Dundrum Ushers

Eglinton

Bit of rant I'm afraid but nothing major

I was in Dundrum over the weekend. I always book my tickets online to get a good seat in somewhere in the center. So I got two nice seats and was seated by the usher. There were three seats left either side in the row. Three people arrived and the usher asked us to move in. I said "what?" and he said asked again could we move in. I was now second guessing myself that I was in the wrong seat so I moved in a seat. There were three seats so I thought maybe there was more of their group coming but no. There was no need for us to move at all. Anyway, it was just one seat over from where'd I'd booked so no real harm. However, another group of three arrived and of course, there were two seats to my right and one at the other end of the row. So the usher asked us to move in again. I was now right against the wall in a totally different vantage point from the one I booked. I was on a date so I didn't want to cause a fuss.

This happened on another occasion when I had booked "The Mezz" (the leather seats in Dundrum) - much more expensive. We had booked far in advance and others were in our seats. The usher said it's fine, just sit beside them. We did. Just before the flick starts, two more arrive and of course, we're in their seats. The trailers were just finishing and it was pitch black. The usher said could we move right to the end. No real time to argue so we did. Maybe I'm too damn placid. I've always had the right tickets and it's so frustrating that the ushers are imcompetant.

Any similar experiences?

Neo#

Yeah Ive had an experience similar to that before where I went to take my seat and someone else is sitting in it. I gave my ticket to an usher who sat me somewhere else. Of course someone else came along and I was in their seat. A whole lot of hassle because some idiot sat in the wrong seat.:mad:

Eglinton

I wonder if there have been any big arguments about seats? Would be awful to experience if you were in the right and someone wouldn't move.

I can see their reasoning if it was open seating, but maybe not with the assigned seating. Thats a new one to me, but you must also understand that it would probably not be the Usher's fault. Like with any job, they'd be doing what management told them.

With regards to open seating. In my experience, people generally leave spaces in between them. Now, if this happens, you would usually find there'd be 2 or 3 seats scattered along a row. What an usher would try and do is to get the people to push in a bit more, maybe getting the 2 or 3 seats together.

Cinema management would be happier disturbing some customers for maybe a minute, than losing out on 2 ticket-sales if a couple can't find seats together.

With assigned seating though, don't know the issue with that. Had it been me, I would've refused to move. I'm very picky about my seating (usually making sure to get to a cinema early to pick the right one)

senordingdong

Deleted User wrote: »

Cinema management would be happier disturbing some customers for maybe a minute, than losing out on 2 ticket-sales if a couple can't find seats together.

But how would they lose out, the couple would have already bought their tickets before they went in and found out that they couldn't get seats together.

faceman

I worked in a cinema when i was in college and people did sometimes complain about the seats and being put in the wrong seats, and tbh, rightly so.

The cinema had a row of seats at the back which they reserved for overbookings and problems. These seats had more leg room in them.

I had one lady come in one day and ask for a seat in the centre of the cinema, centre of the screen. She was very pedantic about it.

Someone else might remember the full facts but there was a guy who took UGC to court some years ago as he refused to move from his seat after he was put in it by the ushers. I dont know the full facts over it but they turfed him and he sued them. He won too.

Mark Hamill

I think that dundrum has a tendancy to double book there seats or something, because this kind of thing has happened to me on the last two occasions i've been there. both times I was seated and the usher came with other people but, with the same seat number as me, or who was with me. (both times, however the usher just took the other people to other seats so there was no problem for me). I can understand people getting annoyed though if they where asked to move though, I always aim for seats as close as possible to the back an as clsoe as possible to the stairs, it would piss me off to be moved from the seats I payed for because some idiot double booked.

About the Mezz, I remember going to a film about a year after the cinema opened and deciding to get tickets for the Mezz. We went upstairs to the area outside the actual screen, where you could get trays (yes trays) of popcorn and glasses (if not glass, then very hard plastic) of soft drinks. When we ushered in, however, we where told that if we wanted popcorn while watching the film, we would have to go back downstairs and buy some, we were not allowed to bring the trays inside. (of course after being seated, I just went back outside and took two trays back in with me). Do they still do this?

The Real B-man

I hate when this happens i mean whats the point of online reservations? same thing happens with irish rail you book seats online and when you get on the train your told the train has no reserved seats

senordingdong

senordingdong wrote: »

But how would they lose out, the couple would have already bought their tickets before they went in and found out that they couldn't get seats together.

Because it happens where said couple would come back out and then ask us for a refund of the money. We used to give refunds for this, but I think we stopped - we've increased the amount of warnings we have and box office staff tell customers to come in early to get their seats.

