LANGUAGE!

People spend A LOT of money at the theater...So I get it, when things don't go as planned, they get upset.  We TRY to make up for it though, by any means possible....Refunds, passes....etc  But sometimes, that's not enough.

It's about more than money.  It's wasted time....Which can't be refunded.

I'm a customer service pro.  I take a lot of pride in this.  I can TYPICALLY take a really bad situation and turn it around fairly quickly...

But...Then there are those times, when my charm, just isn't charmy enough.

Example #1

Christmas Night at a movie theater is the worst - Not only am I away from MY family, I am in one of the ONLY PLACES that is open...so you know it's going to be busy!!!  I don't know what it is about the holidays, that brings out the worst in people...But let me tell you...Working in customer service during the holidays is horrible.  People are dicks.

Last Christmas...My shift was 3-11. 

At least I got the morning with my family.

The first thing I noticed when I got to work, was the parking lot.  

I can always gauge how my night will go, based on how full the parking lot it....And THIS night....EVERY SINGLE spot was taken....even in the employee lot...which isn't specifically JUST for employees...but you KNOW...when THESE spots are taken...it's going to be HELL inside. 

I drove around for a few minutes, and ended up in a spot that was kinda far from the employee entrance.  UGH...FINE!

As I'm walking to the theater...I am dreading what awaits me.  I KNOW what i'm walking into...

As I get to the back door and put my key in...I stop.  I can turn around now...go home, and never look back.  Yeah...I COULD do that.  But that's not me.  

I open the door and go in.   I can hear the people in the lobby, the endless ENDLESS beeping of the poppers...and the trash...OMG the trash....It's piled up in the loading dock, from the ushers busy day...and them not having the time to take it to the compactor.

I take a deep breath.

Clocking-in is the worst, when it's busy like this.

I put my radio on my belt loop and turn it on.  Immediately- there are calls for help at guest services.

The line for Guest Services was quite long...And we have a limited number of registers...But I go over, to see if anyone needs something -

I guess a theater had gone down....and people were in line for refunds.  So..there wasn't much I could do...But I did check in with the people in line, and I apologized to the, for their troubles.

One guy - who was about 10 people back from the front...was swaying back and forth, and quietly cursing...and very obviously upset with the situation.  I hesitated, but I went up to him, and I said that we are working very hard on the issues, and I was so very sorry for his wait.

He looked up from his phone...Glared at me with dark-beady eyes and YELLED....I say Yelled...But really, he didn't yell...But it sure felt like it...."If you would just learn to do your stupid job, you fucking cunt..."   Ya...

So I go back into the manager office...and I got another manager, told him what this guy just said to me...and THANKFULLY this manager stood up for me, and kicked the guy out.  NO REFUND.

I looked at my phone for the time...3:17pm.