Skyfail 2: Actually, I recorded it – listen for yourself to the ‘screaming and carrying on like a lunatic’
So I didn’t really expect there to be a part two to this particular tale.
Remember last night’s post regarding an Event Cinemas manager threatening to have me arrested after I filmed him talking to the audience about the failure of the projector for Skyfall?
You may also recall that another person claiming to be member of staff posted the following message on the article:
“Let it be known that this “journalist” was SCREAMING at two different managers and carrying on like a lunatic. We actually had other customers come up and ask if “that man was sane”. So before you go writing up a piece of absolute garbage which has more holes than a sieve, perhaps you should have a long hard look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself how you come to be writing about small stuff-ups from a Sydney cinema. How about some real journalism? I’m sorry you lost your $18.50(which was reimbursed), but carrying on like a complete scum bag and then validating it with sub-par writings for your ego doesn’t do anything.”
Now you may recall that in the original post, I was quite detailed in the quotes I reported. There’s a reason.
When the movie finally ground to a halt and everyone was told to leave, I thought it was unlikely that he had carried out his threat, but I couldn’t discount the possibility that the cops would be waiting outside.
So I decided it would be sensible to activate the voice recorder on my iPhone. I’m glad I did.
In the previous post, I gave my account of my conversation with the two members of staff.
It triggered the above comment on Mumbrella from somebody claiming to be a member of staff. Which in turn generated a number of comments (mainly from first time Mumbrella commenters, I notice) suggesting that now there was a witness, it was clear the fault was mine and that I’d lost my temper.
So perhaps I should let you judge for yourself. The sound quality isn’t great, but first, here’s my conversation with the person whose name badge identified himself as Mitchell. He was the one who threatened to have me arrested. As we all filed out, I encountered him at the bottom of the stairs. Happily there were no cops.
Here’s the audio – my iPhone tells me it was recorded at 9.44pm. It ends when I offer to wait at the side until he has finished handing out passes to the departing customers and he turns his back on me and stops replying:
The second piece – three minutes later – comes when he has finished doing so. That’s the point at which a second member of staff joins the conversation and tells me that she has a degree in media. Towards the end, I ask if the police have been called and she replies “absolutely”.
I recognise that we’re getting somewhat off the relevant point for Mumbrella – issues around journalists trying to do their job, and perhaps the wider point of how to handle customers. So by all means move on to something else. (Today Mumbrella had what looks like its second biggest traffic day of the year, which suggests that there is some interest.)
But anyway… take a listen and decide for yourself whether I was “screaming”, whether people really were asking if “that man was sane” or indeed whether I was “carrying on like a complete scumbag”.
Or, you know, whether the fault might lie elsewhere.
I’d be curious to know what you think…
Tim Burrowes
Linkedin
** yawn **
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ahhh Tim, you may want to delete that recording… NSW doesn’t like them so much.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/l.....10/s7.html
“(1) A person must not knowingly install, use or cause to be used or maintain a listening device:
(a) to overhear, record, monitor or listen to a private conversation to which the person is not a party, or
(b) to record a private conversation to which the person is a party.”
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“I have a degree in media” lol.
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Tim – you might want to rethink putting the audio up here.
A quick check of the Surveillance Devices Act (NSW) shows that it is 100% legal to record audio & video in these kinds of circumstances without permission – when it is for the protection of your legal interests and you are a party to the conversation. (Yes, there are dozens of other exceptions – I’m just picking a likely one)
However, the law is equally clear that it doesn’t give you the right to broadcast the recording of the conversation. I’m not saying that you *don’t* have the right, but you might want to check with a real lawyer first.
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You rock Tim! And that ‘Degree in Media’ chick, lol – don’t we all know someone like that!
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The media degree girl sounds amazing… Can someone please send Event Cinemas this audio? It’s incredible the egos that these teenagers are walking with!
Good on you, Tim. They’re trying to bully you – so stand up and make all this public. People can make up their minds after hearing this audio, and I really hope that the idiots that are in this get to listen to how ridiculous they sound.
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Wow Tim, things go wrong.
