Customer care among theater employees?

[TIGGOSAURUS]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 2:50pm

As a lifelong theatre-goer I've seen more than my fare share of bad audience behaviour, so I have some sympathy with those who are paid to deal with the most unco-operative, ignorant and entitled members of the public.

However, my most recent trips to Broadway have seen some of the worst behaviour coming from employees themselves. I'm always polite and respectful to theatre employees, yet within the past year I've had:

1) a Box Office agent making a poor attempt at mimicking my accent and then sn*ing to his colleague about it as if I wasn't even there
2) another Box Office person snatching my money up from the counter and violently flinging the coins into a metal trash can (guess he was annoyed that I had to use six quarters to make up $26.50 in order to have the correct amount for a lottery seat, but still WTF?)
3) an usher who spent virtually the entire first half of Hairspray chatting quite audibly to various colleagues not three feet from SRO and the rear orchestra seats (until I complained)
4) ushers at Billy Elliot congregating in the centre aisles of the front mezz after the 2nd Act has begun, thus obstructing the view from the rear mezz
5) ushers in a number of theatres who don't even seem to know the row and seat numbering of their own venue - yet a couple of times I attempted to seat myself I got yelled at to wait!

I've grown accustomed to an unfortunately rude minority of ushers who snatch tickets out of your hand, virtually throw playbills at you etc etc and I just let it ride. But why is this sort of attitude allowed by FOH managers at all?

Anyone else got any bad experiences to share or theories as to why some employees get away with behaving so rudely?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 2:58pm

I mean that's the customer service that you receive EVERYWHERE. It just seems more out of place at the theater because the theater is an artistic venue. One might even say a "vacation" from real life, so one expects to be treated like you're on vacation (which, for several theatregoers, they ARE on vacation).

It just comes down to the type of person they are and how they are managed. No matter where I work, I always try to be friendly, courteous, and helpful.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 2:59pm

The only bad experience I can remember was at the Broadhurst when seeing The History Boys. There was an usher in the front lobby that was sreaming at people and was quite rude. Otherwise I have had mostly good experiences. Two sets of staff that stood out as very nice were the staffs at the Imperial and the Eugene O'Neill. So it surprised me when you mentioned the Imperial staff. When I saw August Osage there, they were, and so were we, being driven nuts with cell phones going off and worked their butts off locating the people and trying to get the situation under control.

[madbrian]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 3:02pm

In general, my experiences with theater staff have been positive. I don't envy them having to deal with ignorant tourists (and non-tourists), who can't follow simple instructions like 'no pictures' or 'no call phones'.

[bundy5000]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 3:03pm

I can't even imagine enforcing the rules to obnoxious teenagers, hard of hearing folk, children, groups of stubborn tourists, obsessed maniacs, the people who take 500000 playbills each (me), theater 1st timers, cell phone ringers, obvious recording of the show, the people who bicker throughout the show, and such on..... but I have seen my own "cruelty to audiences" from the ushers. Very unproffesional

[Weez]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 3:07pm

I mean that's the customer service that you receive EVERYWHERE.

GOD-DAMN.

I really am gobsmacked that people (the people giving the service, not you, Capn) seem to believe on a massive scale that customer service is NOT all that and a bag of chips. I may occasionally give subpar customer service, if I'm queasy or the customer is a dick or if I'm overcome with crippling shyness and/or a severe brainfart, but there's a difference between "not doing a job to the best of your ability" (and most of the time I do work to do my job to the best of my ability) and "going out of your way to be crappy at your job".

[FlyingMonkey1223]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 3:19pm

When I saw GREASE one of the usher grabbed an older woman and drop-kicked her to the ground. I heard she was getting fresh with him, and he just wasn't having it!

[madbrian]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 3:23pm

That wasn't an usher, that was Elaine Stritch, though she does tend to dress like an usher.

[TIGGOSAURUS]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 3:25pm

See, I work in Customer Service myself and I've been a customer for even longer than that , but I've never encountered someone mocking my accent or throwing my money away in disgust and I've never had to deal with any employee who's behaved that badly. I hope that's not considered the norm - either that or I've lead a very sheltered life!

