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Carmike Cinemas
As we all seem to be fairly into personal service, and respect of human
dignity, I am posting my experience as I attempted to see The Matrix (which,
by the way looks like it was going to be a very good movie). I might not be
able to verify that conclusion any time soon. About half way into the
showing, the projector broke down. Originally we were told that they would
have the movie right back up, and not to worry about the part that we missed
because "it wasn't that interesting anyway." Let me tell you, it was
interesting.
It was so interesting in fact, that just about everyone in the theater
voiced their desire to see the missed segment, or to receive their money
back. We were told that was not possible. What followed was more
"interesting."
When they finally realized (after we sat waiting for 15 minutes) that they
were not going to be able to get the projector back up in time, they offered
us free movie passes. These passes were only good for their theater. We
would have to come back to this location in order to see the movie. No
compensation was made for our lost time. No apologies were offered.
I followed up with the manager. Well, myself and 10 other audience members.
Most of the audience left muttering, "Well, I guess they gave us passes.
That's the least they could do." Which was exactly our point. Free passes,
was the LEAST they could do.
The manager brushed the 10 people off as unimportant. When I called his
supervisor, the conversation went pretty much like this (these are pretty
much direct quotes from Steve Williams and myself- Steve Williams is the
"General Manager" of the South Hills Carmike Cinemas):
Q- Other theaters, when experiencing technical difficulties will give
customers several movie passes, the best you are willing to do is give us a
refund?
A- Yes, that is our policy. Other theaters DO give out multiple free
passes, but here at Carmike, we feel it is more than adequate to simply
offer one free pass. In extreme circumstances we will refund you're money.
Q- What about our time wasted because your equipment needed repair, in this
instance our time wasted on Easter Sunday. Or any belief in the cinema as
an art form, or the continually of the piece?
A- We just give refunds sir.
Q- But you are aware that other theaters go to more of a length to insure
customer satisfaction?
A- Yes.
Q- So what you're saying is that you don't care about your customers as much
as other theaters.
A- If that's how you view our policy, then yes.
Q- Okay, I'd just like to inform you that you are in control of my next
action. I belong to a couple email forums where we have been discussing The
Matrix. I am going to write an email to these forums where I will discuss
my experience viewing the movie. It's in your hands whether I explain to
them that I was treated like a mangy dog, or whether I tell them how
magnanimous your cinema was at making up for their error. I'm going to
write the letter when I get off the phone, which would you prefer I write?
A- You write what ever you want to.
I'm in the process of calling the district office. I'll probably inform you
all of the results. As of right now, I personally am never going to Carmike
Cinemas again.
--
"If you can write something like this and you kill yourself, people won't
have anything to read. It's selfish"
-Safirstein (Waterworks)