From what I know, you aren’t allowed to take in recording devices into a cinema, regardless whether the quality you record is poor or perfect, it’s to prevent piracy. Also bearing in mind that it isn’t polite to film someone, who is trying to calm a crowd and provide answers to what went wrong. Maybe he isn’t a very good public speaker.
I feel this manager was doing his job, and I’ve listened to the recordings you’ve provided, you seemed like you were giving him a hard time. Try dealing with ‘800’ customers we have had their night not gone to plan. I wouldn’t want to deal with you either.
Instead of writing it on a much loved media site blog section, suck it up, and head to another cinema complex on your next night off. Skyfall will be in cinemas for a while yet. I’m not sure it really warrants a rant online, maybe just a tweet or a facebook complaint with suffice next time.
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Sometimes a ‘job’s worth’ gets sounded out. Good on you Tim, you have stood up and got them. A ‘Roger Cook’ style scoop 😉
It sounds like the staff at the cinema, could have been a little more light hearted and not so “fun police” rigid. You prepared yourself (like any good journalist would) and covered your bases.
I have experienced members of staff like this (usually manning the doors of pub’s all around Sydney). When waiting on the public you should always obey the golden rule; Treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself.
“I have a degree in media”. Really? Big congratulations! A mate of mine has a degree in Geography, I am still waiting for the day he gets into an argument with a, erm, a backpacker….?
Karma can be a real biiiiiatch sometimes 😉
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This is getting awkward.
For Event Cinemas.
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Hilarious!
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Why is the ‘degree in media’ girl still working at the cinemas if she is so knowledgeable? Oh dear, the ego is rather amazing
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The good stuff is always in the ‘missing’ three minutes. Not recorded or edited, only one person will ever know.
Is this the correct platform for this, probably not. Just because you have the power to do something doesn’t make it right. You and the cinema staff could learn something from this. I doubt either of you will.
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You broke two laws, and have taken to the internet to complain about it. Of course you’ve had high traffic. Everyone loves a self-immolation.
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Having worked in exhibition and film distribution marketing, I know how important it is to keep on the good side of journalist covering an event. It is clear that no one from the distributor was present at the event or left early in disgust after the poor presentation of their film. I am sure that the management of the facilities would have gotten raked over the coals for that and if they had know about your treatment that would have added to their ire. They have no business treating a customer like that and definitely not a journalist there to cover the film. I don’t like suggesting that someone should lose their job over a misunderstanding but these people are clearing not suited for this role and the management should consider giving their staff some training in how to handle customers and especially journalists that may have been invited to an event.
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This is so great.
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Ok, clearly the point didn’t get through so I will try to put it simply
Using your site as a platform to attack people who annoyed you in real life is a clear abuse of journalistic power.
If any wonders why our government is talking about regulating the media more now need simply to look to this site.
Some event cinema staff member has annoyed someone. This happens sometimes in society. Just hope you never manage to upset a journalist. Cuz then my friend, welcome to being identified on an industry website and your life made hell for a few days – because you know – journalists are special.
Unethical abuse of power Tim.
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@ Steve (#2) – Read on. There are exceptions, some of which apply here.
For example, once the other party to the conversation makes it clear that they are considering some kind of legal action, then clearly a record of the interactions is reasonably necessary for the protection of your legal interests. Exception (3)(b)(i).
Laws are like that. They’ll 100% clearly state in Paragraph 1 that “This is illegal” and then many many pages later state that Paragraph 1 doesn’t apply for your situation!
I’m not a lawyer – but the reason I know this bit well is that I was involved many years ago with working with the Telecommunications Interception Act & the Listening Devices Act (as it was known then). There’s a massive disconnect between what people think the laws say and what they actually say.
They are pretty sensible, though … at least these ones!
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Well done, Tim! Who cares that this isn’t primarily what Mumbrella is ‘supposed’ to be about? Good customer service is a dying breed, particularly in Australia – maybe putting it on public display is the only way to turn this trend around. I believe any marketing campaign can only be truly successful if the product it is promoting is supported by high quality performance, construction and delivery – which includes good customer service!