As I said, I have utmost sympathy with what theatre staff have to put up with from some customers - the majority do a good job and some are exceptional (special mention to the gentleman at the Hairspray Box Office last week who kept a ticket for me while I hot-footed it 20 blocks and back to my hotel to retrieve my misplaced cash).

I've often wondered if there's a difference in attitude between employees who genuinely love the theatre and those who just do it for the paycheck? I know I'd probably be fierce with phone-users, picture-takers etc.

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 4:44pm

The last time I had a problem with an usher at a Broadway theatre, I wrote a letter to the theatre company. I received a very nice appology letter back too.

[Mamie]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 7:08pm

You did report all of these incidents to the house manager - right? If they're happening and the management isn't aware of it, nothing will be done to correct the situation. You can still report the incident at the Imperial to the management. With the date and location they can see who was working in that area during that show.

I've never seen anything close to what you experienced. I have had ushers who were definitely NOT in a warm and friendly mood but I never saw they actually be rude or insulting to anyone.

[CMU_bway_lover]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 7:58pm

Not to play up the 'New Yorker' stereotype, but in my experience the ushers and house employees in NYC tend to be ruder than the staff in LA, SF, and Pittsburgh. I had one bartender growl and me and roll her eyes while I was trying to tip her. The ushers tend to be less helpful than a 17 yr-old working the drive thru counter at a McDonald's these days.

[TIGGOSAURUS]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 8:03pm

Didn't complain about the first two instances at the Box Office as they completely took me by surprise. But I definitely will do if I get treated so ignorantly in future.

I felt that part of it might have been down to me being an out-of-towner - even though I've probably seen more Broadway shows in the past few years than most visitors have in their entire lifetimes. :-/

I did report the next two instances, but that was obviously after the event. Complaining about the general inefficiency of some ushers seemed kind of pointless - if their employers were bothered about that sort of thing, surely they'd provide proper training in the first place?

Have any other out-of-towners / foreigners been made to feel this way? Because I sense a general anti-tourist sentiment seems to exist in both New York and London. Don't know if that was part of it, but it's possible.

Updated On: 12/8/08 at 08:03 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 8:03pm

I haven't had the terrible experiences...quite the opposite in fact, but I'm not suprised...as Customer Service as we once knew it barely exists ANYWHERE any more.

While I DO put my complaints in writing when I dissatisified...I do the same when an employee has truly done a great job as well.

[Winston3]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 2:07am

The only time I ever got yelled at by an usher was when I was in SRO for A Chorus Line. I am aware that the ushers usually stand in the back of the orchestra during the performance. When I saw the show SRO was jam packed and I was squeezed in between two people pretty damn good. I took a couple of steps back to get some room and as soon as I did I got yelled at by an usher saying that I was causing a fire hazard etc. I wanted to snap back at her in the same rude tone she was using to me and say that if there is a fire I won't be standing around and that you can be sure that I will be the first one out the door. But, I digress. I kept my mouth shut and never said a word. This was the first time where I have done SRO where they had been that strict.

I remember being in SRO several times for Les Miserables at The Broadhusrt. I was walking back and fourth between my spot on the wall and to the area behind me. Hell there were times where my eyes were still on the stage and I was pacing back and forth and still watching the show. This was of course when no one was around me at all and I never got yelled at. I find that funny because Les Miserables and A Chorus Line both played at Shubert theatres. I even did the same thing at The Nederlander for Rent.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 2:13am

This is rarely the customer service you will get at Bath and Body Works.

[Patash]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 10:01am

I've learned one thing over the years. I always approach the usher with a big smile and always say "good evening" to them. I have never, ever run into a run one who threw the program at me, snatched my tickets or any of the other things mentioned above. I wonder if the way I approach THEM has anything to do with the difference in return treatment?

