Famous News (Summer 1990)

It is easier to allow people to wait without informing them about reasons for a delay. This manager earned his customers’ gratitude by keeping them well-informed. 4. The manager acted as his customers’ host. He did more than accept their money and screen a picture. He was courteous and concerned about the people who attended his theatre and deserves the recognition he received. FROM THE PHONES Customers frequently phone head office looking for a solution to a problem they have had in our theatres. The tales are often convoluted, and always told from the customer’s perspective, but there are valuable lessons to be learned. I pick up the story of a woman who was seeking an usher’s help in dealing with some rowdy customers ina theatre: "Thad already talked to the usher in the theatre and she was polite, but didn’t seem to know what to do. So I left the theatre and asked another young man to get the manager when all of a sudden this great big man came up behind me and stood listening to what I had to say. He just stood there with his arms crossed and when I figured out he was the manager I began to talk to him......... The story finished with a confrontation between the manager and the customer. I have to assume that the rowdies in the theatre continued to disrupt the show for the people who remained inside. Why were there problems? 1. Although the customer may not have been correct in assuming that the usher did not know what to do, it is an usher’s responsibility to ask people who are making a disturbance to quiet down. If this doesn’t work, the usher should seek help from an assistant or the manager of a theatre. 2. The manager was obviously interested in the discussion taking place between a staff member and a customer. It would have helped the situation if he had approached and said something like, "Hello, I’m the manager, Joe Smith. May I be of assistance." The customer would have known who she was dealing with and that the person in charge wished to help her. 3. The manager in the situation described is, in fact, of average height and build. The customer seems to have picked up on the fact that he came up behind her and stood with his arms crossed. His posture appeared threatening and uncooperative to her. It is a good idea to remember that people communicate with more than just words, FAMOUS PEOPLE The West The following new hires / transfers have taken place: Rob Denison has been made manager of the University Cinemas, Victoria; Donna Janning is the new manager of the Eagle Ridge in Coquitlam; Rob Jennings has been made manager of Station Square, Burnaby; Paul Keelan has been made manager of Willowbrook Cinemas, Langley; manager John Pedersen moves to Richmond Square, Richmond; Rob Price has been made manager Lougheed Mall, Burnaby; Stephen Yuen is the new manager of the Dunbar, Vancouver. Welcome to Famous Players: Eugene Chollack, College Mall Cinemas, Lethbridge; Martin Kincheloe, Centre Cinemas, Lethbridge; Eugene Nakahama, Paramount, Lethbridge. Central The following hires / promotions/ transfers have taken place in the central region: Julie Bowering has been hired as mailroom clerk; Rick Chang has been made manager of the Runnymede; Ralph Cottrell has been made manager of Parkway 6, Toronto; Patrick Dooley has been promoted to manager, design, Construction & Facilities; Andy Emilio has been appointed senior vice-president, Film & Marketing; Christine Floros is the new support specialist in Office Systems; Jamie Harper is the new manager of Towne Centre, Pickering; Heinz Hauch has been made manager of the Bayview, Toronto; Brian Hudecki has been promoted to cost construction analyst, Construction & Facilities; Wilfredo Inumerable has been hired as senior designer, Construction & Facilities; Fernand Marieau moves to Skyway Cinemas; Jayne McDonald is now manager of the Yorkdale; Andrew Morgan has been made manager of the Towne & Countrye, Toronto; Cliff Narbey has been appointed executive vice-president; Rod Pratt was made manager of the Captiol; Caro Simard has been promoted to administrative assistant to the president; Patricia Smith has been made manager of Fiesta Mall, Stoney Creek; manager Ron Soutar moves to the Sussex Cinemas; Melinda Tan has been hired as accounting clerk; Marla Tenby has been hired as advertising paste-up artist; Bea Tinney moves from Administration/Office Systems to Advertising, as secretary; Ellen Todd was hired as secretary, Construction & Facilities; George Viegas has been hired as truck driver for General Sound. Famous News is published by the Public Relations Department of Famous Players Inc., a Paramount Communications company.