Longford Omniplex - Dreadful Customer Service

maguic24

I work in Dublin and go home twice a month. I was home over Christmas and I decided to go to the cinema with a few friends. I was shocked that the management in the cinema are actually turning away custom, it's not like the town is booming!!!

One of our friends on this occasion happened to be running a bit late so we went in ahead of her. There was loads of seats still empty. When she went to get her ticket, she texted me to say the cinema was full and they wouldn't let her in.

I was sitting in the half empty cinema so I went out to check if there was some mistake. When I explained this to the lady at the desk she said that they had to leave 17 seats empty for insurance reasons. What the hell?? I have never heard of this before. She said it was their policy. When I asked to see said policy, she looked at me with ten heads and didn't know what I was talking about???? I asked to see a manger and of course the manager wasn't there. While I was talking to the lady at the desk she rolled her eyes at me.

Has anyone else ever had a negative experience in this cinema? I was a little taken aback with how they dealt with me, a paying customer! I know they do have a bad reputation but I was actually in shock with how they treated me and my friend.

hotticket

Your friend was late. They are not obliged to let her in. The rest is irrelevant.

maguic24

hotticket wrote: »

Your friend was late. They are not obliged to let her in. The rest is irrelevant.

No she wasn't actually late for the cinema, we just went in before her to get seats. The movie hadn't even started!! I had time to go out to her and talk to the lady behind the desk for a good 10 minutes. When I went back in there was only trailers showing.

I would be a little more understanding if the movie had already started but it actually hadn't!! However, I have on occasion arrived late to a movie and I still got in????

hurricanelungs

That is not dreadful customer service.
I work in a cinema so I can fill you in on some things:

It is a HEALTH AND SAFETY policy that every cinema leave 20 - 30 seats free (depending on the screen size) in case of a fire or emergency.

The staff have every right to turn away customers away when the screen is full. They do not have to advertise this policy as it is not set in place by the company (trust me, they would pack them in if they could) but by the fire and safety regulations. It is in our fire safety manual which, as far as I know, we are not obliged to hand out to customers.

"I asked to see a manger and of course the manager wasn't there."

Management are entitled to days off, just like everyone else.

If that employee HAD let your friend in, they would have been in breech of a health code. Had an undercover inspector done a spot check (they happen quite often), she would have been fired ON THE SPOT, the building would have been closed down and you wouldn't have seen your film anyway.

Would you have preferred that?

As for the eye-rolling, if you were even moderately aware of the insane amount of abuse we get in this occupation, you would have been more gracious and acknowledged that she was in fact, doing her job correctly: taking into account the safety and welfare of her customers and NOT over-filling the screen.

Just last week, a customer threatened to burn me and my family alive because I asked them to leave a film. (other customers complained they were disrupting a film)

Our job is not as easy as you think it is.
Be mindful of that the next time you wish to complain about anything.

maguic24

hurricanelungs wrote: »

That is not dreadful customer service.
I work in a cinema so I can fill you in on some things:

It is a HEALTH AND SAFETY policy that every cinema leave 20 - 30 seats free (depending on the screen size) in case of a fire or emergency.

The staff have every right to turn away customers away when the screen is full. They do not have to advertise this policy as it is not set in place by the company (trust me, they would pack them in if they could) but by the fire and safety regulations. It is in our fire safety manual which, as far as I know, we are not obliged to hand out to customers.

"I asked to see a manger and of course the manager wasn't there."

Management are entitled to days off, just like everyone else.

If that employee HAD let your friend in, they would have been in breech of a health code. Had an undercover inspector done a spot check (they happen quite often), she would have been fired ON THE SPOT, the building would have been closed down and you wouldn't have seen your film anyway.

Would you have preferred that?

As for the eye-rolling, if you were even moderately aware of the insane amount of abuse we get in this occupation, you would have been more gracious and acknowledged that she was in fact, doing her job correctly: taking into account the safety and welfare of her customers and NOT over-filling the screen.

Just last week, a customer threatened to burn me and my family alive because I asked them to leave a film. (other customers complained they were disrupting a film)

Our job is not as easy as you think it is.
Be mindful of that the next time you wish to complain about anything.

Do you work there, as this is your first post? Just wondering.

maguic24

hurricanelungs wrote: »

That is not dreadful customer service.
I work in a cinema so I can fill you in on some things:

It is a HEALTH AND SAFETY policy that every cinema leave 20 - 30 seats free (depending on the screen size) in case of a fire or emergency.

The staff have every right to turn away customers away when the screen is full. They do not have to advertise this policy as it is not set in place by the company (trust me, they would pack them in if they could) but by the fire and safety regulations. It is in our fire safety manual which, as far as I know, we are not obliged to hand out to customers.

"I asked to see a manger and of course the manager wasn't there."

Management are entitled to days off, just like everyone else.

If that employee HAD let your friend in, they would have been in breech of a health code. Had an undercover inspector done a spot check (they happen quite often), she would have been fired ON THE SPOT, the building would have been closed down and you wouldn't have seen your film anyway.

Would you have preferred that?

