Everyone likes to help the less fortunate—at least, that’s what we’re going to go with publicly for the sake of this argument. That said, is it really appropriate to be asked to pony up donation money when you’re sitting in a theater waiting for your movie to begin? You’ve already paid more than you probably wanted to for the tickets, not to mention any refreshments—shouldn’t that ticket price also include an implied guarantee that you won’t be asked to tithe?
One reader, Karen, was particularly annoyed last week when the ushers walked around during the previews asking individual patrons for donations. Here’s the letter she sent to Regal:
On Monday afternoon, my partner and I attended “The Strangers,” at Regal, Union Square. In the past, our experiences here have been wonderful, with friendly staff and a comfortable environment. $12 a ticket is pricey, but it’s worth it for an hour or two of pleasant, quiet escapism.
I was SHOCKED when a manager of this studio came into our auditorium after the trailers had started to panhandle from patrons. The manager said something about collecting pocket change for a charity that Regal believes in. Then the staff proceeded to go around, foisting a money-bag in patrons’ faces and loudly asking, “Do you have anything you want to give?” It really put people on the spot, in front of others. The whole experience of being aggressively begged from in a space that we had paid to relax in was painfully awkward. It’s rude, and it alienates customers.
I discussed this event with friends, one of whom said it happened to him when he went to the same theatre. If this is a case of corporate offices forcing managers to engage in the humiliating behavior of begging money from patrons who’ve already paid, please put a stop to that. A donation jar in the lobby for any causes corporate believes in would be much more appropriate. (Donating a portion of the ticket prices we’ve already paid rather than trying to milk customers for more would be even more appropriate.) If this is a case of a lone employee begging from customers in this location, then that’s something corporate also needs to know about.
Is this sanctioned behavior? We’re not sure we want to go back to this theater again. Are in-theater, aggressive solicitations now part of your regular movie going experience?
Look, we’re not saying we’re against people helping people, and we don’t think that’s what Karen’s saying, either. For all we know, she pulled a wagon full of foster kids around Central Park earlier that day. What bothers us is when a business tries to force a donation at an inappropriate moment—that is, during a private business transaction.
As Karen points out, if the theater believes in this charity, they can donate a portion of ticket (or concession) profits, or screen PSAs during the previews, or make their employees wear slogan-filled t-shirts. (All of these things would also better serve the theater from a marketing perspective.) Just let us watch our crummy Hollywood summer movies in peace, Regal.
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@jamesdenver: I prefer the small operated theatre. Ones where you’re likely to see the owner on a Friday night taking tickets or popping popcorn. The large mega chains suck all desire out of their employees to be helpful. Plus I like to feel that more of my money is staying locally rather than flying off to a big city and paying off mega debt for building a poorly built stadium cinema.
@WayneK2: Will Rogers Charity has been around for ages. Cinemas have been collecting money for that charity since at least the 40′s. But back in the day they used to run a short reel with Meryl Streep or Dan Akroyd asking you to donate. Then they’d bring the house lights up and have someone walk the center aisle with a bucket. More tactful than having a Regal employee stand in front of you, push a bucket in your face, and ask you to donate.
@STrRedWolf: Boy, your employer sure had you brainwashed, huh? Regal Entertainment Group is a 100 billion a year business. Meanwhile, they pay you poor saps working at the cinemas crap. The profit from a single popcorn and a Coke (for which the ingredients cost pennies) pays an employee’s salary for an hour; so to suggest that any profit from concessions is eaten up by salaries and overhead is a joke.
That said, I don’t think it’s that hard to say a polite “No” to requests for donations.
All these people complaining about theaters… come to Wyoming. The local theater owners around here are extremely particular and if there is a problem, it will get fixed. We don’t (as far as I know, having worked there for two years counting) “panhandle” or even ask for donations for local charities. Also, if there’s a problem with another customer (cell phone, talking during a movie, etc.) it will get resolved. And I know those annoyances called “commercials” while waiting for a movie to start; we don’t have those. A local company does our pre-show “slides” so that it is all local businesses and events that are being advertised. (and music that is definitely not elevator music unless you hear John Williams and Hans Zimmer soundtracks in elevators)
And once previews start, it’s just movies being advertised unless the studio attaches an ad for something else to the first reel.
Oh, and our tickets are a LOT cheaper. I love hearing people from big cities go “That’s IT?” when I tell them that their ticket price.
@bobfromboston Around here, that would only be the truth if it was a large popcorn and drink, and even that would barely stretch over an employee’s pay unless they had just started.
@bobfromboston: By “100 billion a year business” do you mean “2 billion”?
And by “to suggest that any profit from concessions is eaten up by salaries and overhead is a joke” do you mean “their margins are about typically around 5%”?
