Famous News (May-Jun 1981)

customers to stand where the ‘ticketholders’ are waiting.’’ ‘*Long line-ups often scare people but regulars who have come to trust us know that if they come to our theatre and see a long line, we’re not going to let them wait in it unless they will get in. You must consider your regulars. Ours know we won’t oversell.’’ Swallowing your ego Another aspect of Jack’s philosophy relating to customers involves ‘‘swallowing your ego.’’ He says: ‘‘You have to turn the other cheek in this job; it goes with the territory. If you’re willing to do that, it stops a lot of complaints from leaving the theatre. Young managers today find this swallow-your-ego attitude hard to accept.”’ A large part of the manager’s job deals with the hiring, training and supervising of staff. Jack is particularly concerned with finding the ‘‘right’’ people to train for future managerial jobs with Famous. Jack feels that recognizing potential trainees depends on the sixth sense all managers possess about the business. He feels that the art of running a theatre can never be taught in a classroom. Choosing trainees amongst a manager’s own staff is the best system. ‘‘A staffer will have a good idea about the operation and will be familiar with the odd hours. I want to hire someone who has carried a flashlight.’’ Jack feels that an aptitude for dealing and talking to people in a relaxed manner and a flair for figures are what a manager should look for in trainees. Jack’s ‘‘philosophy’’ comes into play again regarding a manager’s attitude to the training process. He feels that it is the manager’s responsibility to instill in the mind of the trainee that everyone — the manager, the company, other employees — are making an investment in his training. ‘‘If a manager can make a trainee understand this, he will work the long hours on little pay that are part of the training process.’’ “‘After a trainee has understood the long-hours-little-pay philosophy, it is up to the teacher (the manager) to give up his time; to change his hours when necessary and to cultivate the kind of good management relations which urge a trainee to learn, work hard and 18 May/June, 1981 Working at Square One involves a team effort. From left to right; A Burrell, Anita Stuyver. aspire to a fulfilling career.”’ Regarding the hiring of part-time staff, Jack says the best system is ‘hiring through referrals. If your good employees have friends who want a job, they’re usually a good Det.” When Jack calls potential employees to an interview, meeting the staff is standard procedure. When the candidate leaves, he asks his staff’s approval. ‘‘I want to know if my staff feel they can work with the person. When they get along, it creates harmony and lessens the chances of personality conflicts.”’ ‘If you can’t turn your back on employees, they’re no good to you.’’ Jack feels his staff ‘‘respect’’ him for including them. ‘‘I often ask my staff for advice. They regularly contribute to the operation with suggestions about line-up control, etc.’’ He also feels that it is important to turn your back on staff to let them know you trust them when you’re not there. ‘‘If you can’t turn your back on employees, they’re no good to you.”’ Jack’s ex-employees certainly prove his is a winning attitude. A former usher, now a lawyer, came back from university every holiday to work at Square One even though he could have made more money as a law clerk. A current medical student wrote a letter to Jack praising his ‘‘consideration and patience’’ and even used ‘‘Bo’’ (as his staff affectionately call him) as a reference for entry into medical school. I could go on and on about what I learned during a Saturday night at Square One Cinemas. I could talk about Jack’s free kiddie matinees on weekends for shoppers’ children. I could expand on his ‘‘locked bag”’ system of money control. I could tell about his ‘‘pickers’’ — the 15 year-olds he hires to pick rubbish in between shows whom he describes as ‘‘the hardest working employees you’ll ever find.’’ I could describe the Senior Citizens Week he starts planning each June as soon as the last one is over. Or, I could simply tell you that Jack’s attitude toward his staff can be summed up by his warm smile. When I arrived at Square One, Jack told me that it would be next to impossible to talk about 34 years in a few hours. ‘‘We’ve only just skimmed the surface,’’ he said as I left. Perhaps, but this new employee learned a lot nevertheless and she certainly enjoyed it! 4