, but keep coming back.

[Aldous]

You guys don't slip Cocaine or some really addictive drug into your supplies do you? That or this guy is a sucker for punishment. If that's the case then I put down a Franklin saying that he visits a giant woman named Olga once a month.

[Becks]

I don't get it. Complain about the price, but keep coming back.

Always remember: If it makes sense, it's not allowed.™®©

[cinema guy]

Doh!

I should have remembered rule #1.

[mariamousie1]

A girl once saved me money at the theater by selling me one extra large drink and giving me an extra cup for free so I could divide it between my brother and I. I thought that was pretty cool because those prices are pretty crazy. I paid $3.18 for a bottle of water last time.

[AriRashkae]

I got "spoken to" by a manager one time for telling customers with kids that the pick-n-mix bags were the same size as smalls, and that they could buy 1 large for $2 more and get 4-5 smalls out of it. Same with the large sodas and courtesy cups. 50¢ more (70¢ if we had the blader-buster special. Also spill-resistant )

I told the manager that my reasoning was this: We made no money on tickets. If they had to spend $50 to get everyone individual popcorns and sodas, they were not likely to repeat the experience. If they could do the same for $20, they were more likely to buy concessions, and maybe add a little more next time.

Manager wasn't happy, since I was breaking policy, but she couldn't fault my logic. And I didn't stop.

[Gurndigarn]

I don't get it. Complain about the price, but keep coming back.

Welcome to one of the great mysteries of the cinema. Don't try to understand it. Most of the theater managers I partner with don't understand it, either. But they are more than willing to profit from it.

[napoleana]

Anyway, they sit in some seats, I assume they are waiting for a film.

So, I can't help but wonder... did they eventually go to the movie or did they just sit there forever? Sounds insane enough to be true...

[Broomjockey]

Oi, theatre pricing and the joys of listening to people bitch, whine, and moan. The one I remember most clearly is I was ripping tickets, and this guy says to me, geez, $35 to get into a movie for the three of us! I could just about get a VCR for that and watch the movie at home!

I just said "Yep, you probably could." Now, what I *thought* to myself was "Yeah, 6 months from now, after everyone else has told you everything about it, and VCR? Wtf? Try DVD buddy, and you think the tickets are bad? Have you looked at the concession stand lately? Never analyze your paycheque while standing next to a movie theatre concession stand. I can buy 15 Super Combos! YAY ME! Shut up, go watch your movie. And have a nice day. Not."

[Shabo]

Yeah, prices are a little ridiculous. I try not to get anything from the concession stand when I go to the movies. My OH and I paied $10 for 2 sodas once!!!! WTF? Can we say, price gouging? That would give the theatre a better return on soda than coffee places make! It would be like 1000% return! That's nuts!

[Mighty Girl]

It frightens me to no end that people this stupid are procreating the most.

Yes, we all know the concessions at the cinema are more expensive. THIS IS NOT NEW. That's why the hubs and I get our candy at the store ahead of time and just buy drinks at the concession stand. I would think that someone with four kids would have thought of that. But then, it never occured to my other half until I brought him into the light......For the most part, men have no idea how to save money. (No offense to any exceptions that post here!!)

[Broomjockey]

Can we say, price gouging? That would give the theatre a better return on soda than coffee places make! It would be like 1000% return! That's nuts!

I must say in the theatre's defence, remember: concessions pay for EVERYTHING. Revenue from tickets is squat. A theatre is lucky to get 5% of an opening weekend. That means that popcorn and pop have to pay for salaries, the building, electricity, saleables, non-saleables, repairs, sundries, water, electricity, and every other thing in the building. And then they still have to turn a profit or the place will be closed down.

[Andara Bledin]

Yup. The studios pay too much to make the films, then charge a ton of money from the theaters for the privilege of showing them. The theaters get pretty much pubkiss from the actual ticket sales and have to make absolutely everything from incidentals, which in this case are the concessions.

And that soda that they're charging $5.00 for? It costs them for the syrup, soda, and cup, approximately $0.20. For everything else that keeps the concession stand running, it probably eats another $4.00 or so. The actual profit on that soda doesn't come out to much when you factor in all of the actual expenses.

^-.-^

[Shabo]

You would think that from simple supply and demand that if demand fell, then they would lower prices to increase demand again. That would be nice, but probably not going to happen. I have to remember to go out and get myself a larger purse for theatre events... not so big that they would become suspicious, but big enough for a box of candy or something.

[Broomjockey]

That's why the hubs and I get our candy at the store ahead of time and just buy drinks at the concession stand.

Meant to address that earlier, but yeah, at the theatre we discouraged people from bringing in their own food, but as we weren't stupid, we didn't care too much. Except for the f***tards bringing in bags of McDonalds. Umm, buddy, that's a little too blatant. Try again. Honestly, most places that let you keep your bags (my first theatre is slowly moving to a "no bags allowed" policy since they got some lockers) won't care if you're discreet. That means don't be snacking as you're heading to the auditorium, don't be carrying a large bag from some fast food place, etc. You know, basically don't be an SC about it