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I posted earlier on the other blog about the filming etc. My opinion on whether or not you should be allowed to film, journalist or not, is the same. (BTW what makes a journalist have any more right than a ‘normal’ movie-goer to film in a cinema? Next time, if I just say I’m a journalist, does that give me special rights to break the conditions of entry? What if it never gets passed subs? – saying your a journalist should mean absolutely nothing unless you have gone to the manager before the movie, identified yourself as working for Mumbrella, said that you will be taking in recording devices, and that any and all events of tonight might be published on your website – then you might have more right to say you’re a journalist after-the-fact)
But I disagree with the overwhelming attitude of “shoosh, you had a bad experience move on – keep it to yourself”.
First, its in the opinion section, and second, its covering the media responsibilities of journalists, and the media rights of cinemas and managers. I don’t find it overly off-topic, nor inappropriate, for this experience to be pointed out.
It just so happens this patron has a platform to express his anger, as most people do on the internet nowadays, and its quite archaic thinking to suggest that it not be used to point these things out.
What if Tim was a personal blogger with millions of followers/readers? (which you could probably argue this is anyway but alas) – would we still tell him to “keep it on Facebook” or would we be praising it as power-to-the-people social media strikes again.
Event Cinemas has a responsibility to provide a product they advertise, and just because technical issues disturbed the delivery of this product – doesn’t mean they get out of the situation with clean hands. Nor by offering a refund does it “even” out the score. It certainly doesn’t give them any right to treat a patron like they have.
The manager and staff at that cinema need to learn to live in an age of internet transparency.
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@Hugo
Hugo, you don’t seem to understand the point here.
Mumbrella is all things marketing and ‘entertainment’. Tim has noted that this isn’t his usual style from the start, however it is relevant to ‘entertainment’ which plays a big part of this site and therefore it is topical.
Tim, yes has used his own platform to rant, however he rarely does this and on this occasion, I am guessing, has covered this matter in this way because it is again relevant to Mumbrella.
‘Experience’ is everything these days and it would appear that a night out at the cinema for many people was spoiled by the technical problems.
Tim’s personal experience was spoiled by staff, who appear to have been highly unprofessional in dealing with Tim filming inside the cinema (when the film was not rolling.)
I have personally worked in customer service and customer care roles, moving into client facing sales roles.
These guys working at the cinema have broken rule 101; stay rational, empathise, do not argue or be aggressive to customers!
I have had a customer shout and scream at me and I never lost my cool (because of the great training I had received). I managed to stay calm, ask questions, show empathy and listen carefully. All the while I tried to broker an outcome that suited the client and the company I was working for at the time.
Would Tim have even thought about penning this piece if he had not been treated so badly? He might not have at all. He still could have had a yarn about the experience at this cinema, due to Mumbrella being relevant to the topic; ‘entertainment’.
Right, that’s it from me. Hugo; I don’t think you quite understand that this piece actually uncovered poor form and poor service from a large entertainment company. My recommendation to them is to ensure that their staff are fully trained in customer service techniques, which will help to improve the experience in their cinema’s.
I would not say that this is an unethical use of power by Tim whatsoever? (He was reporting his experience as both a punter and a journo in the entertainment space.)
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“Why is the ‘degree in media’ girl still working at the cinemas if she is so knowledgeable?”
The same reason people with acting degrees work at Nandos…
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The sequel isn’t as good as the original. I hope this isn’t a trilogy.
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So much #butthurt here. The article, the recordings, the comments – everything. Get back to work, boys.
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Walk away Tim.
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Hilarious!
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I don’t know Tim, I love your site and visit daily but it does sounds like – on this occasion – you were just being a pain in the arse.
Let the kids do their job, get the people out safely and get out of their face.
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Tech issues happen, that’s life. The guy tries to give an explanation to a large group of people, and you, with the whole “I’m a journalist, it’s my right” attitude, feel that you have to stick a camera in his face and post it online to create a mountain out of a mole-hill. Why do you need to antagonise him?
Who cares if it is legal or not, you’re being a dick. Poor bloke.