I think that dundrum has a tendancy to double book there seats or something

Ryanair are the worst for this.

senordingdong

faceman wrote: »

Someone else might remember the full facts but there was a guy who took UGC to court some years ago as he refused to move from his seat after he was put in it by the ushers. I dont know the full facts over it but they turfed him and he sued them. He won too.

Just out of curiosity, do you know if he was in the seat that was on his ticket or what?

I'm just asking because I'm a UGC goer and have been for some time now and I've never seen anything like this happen.
But that's because their ushering is terrible.
They have three or so staff standing at the bottom of the stairs and check your tickets, then tell you where you are seating, for you to find it yourself.
Bloody stupid.

But if I was in the situation of the op I would politely tell the usher to **** off.

JP Mulvano

senordingdong wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, do you know if he was
They have three or so staff standing at the bottom of the stairs and check your tickets, then tell you where you are seating, for you to find it yourself.
Bloody stupid.

I hate having some usher showing me to my seat. I think I'm more than capable of lining up letters and numbers. If other people aren't then they can swing....;)

And Cineworld is a joke, but more so for their food prices. I'm waiting for the day when they stop people going into the cinema with their own food.

Unlimited card is the business though.

senordingdong

JP Mulvano wrote: »

I hate having some usher showing me to my seat. I think I'm more than capable of lining up letters and numbers. If other people aren't then they can swing

Yes but if they just did what there job entailed, then no-one would end up in the wrong seat and these problems would never occur.

JP Mulvano

JP Mulvano wrote: »

I hate having some usher showing me to my seat. I think I'm more than capable of lining up letters and numbers. If other people aren't then they can swing....;)

Oh so the seeing impaired should swing? Or what about the elderly? Or those with special care?

An usher is only doing their job. And if they don't they'd only have some member of management barking at them. Which would you rather?

Yes but if they just did what there job entailed, then no-one would end up in the wrong seat and these problems would never occur.

If a person's seat is double booked, do you honestly think that is the ushers fault? Oh. So it's not the ticket person for selling it, or the management for telling them to double book in the first place.

And do you really think they're not doing what their job entailed?

senordingdong

Deleted User wrote: »

If a person's seat is double booked, do you honestly think that is the ushers fault? Oh. So it's not the ticket person for selling it, or the management for telling them to double book in the first place.

And do you really think they're not doing what their job entailed?

Like I said, that never happens in the cinema I go to.

senordingdong

senordingdong wrote: »

Like I said, that never happens in the cinema I go to.

Then that is a problem with the cinema's policy. Not the usher.

Vokes

how do the above mentioned cinemas manage to double-book seats? Seems a bit odd given its done on a computer system rather than by hand...

SofaKing

SofaKing wrote: »

how do the above mentioned cinemas manage to double-book seats? Seems a bit odd given its done on a computer system rather than by hand...

Suppose it depends on the system they use. With regards to us, I don't think it allows us to, unless there's some huge mess-up.

L31mr0d

fair deuce to the OP, I would of held up my ticket stubs to the Ushers little flashlight and said "off you go, you can seat them somewhere else". I purposefully make the effort to book in advance and sit middle in the middle if i'm going to see a movie. I mean I paid for that seat. No Usher is going to tell me to move over. Even if it wasn't assigned seating, I made the effort to get their early and get the correct seat, i'd just tell the usher that i'm not moving and that the couple or group can either sit apart or wait till the next showing.

If I was in a particularly pedantic mood, i'd first say no problem and get out of my seat entirely, then i'd go down, requeue and when being seated again ask to be seated back where I was and for the other people to "scooch" over and let me have my seat back. If the ushers willing to do it to me, why not them?

If you've bought tickets for a seat, don't move, simply show the usher your tickets.

I remember asking a man to move from my seat before, he responded that "it doesn't matter where you sit". Cranky bastard, just before the film started the usher checked his tickets and moved him quite a distance away and i sat in my rightful seat.

The whole idea of pre-booking seats is so that the seating can be done more efficiently. If people don't sit in their assigned seats, or are moved by an usher, this system can't work.

Simply show your ticket to whoever is seating the screen and let them do their job. Its up to them to do it right, and if they don't, raise the issue with a manager/supervisor.

senordingdong

Deleted User wrote: »

Then that is a problem with the cinema's policy. Not the usher.

No I meant the double booking never happens in the cinema I go to.
But I chalk to matter of not showing customers to their seats as plain laziness.

Mitch Connor

senordingdong wrote: »

No I meant the double booking never happens in the cinema I go to.
But I chalk to matter of not showing customers to their seats as plain laziness.