And by “they pay you poor saps working at the cinemas crap” do you mean “they would be losing money if they paid every employee 20¢ more per hour?
It’s a public company.
@sholnay: It could also just be someone who drank too much soda, and is trying to figure out if they need to miss part of the movie, or if they can hold it until the end.
@vdragonmpc: We donate to the ones WE choose.
Everyone does, including the people who choose to put a dollar in the Will Rogers bucket at the cinema.
@nacoran: I’d argue that if you are feeling shame for not giving money to charity, give them a dollar or your pocket change. If you aren’t feeling guilty about it, what do you care?
Your questions are good.
It’s easy to blame the asker for making you feel guilty, but it reality it’s self-inflicted guilt.
An analogy: I dislike refusing to open up a Target credit card every time I shop there. But do I feel guilty for saying no like the majority of customers? No. So why is being asked to donate any different? Do I feel guilty, if even the asker is pushy? No.
Why should I let some random person affect my mood to the point where I want them to leave instead of me? Millions of people say no to people asking for donations every day. Say no if they ask, sit for a few moments, then watch the movie.
Problem solved.
No, If I wanted to go someplace where people pass a bucket and judge you by the amount you donate I would attend a church.
I went to see a movie and have a rare night out. With the insane amount of cash flowing out of my income I dont have the patience to deal with A77hats demanding even more cash.
First theaters charge me to watch commercials, now they are going to charge me to be hassled about charity?
No thanks.
I used to work at Regal about ten years ago and I’d have to give each customer the spiel about the “Will Rogers Combo” or the stars or whatever. It annoyed them because it slowed everything down and “I’m gonna be late for my movie” but since our projectionist was usually preoccupied with his “flavor of the week” the movie would start late (45 minutes late in one case. Wish I’d gotten her number) so it all worked out in the end.
Calm the fuck down, movie theaters do this all the time, and always have. No one’s putting a gun to your head, or even interrupting the movie.
They could try taking it out of the %7000 markup on their concession stand prices…
@CatMoran:
bad excuses for annoying everyone surrounding you.
The last thing I want in an involved movie is my attention being stolen by a bright flashing light and a click of the cell phone slapping shut next to me – it’s rude. If you have to use the restroom – use it, its unhealthy to hold it
To all the people who say that the company should just donate money themselves, where do you think they are going to get that money to donate? You don’t think they would pass that on to their customers in higher prices, or write it off as a tax deduction, which in turn will mean less tax revenue, which in turn will mean either higher taxes or fewer services. (I personally have always thought that this undermines what charity is really about. I remember someone donated a expensive dinner set to the Reagan White House and took a deduction.)
I’ve been solicited for donations at theaters several times, and they’ve never been really pushy. I stand by my earlier post. People seem to be getting awfully upset about being asked to make a voluntary donation. It’s seems like a lot of people have guilty consciences. Comparing this to panhandling misses the point. Real panhandling can be a problem. You get often get fakers or people who imply threats to get money, or people who don’t really need or deserve the money.
It would bother me if this happened, fortunately it hasn’t.
One corporate charity I am aware of is the Ronald Mcdonald house(s) which are supported by your change donation at the registers. I happen to know some people who used them when visiting Children’s Hospital here in Seattle, and I believe it’s a worthy charity. And they’re not the least bit pushy about it, either, which is also nice.
DOES NOT COMPUTE!
i own an 8-screen theatre, and would NEVER allow solicitation at ANY time, inside or outside the theatre by
ANY party. it’s just not appropriate.
i think this “manager” was soliciting for his own pocket…
shameless plug: this is why I only watch movies at the Alamo Drafthouse [www.drafthouse.com] when we go see movies in the theater in Austin. Tickets are as much as you’ll see at a regular theater, they serve decent food during the movie, don’t subject you to pre-trailer spam, and are just generally awesome.
This is news? Movie theaters have been doing this at least since war bonds drives during WWII. I can remember going to the movies in the 50s and watching shorts about polio followed by the ushers collecting for the March of Dimes. Don’t like a business’s business practices? Quit going there.
Just tell them you don’t make donations in cash. If they’ll give you the literature and contribution form, you’ll be happy to consider them as a donee. Besides which, since they started showing commercials, I’ve basically cut my movie attendance down to one or two a year. Everything will be on HBO eventually.
i work at a regal theater in south carolina and the is a charity that is in the regal corp. called stars of hope but what we do at my theater is we ask for donations at the box office when you are buying your ticket, cant donate money from tickets sales cause we don’t get like any of that it goes to the people who make the movies and the concession stand is where we make the money that keeps the place running, electric, heat&air, water, all that jazz so that is not possiable
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