As for the eye-rolling, if you were even moderately aware of the insane amount of abuse we get in this occupation, you would have been more gracious and acknowledged that she was in fact, doing her job correctly: taking into account the safety and welfare of her customers and NOT over-filling the screen.

Just last week, a customer threatened to burn me and my family alive because I asked them to leave a film. (other customers complained they were disrupting a film)

Our job is not as easy as you think it is.
Be mindful of that the next time you wish to complain about anything.

It wasn't mentioned on the health and safety policy, therefore it's not a health and safety policy. She could produce NO policy!!..... She said it was their policy, when I asked to see said policy she hadn't a clue what I meant.

I work with the general public and I would never ever roll my eyes at anyone! Ever! it is the height of disrespect.

maguic24

I also just noticed that hotticket only has 2 posts as well. Odd place to post for the 1st time. So have all the staff in Longford cinema decided to join boards??

Ghost Buster

hurricanelungs wrote: »

That is not dreadful customer service.
I work in a cinema so I can fill you in on some things:

It is a HEALTH AND SAFETY policy that every cinema leave 20 - 30 seats free (depending on the screen size) in case of a fire or emergency.


[/B]"I asked to see a manger and of course the manager wasn't there."

Management are entitled to days off, just like everyone else.


.

QUOTE]
I work in a very similar industry and am quite involved in health and safety issues concerning public spaces and that is utter nonsense about seats being required to be kept vacant. Capacity is calculated on a square meterage of clear floor space per person and upon the number of access/egress points within a room. It makes absolutely no sense to allow a room to have seating, taking up floor space and then insist that they remain empty.

A public place such as a cinema, theatre, restaurant must always have a person responsible for dealing with the public. Not neccesarily the main manager but a deputy manager or a person appointed to the roll .

maguic24

Ghost Buster wrote: »

hurricanelungs wrote: »

That is not dreadful customer service.
I work in a cinema so I can fill you in on some things:

It is a HEALTH AND SAFETY policy that every cinema leave 20 - 30 seats free (depending on the screen size) in case of a fire or emergency.


[/B]"I asked to see a manger and of course the manager wasn't there."

Management are entitled to days off, just like everyone else.


.

QUOTE]
I work in a very similar industry and am quite involved in health and safety issues concerning public spaces and that is utter nonsense about seats being required to be kept vacant. Capacity is calculated on a square meterage of clear floor space per person and upon the number of access/egress points within a room. It makes absolutely no sense to allow a room to have seating, taking up floor space and then insist that they remain empty.

A public place such as a cinema, theatre, restaurant must always have a person responsible for dealing with the public. Not neccesarily the main manager but a deputy manager or a person appointed to the roll .

Thank you!! To be honest I think the above posters work in the that cinema or have some personal connections to it, as both of them have only posted twice at most.

I wouldn't mind but the lady I was talking to went on to say they have to keep 17 seats free for insurance reasons. I asked her was the cinema insured to hold full capacity. (This is when she rolled her eyes at me) and said 'of course we have insurance'.

I was left completely dumbfounded. How can you be insured to fill every seat but yet, have to leave 17 seats free for 'insurance reasons'??

hotticket

Lol!! Yea. I joined in April last year to troll you this year!??! Come on!! A good idea might be to give them a call or an email and lodge a proper complaint. They might be able to give you an explanation as to why it happened and an apology. U might even get free tickets out of it. Best of luck.

hurricanelungs

Nope, someone linked me to this because I work in a cinema, and I'm tired of being mistreated by customers.

(Not saying that you are like that btw, I know you said felt hard done by that day)

hurricanelungs

"A good idea might be to give them a call or an email and lodge a proper complaint."

That's actually a good idea if you're that annoyed, complaining on Boards isn't going to do anything!

maguic24

hurricanelungs wrote: »

"A good idea might be to give them a call or an email and lodge a proper complaint."

That's actually a good idea if you're that annoyed, complaining on Boards isn't going to do anything!

Maybe, but boards is a discussion board. I'm entitled to discuss it here if I so please. Boards is my first port of call when looking for advice in relation to venues and services and I thought it only fair to put it up.

Thankfully I don't go to Longford cinema very often and I won't be going again. Hurricanelungs, this is NOT a dig at all cinema staff. Most of the people I have encountered in other cinemas have been very polite and helpful. The majority of them would go out of their way to help you. I understand that you have the put up with a lot of crap, but I don't think I was out of line at all. My friend who was with me, was also deeply offended and she thought the way they dealt with the whole situation was shocking.

hurricanelungs

No no, I'm not saying you CAN'T discuss it here, but do lodge a complaint if you feel the need. It's no harm! We all bugger up in our jobs at some stage and it's no harm to be told, 'you were out of line here'.

And I know it's not a dig at all cinema staff, or staff that work behind a counter in general, I've just been doing it quite a while now and I am really defensive about it. Probably too defensive.
But I have seen a fellow staff member, who is as quiet a lamb, berated by a customer about the price of sweets to the point where the girl broke down in tears.
Things like that are ridiculous. We don't set the prices. Nor do we make the rules. I was told from day one, "leave X amount of seats empty" when I asked why, I was told exactly what I told you.

So I doubt that woman/girl was lying or being awkward when she said what she did, that's probably what she was told to say.