Personally, I freaking hate having to wait to be shown to my seat. If i have booked the tickets and have them in my hand, i KNOW where the seats are. My ability to read both letters and numbers comes in handy in this situation. If someone does not have this ability, i will point out that they are in my seat - if they do not move i'll get an usher/manager/owner involved as required.

senordingdong

Meh, I can honestly say I've never taken it personally.
But in my experience, from working in a cinema at one point, if people are shown to their seats, then there is no problem. But for example, if they ushers don't, then people tend to sit where they want. Then you find someone in your seat, and they won't budge because someone is in their seat or some such bull****.

Running Bing

Eglinton wrote: »

Bit of rant I'm afraid but nothing major

I was in Dundrum over the weekend. I always book my tickets online to get a good seat in somewhere in the center. So I got two nice seats and was seated by the usher. There were three seats left either side in the row. Three people arrived and the usher asked us to move in. I said "what?" and he said asked again could we move in. I was now second guessing myself that I was in the wrong seat so I moved in a seat. There were three seats so I thought maybe there was more of their group coming but no. There was no need for us to move at all. Anyway, it was just one seat over from where'd I'd booked so no real harm. However, another group of three arrived and of course, there were two seats to my right and one at the other end of the row. So the usher asked us to move in again. I was now right against the wall in a totally different vantage point from the one I booked. I was on a date so I didn't want to cause a fuss.

This happened on another occasion when I had booked "The Mezz" (the leather seats in Dundrum) - much more expensive. We had booked far in advance and others were in our seats. The usher said it's fine, just sit beside them. We did. Just before the flick starts, two more arrive and of course, we're in their seats. The trailers were just finishing and it was pitch black. The usher said could we move right to the end. No real time to argue so we did. Maybe I'm too damn placid. I've always had the right tickets and it's so frustrating that the ushers are imcompetant.

Any similar experiences?

You are. In the first case I would have just said "Im sorry but these are the seats I booked". In the second case at The Mezz I would have taken the seats that were not mine but once the people arrived I would have told the people in my seat to sling their hook.


Nothing discourteous or childish about that, its just rational imo.

Eglinton

Babybing wrote: »

You are. In the first case I would have just said "Im sorry but these are the seats I booked". In the second case at The Mezz I would have taken the seats that were not mine but once the people arrived I would have told the people in my seat to sling their hook.


Nothing discourteous or childish about that, its just rational imo.

Yea true, it was just the timing for both incidents meant is was more hassle than it was worth. I will in future though be stating my case more vigorously.

vasch_ro

Tauren wrote: »

Personally, I freaking hate having to wait to be shown to my seat. If i have booked the tickets and have them in my hand, i KNOW where the seats are. My ability to read both letters and numbers comes in handy in this situation. If someone does not have this ability, i will point out that they are in my seat - if they do not move i'll get an usher/manager/owner involved as required.

I agree with this as I always book well in advance and know exactly whereabouts in the cinema i have booked , but a few times lately in Ster Century (sorry Vue) and Dundrum people have been in my seat, but they have had seats with the same number , but a different date (the next night!!) always check the date, I felt sorry for the last couple as the girl was really embarrased, i was polite and friendly about it, but there was no way I was not getting my seat.

Mitch Connor

vasch_ro wrote: »

I agree with this as I always book well in advance and know exactly whereabouts in the cinema i have booked , but a few times lately in Ster Century (sorry Vue) and Dundrum people have been in my seat, but they have had seats with the same number , but a different date (the next night!!) always check the date, I felt sorry for the last couple as the girl was really embarrased, i was polite and friendly about it, but there was no way I was not getting my seat.

That happened to me once - think it was actually the first or second night I went to Dundrum. Asked people to move from my seat, only to realise that the tickets I had were for the wrong date.

Only happened the once - don't know if it was me that screwed up or the booking system. Got the tickets exchanged for 4 different seats at the same show (seats weren't as good though) so it turned out grand in the end.

dudara

I'd imagine having the wrong date is a fairly easy mistake to make.

If the cinema is unassigned seating then I'd have no problem moving one seat or so. However, if it is assigned seating, and I've picked my seat, then I want it.

I've turfed people out of my booked seat on Iarnrod Eireann trains - even when there's no other seat on the train. I'm a bit shameless that way.

We booked tickets for the IFI recently, but were late getting in due to trouble finding a car parking space. When we got there, there were only 2 or 3 seats left scattered throughout the cinema, right in the middle of rows. We just turned around and walked back out, much to the puzzlement of the ushers. I just didn't want to walk over people to get to a seat.