As previously mentioned, I now work for a cinema - it's customer service, but we aren't selling products (specifically). Rather, we are selling an experience, perhaps a euphoric cinematic escapism like in Cinema Paradiso, or perhaps a SHUT UP YOU BRATS AND WATCH THE FILM WHILE I GO SHOPPING experience. Cinema customers come out with some odd quirks, which undoubtedly makes the workday more interesting.
Here are some quirks that come to mind. These have all happened to me in the past 3 months, and at least half of these happen very regularly.
1) Customers come to the counter expecting their chosen movie to start a few minutes after their arrival, even though it isn't showing any more, isn't on for another hour, or isn't on for another few months.
2) Before setting off to the cinema, customers do not check whether their chosen film is 3D or 2D, and so they guess, according to whether or not they had brought their 3D glasses with them.
3) A customer asks if they need any special glasses for 2D films.
4) A customer asks if they can watch a 3D film without 3D glasses, because they simply do not like wearing them.
5) A customer brings their battery powered, expensive 3D glasses that were attached to their 3D television from home, and complain that they don't work in the cinema. (See a pattern emerging?)
6) When given the choice of salt, sweet or toffee popcorn, a customer says "just plain please". Due to how my cinema sells popcorn, this is like being asked what flavour ice cream you want, and you say 'no flavour, I just want plain ice cream'.
7) A customer buys salt popcorn and asks for more salt.
8) When they can't decide between sweet or salted, they ask for a mixture, but want a particular arrangement, e.g. salt on the bottom, sweet, large salt, medium sweet, then a sprinkling of salt on the top.
9) Customers arrive for their film up to an hour earlier than the time printed on the ticket, and are outraged when we tell them they cannot go in yet, because another film is currently being played.
10) Despite being told the screen number, both at the point of sale, and at the door leading to the screens, customers regularly look at their ticket and believe their film is being shown at screen '12A', or screen '15', despite the fact that the cinema states clearly it only has 12 screens, and that screen '12A' does not make sense.
11) After each film, any mess left by the audience is picked and swept by the cinema staff. Unusual items are regularly found. Personally I have come across 3 iPhones, a bottle of washing detergent, 2 opened condoms, unopened packets of expensive sweets (shared amongst staff) to name a few, as well as a full outfit of clothes and a wig in the gents' toilets.
12) Parents believe it is completely acceptable and in the law for them to buy tickets for their primary school age children to see a 15 certificate film. Their argument is 'I'll be watching it with them'.
13) Customers bring vouchers and coupons only applicable at another particular cinema chain (clearly shown), and are frustrated that we do not accept them.
14) When wishing to make a complaint, a customer will ask you whether you are the manager of the cinema, despite the fact that you are not only wearing the most bog-standard colourful uniform every other member of staff is wearing, but you are also carrying out the most un-managerial tasks, such as sweeping up stubborn individual popcorn pieces out of the carpet.
15) When unsure of which movie to see, a customer will ask me which film I would recommend. This always happens with someone who is clearly the complete opposite type of person to me in every way, and so my recommendation would be utterly meaningless.
This list may seem heavy on the grievances caused by customers. Of course I will help you as a customer to the best of my ability, but many times a day I will be greeted with a particular person that baffles my brain. How hard is it to check a movie time online, come to the cinema at a good time, pay, and enjoy the film?
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