The Exhibitor (1960)

l-XTRA .V'", ,-if' ''%'bM>.' ’"' ” '‘i"t<' *' ‘j « : Devoted exclusively to refreshment operations at indoor and drive-in theatres, sales of confec¬ tion, popcorn, beverages, food and other profit producing items, food preparation and vending equipment, concession management and design. March 16, 196C Training Theatre Personnel JOHN Q. PUBLIC attends a motion pic¬ ture theatre for maximum entertainment. From the moment he buys his ticket, until the time he leaves the theatre, he is a GUEST, and should be treated as such by all employees. The following article lists many of the impoidant rules which employees must follow in order to serve the theatre and its patron guests. GENERAL CONDUCT All employees should be trained in general conduct as well as in the specific details pertaining to the duties of cashier, dooiTnan, and usher. First, personnel should be impressed with the importance of punctuality in reporting for work and then with the importance of good grooming. Appearance, in addition to being cheerful, should be correct: face and hands properly cleaned; hair brushed; clothes neat, and shoes shined. General rules of conduct by which the public judges the theatre should be carefully observed. Employees should not converse with each other while on or off duty, as long as they are within eye or ear-shot of the public. Chewing gum and eating or drinking of any kind are not to be tolerated. Polite address must be used at all times to patrons: The terms “Yes, Sir,” “Thank you. Ma’am,” etc., reflect good will. All employees should be thoroughly familiar with the operating policy of the theatre: know when the boxoffice opens and closes; what admission prices are charged; feature time; coming attractions, and all other subjects likely to be queried. Mastery of emergency procedures is of paramount im¬ portance. CASHIER The cashier has one of the most important jobs in the theatre. Because she (or he) is the first person, generally, with whom the patron comes in contact, it is imperative that this employee create a good impression by being courteous and polite. Each cashier should be furnished with her own working fund or “bank,” and this should be counted before entering the boxoffice. Also, before entering boxoffice the cashier should make sure that sufficient tickets of all denominations are on hand; that the right opening numbers cU-e recorded on the box office report; and that the correct admission price sign is displayed in the front of the boxoffice. The cashier is obliged, when an admission pass, seasonal or other, is presented to check it against the authorized list and to mark the number and name of bearer, to¬ gether with the number of tickets called for, on the back of the daily boxoffice record. The cashier must be diplomatic in refusing to sell admission to drunks, or other \mdesirable patrons, according to the policy of the house. When the cashier cannot handle a situation, management should be available for advice. Diplomacy is also essential in handling the sales of tickets for children under 12 when there is reasonable doubt about the age of the prospective patron. Again, man¬ agement should be called upon to iron out any difficulties that arise. This boxoffice ambassador, to be worthy of that name, should be thoroughly familiar with price policy and times of price changes. The benefit of the doubt should be given to the last minute customer before a price change. Drive-ins, as well as conventionals are favorite targets for holdups. The cashier must be alert at all times, and must be on the lookout for suspicious characters in the boxoffice area. She must also be careful when making change that the proper amount of money is received for that given out. Money bills should not be put in the cash drawer until proper change has been counted out and the person on the other side of the window has coimted it. By following this procedure, claims of insufficient change for a larger denomination bill can be eliminated. When closing the boxoffice for the night, the cashier should put on display the price sign for the following day’s admission, to¬ gether with a sign announcing opening and feature times. All cash should be transferred to the manager’s office and the daily boxoffice record completed. DOORMAN The duties of the doorman call for diplo¬ macy equal to that of the cashier. He must insure that no one enters the theatre without admission tickets; that all children except infants-in-arms have tickets; that all children over 12 have full price admission tickets, unless the situation offers a student rate; that only employees or other persons au¬ thorized by management are admitted with¬ out admission tickets, and proper recording of such pass-ins; that drunks or other un¬ desirables are not admitted; and that no old or improper tickets are used. The doorrnan, as the cashier, is part of the theatre’s welcoming committee, and must create good will. Each ticket he accepts should be taken with a sincere “Thank you,” and a smile. His initial duties are to see that just be¬ fore the boxoffice opens, all necessary house lights are on; that all front doors are un¬ locked, and that the front of the theatre has been swept clean. He should place a paper bag with the correct date in the ticket chopper for the day’s receipts. A time schedule should be close at hand if his memory is inaccurate. He must be careful not to lay a hand on any person — if it should become nec¬ essary to eject anyone, the management should be called. The doorman also must be alert to suspicious persons. During hold-outs in the lobby, he must be careful to admit people from waiting lines in the order in which they have arrived. During breaks, when patrons are leaving the theatre, the doorman should not allow them to leave through the entrance and hamper the flow of incoming traffic. If it should be necessary to clear the theatre in an emergency, it is the doorman’s responsibility to see that all obstructions are cleared from the front doors. The doorman should never leave the ticket chopper unattended. At the close of the boxoffice, he should stay at his post until the cashier has left the boxoffice, and until he has been relieved by another employee assigned to see that no one enters the theatre. USHERS Ushers, once impressed with the rules of good conduct, should be thoroughly drilled with the specific duties of their jobs. To insure tidy appearance, ushers should understand that they are expected to take good care of their uniforms: that uniforms should be hung on a hanger when not in use and pressed frequently. A minimum amount of extraneous objects should be carried in the pockets for trim appearance. Responsible for the proper direction and seating of patrons, the usher assigned to a specific aisle should patrol it regularly to count empty seats and to see that all patrons are orderly. He must see that the aisle is free of debris — a major hazard in seating patrons in conditions of darkness. When going from one place to another, the usher should walk with a brisk, business-like manner to give the impression that he is alert to his responsibilities. When using his flashlight, he should be trained to hold it in such a way that the light does not affect patrons already seated. He must also learn to modulate his voice to suit conditions. When addressing pa¬ trons in the auditorium, he must not disturb those seated and enjoying the show. When patroling his aisle, he must not permit talk¬ ing or loud whispering between seated patrons. The usher is also responsible for reporting all complaints to his superior and for being alert for any defects in the screen presenta¬ tion, which should also be reported at once. EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS Employees and management together are responsible for the absolute safety of patrons in the theatre. If a serious emergency results in the loss of life or limb due to people being burned, trampled, or otherwise injured, the theatre management can be criminally prosecuted if it can be proved that they did not take proper precautions to protect their patrons. One of these precautions is the (Continued on page 38) 28 PHYSICAL THEATRE EXTRA PROFITS DEPARTMENT of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR March 16, I960