At the end of my reel: poor service from my cinema

The first insult has to be rip-off rate 0871 telephone number for enquiries and the rip-off rate 0844 telephone number for complaints.

These numbers cost up to 41p/min when called from a mobile phone.

Using these numbers for customer service will become illegal once the provisions of the Consumer Rights Directive pass into law.

My beef is about wheelchair access. It gets more difficult for me to manage, so the last time I went to the cinema was to see the last Harry Potter film. I have no complaints about the prices, since they let me take my carer in cheaply, and the layout of the foyer etc was fine.

Once in the cinema, it was another story. They had fully accessible “wheelchair spaces”. We used one of those, plus the adjacent seat – and after 5 minutes, we knew it was impossible. The seats were right under the screen – I had to tilt my head back to see what was on the centre of the screen and – should any action take place outside that central area – I had to move my head back and forwards as if at Wimbledon.

Maybe if all your disability is not having 2 working legs, then you might – just – put up with that. My problems are more complex and I wouldn’t have the energy to tilt my head back and I could tell that after only a few minutes I was going to be unable to do the “Wimbledon” trick without getting very tired and probably getting serious eye strain.

That last time I managed – between the trailers and the main feature – to struggle up half a dozen steps to a seat which made it less of a penance to look at the screen. Afterwards it took me 10 risky minutes to get back down those steps to my wheelchair again. My physical condition continues to deteriorate and I don’t think I could manage those steps again.

There’s no point in giving people wheelchair access only to give them unusable seats – unless the access is there to get you regulatory approval and not to help customers.

Did I complain? What would have been the point? They aren’t going to re-design the studios for my benefit. I’ll save the money for a DVD and hope to get some popcorn in from time to time.

The complaint featured is really about Customer Service and not specific to a cinema.
The service provider failed to communicate with its customers when the service was delayed due to problems probably beyond its control ( projectors do break down ).
A peace offering in the way of money off vouchers would have generated some good will.

Missing out the adverts isnt that simple – surprisingly – the show would have had to be rebuilt and there are contractual issues but not impossible.

My visit to Showcase cinemas at Stockton-on-Tees to see Les Mis was disappointing. There were 30 minutes of advertisements before the film began. These adverts were blasted out at an unbelieveable noise level. It was a waste of time if they were trying to attract the audiences attention as the noise just distorted the sound. It reached the point where you felt please not another one as it was painful to the ears and I developed a headache. As the decibals were well above what you should have to endure I contacted the local council’s environment section who said it was the responsibility of the cinema. An e-mail to Showcase Cinemas website was ignored.

Odeon If you want to avoid the queues
they charge 50p booking free online for each ticket

Horrendous experience at Cineworld Nottingham. Went to see Hunger Games, Mocking Jay at 10.30pm, sat through 30 mins of adverts? Pretty much drank my what I had in that time. Quickly popped out to grab another drink from the desk next to the screen to be told he was ‘shutting up’ and I had to go downstairs (two flights of escalators) then two large queues where only two people were serving (very slowly). All I wanted was a bottle of water! So I had paid around £10 to watch 30 mins of adverts, wait and miss 20 mins of film to get a bottle of water…and after I came back upstairs, the server was still behind the counter ‘shutting up’….surely he could have served me a meagre bottle of water? This is why I don’t go to the cinema very often, expensive and painful.

I was turned away from Cineworld Braintree today because I was not a NEW PARENT – I am a grandmother and also a WI member and the film I wanted to see was Suffragette . AS the WI was born out of that movement I wanted to see it and also I had to meet grandchildren out of school so I needed to go to an early showing. Two Mums of school children were also turned away – all potential customers turned away and I found nothing about it on my app. if I was a pervie old man yes but, grannies have done breastfeeding and the like – what are you managers thinking of? They were twice sent for (different people each time?).

Coneworld cinema took 100 of pounds from people’s accounts cheating

I recently watched two movies… One was downloaded from the internet, one was at my local Cineworld.

One movie had lots of additional dialouge that wasn’t part of the movie sound track, people talking, people getting up every few minutes, the sound was constantly intrupted with crackles which sounded like somebody playing with empty crisp packets… Flashing lights spoiling the picture every few minutes…

The downloaded movie was great.

This is typical of my experience at the cinema. I’m getting fed up with paying decent money to sit in a room full of selfish inconsiderate mornons.

My son has a quite severe learning difficulty and slight behavioural issues. But he can behave himself in a cinema? Why do other people find it so hard.

The worst cinema in Scotland
Vue Edinburgh Ocean Terminal ran by a team of really bad customer service managers. No respect for there customers and over charge on items like Ice cream and Popcorn. Filthy screens and dirty toilets smelling of stale smoke and urine on the floor. No VIPs checks and over priced tickets. Normally we come up every Sunday afternoon but instead were going to odeon Lothian road in future as its ten times better than vue and the staff and managers are friendly and helpful. The place always smells fresh and looks tidy. We got to know the general manager at odeon and he has agreed that vue has built up a really bad reputation.

I have just taken one of my 7th. Grand children to the cinema,to watch Moshi Monsters The movie.

This is all he asked for ,as my grandchildren take turns to spend quality time with us.

Your prices are just ridiculous! As us grandparents aren’t’t made of money,only one of us could take him ‘(

Why on earth would you charge the adults, who have to take the child to see the movie,Is beyond me?

There are always concessions were children go free…So why not adults go free,cause lets be honest ,the children can’t go without adults!

I really feel that your out of touch with families….

I really feel like it’s day light robbery to charge £7.80 for the adult & £6.60 for the child & £3.95 for the smallest bag of popcorn!

For just over an hours special entertainment for one grandchilds quality time ,it cost me £18.35 & only one grandparent could spend this timei too!!!

You really need to get real & in touch with Families…..

Mrs Elizabeth Hynes ..A totally discussed grandparent …..