[Okayfine]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 11:21am

Yes, by all means, let's have another thetare-employees-are-soooooo-rude exchange:

They wouldn't let me do whatever I want!
They have rules to follow!
They were so snotty!
You were snotty first!
The b.o. staff threw my money!
Why in Heaven's name would a b.o. person throw your money away when he or she is responsible for every penny?
I was calling my babysitter because my child was sick!
Then maybe you should have stayed home.
All I wanted was a Playbill!
Then you can wait for 30 bloody seconds.
The staff was talking through the show!
Did you ask them to be quiet & then speak with the house mgr when they did not stop?

Please, folks. Theatre employees need to remember to behave as if they understand their jobs include customer service and theatre patrons need to behave as if they understand that they've successfully gradiuated from grade school.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 11:46am

Is it just me, or does it seem like people like to get customer service employees in trouble and or fired? Would you like it if people at your job complained about you? Rude ushers or not, an usher's job is NOT to be sugar-sweet to you. It's to direct people where to go. Unless an usher hit you, swore at you, or was very clearly NOT performing the job he/she is tasked, you have no reason to complain. Ushers have 30 minutes to seat between 1100 to 1800 rude, obnoxious, self-righteous people...let's see you keep a cheery disposition after a week of it!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 12:13pm

I usually have pretty good experiences with ushers and staff. The only time I was even taken aback by the behavior of an usher was when I saw Les Miserables at the Broadhurst. A friend of the family was in the show so I was with my mother and my younger sister who's motor skills aren't so hot. It takes her a bit longer to do things so when the show was over we waited for those around us to leave before we started to collect our stuff and help her into her coat.

We were standing there putting our coats on when this voice started screaming from the back of the theatre that we had to leave. We turned and saw an usher glaring at us and continuing to shout. It was pretty obvious about we were leaving and I thought her behavior was pretty unnecessary.

Having worked in customer service for many years I'm always slow to complain about people. Unless their behavior is grossly inappropriate I hold my tongue.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 12:41pm

Fosse, they don't have to be sugary sweet to you, but they should be courteous. They are dealing with the public and represent the theater they are working in. I was the head usher at The Uptown in Philly back in the 80's. The one thing I told my ushers was not to be rude or argue with a customer. If there was a problem they were instructed to come and get me. And I told them all to smile and welcome the customers to the theater. We had very few problems.

Patash, I agree. A smile and a hello goes a long way. I always say good afternoon and good evening, with a smile, to my ushers. I often even ask how they are doing if they aren't swamped.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 12:49pm

The only problems I ever had were with the rude ushers at Phantom of the Opera. They don't really show you were your seat is. They point to it and when I went the wrong way the guy was like "this isn't the movie theatres,you just can't sit anywhere you want". Not only embarrassed me but he did it to other people also.

Just last week I encountered a rude usher at Wicked. I was talking to my friend(not in the aisle or anything but over to the side so people could get through) and the usher kept telling her that she HAS to go to the middle aisle. We were like yes we know, we are just talking.

Other than that I have had no problems. The ushers at The Little Mermaid were the best ones I ever had. Very good with the kids.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 12:56pm

Some of the ushers at A Chorus Line were pretty rude. I had just walked into the theater for the final performance when my phone went off. I hadn't been seated yet so I stepped away from the crowd and answered it. One of the ushers started screaming about how I had to stand "under the light" to use my phone. Apparently I stood under the wrong one.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 1:26pm

Go into the light Carol Anne!

[legally_popular]

Posted: 12/9/08 at 1:39pm

Luckily I haven’t had any encounters with rude ushers or theater staff. A lot of ushers I’ve seen have been very generous, doing such things as accommodating handicapped people and once letting me back into the theater after everyone had already left to help me look for something I had left at my seat.

The only thing ushers are strict about, from my experiences, are taking pictures in the theater. I sometimes like to take pictures of the curtain, but a couple of times they get on me right away after I do it and tell me no cameras are allowed inside the theater. Even when people were just taking pictures of themselves, an usher found them and told them to stop.