Building theatre patronage : management and merchandising (1927)

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36 Building Theatre Patronage better. A manager took over the theatre in a mid-western city after coming from Broadway. He was a capable manager except that he could not forget Broadway. He told the "home-town folks" loudly and repeatedly what was the matter with the town which had always seemed quite perfect to them. They proved how much they disagreed by the way they avoided that manager's theatre. Theatre attendance often depends upon respect and friendliness. The manager's personality and the community opinion of him will always influence the sale of tickets. This may not be so true of the big theatre in the metropolitan city, but it is true elsewhere. The manager is the theatre host and the patrons are his guests. The manager should spend as much time on the floor and in the lobby as possible. His smile and greeting helps make a theatre visit pleasureable. Every lost opportunity of contact with patrons is a lost opportunity to build patronage. A courteous but not too demonstrative welcome is always appreciated. The theatre manager has no more reason to be shut up in his office than a hotel manager. Both must be personal greeters. The very sight of the manager is an evidence of his interest in the patrons* welfare. A cheery "Good night. Come again'* from the manager to departing patrons often makes up for a program that did not entirely satisfy. Contact. Contact with patrons gives the opportunity of learning the likes and dislikes of patrons. Their preference for stars and types of photoplays, and their praise and complaints concerning details of operation, are all valuable information. The better the manager understands what his patrons want and what they do not want, the better he can serve them. If the manager is not available to a patron with a complaint, that patron goes off with a grievance. The grievance is not only remembered, but discussed with friends. Patronage is affected. All this would have been avoided, if the manager were there in the first place to listen and smooth out the trouble. It is quite natural to forget a complaint that has been satisfactorily explained, and human to remember a grievance when an usher