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haha, the chic telling Tim, (the man with many valuable connections in the media world and is the Editor-in-chief of Mumbrella) that she has a “media degree”… hahahaha. What was her name Tim? Let’s give her a good start in her career.
Good on you Tim. This is what this kind of this ego rich behaviour deserves.
Looking forward to hearing an official apology from Event Cinema’s.
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zZzZzZzZzZzZzZz
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Haha burn!
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Who cares??? Is this really what our industry (and yes me included) spends our time reading, surely there is some work to do somewhere.
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Unbelievable that there are so many people voicing concerns over legality and who’s right and wrong on a legal standing!! What a world we now live in when two parties can’t have a disagreement (and such a minor one at that) without threatening litigation!
Why-o-why is there so little humour in everyday life now? Why couldn’t the Event staff have a polite, light laugh at their own fallibility without immediately going into stress-out mode about what all those patrons might think. Sheesh. I totally understand they were embarrassed and didn’t want their embarrassment recorded, but for everyone to continue on with the disagreement (on both sides – and in this forum) is just a sad indictment of where we’re at…
Get on with life! Have a laugh!!!
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The post by someone claiming to be an employee is clearly someone with an axe to grind; whether an actual employee or a troll I suppose remains to be seen.
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This is hilarious, “my lawyer is going to be in touch with you” Bahahahahaha.
Who cares if this is meant to be on Mumbrella or not, it is funny & made me laugh almost as much as that Ghost in an Elevator Prank.
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Never mind all this ….the real question ….is Daniel Craig better than Connery ?
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Im waiting for “Skyfall 3 – Its just not fair”.
The prequel, in which we are entertained by…
Video of the traffic lights that went orange just early enough to make make Tim have to stop.
Then a photo of the back of the head of the idiot in front of him at the candy bar..that just couldn’t decide between the choc top and the maltesers and held the queue up for 28 and half seconds.
The movie finishes with security footage of Tim leaving the cinema and catching his foot on a raised piece of concrete and nearly (but not actually) falling…and turning that fall in to a half run, half skip…whilst looking back at the unruly concrete.
I will be streaming it live on justin tv..or you can get it on bittorrent.
🙂
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Ohh that’s a tough one….. Craig does appeal to the modern audience but Connery has that old school appeal.
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So it seems that the latest ‘customer service’ strategy in Australia is to tell any customer that they “are being rude” as soon as they question the total lack of service that they have been provided with.
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where do i go to get a degree in media?
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When one is so looking forward to a film and one pays for a babysitter – as my husband and I did – and then one experiences a crying, shuffling baby (belonging to someone else) – as we did. But as neither of us wanted to ‘ruin’ our long-anticipated (and expensive) night out – by getting up and complaining and thereby missing precious minutes and leaving gaps in the storyline. Stupid us!! We waited till the end to complain about said baby. Europa girl at Southland, took great pleasure in telling us it was our responsibility to police the cinema – not theirs! No offer of compensation. I’m with you Tim!
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Get a life Tim, you obviously have too much time on your hands and too little perspective on what really matters.
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Tim, you owned them.
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I have a BA in Media and Cultural Studies; Yet Greater Union wouldn’t employ me… in 2004.
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Isn’t this illegal?
11 Prohibition on communication or publication of private conversations or recordings of activities
(1) A person must not publish, or communicate to any person, a private conversation or a record of the carrying on of an activity, or a report of a private conversation or carrying on of an activity, that has come to the person’s knowledge as a direct or indirect result of the use of a listening device, an optical surveillance device or a tracking device in contravention of a provision of this Part.
Maximum penalty: 500 penalty units (in the case of a corporation) or 100 penalty units or 5 years imprisonment, or both (in any other case).
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What other industry would get away with not handing cash back when the service/ product is not of merchant quality? None……. so why did you settle for a free pass to return to see something else? Why after being threatened by the staff who are clearly incompetent would you ever want to go back, especially as there are other cinemas near by who might actually have standards, will treat you well and maintain their equipment with professional staff. By not offering you your cold hard cash back in the first place IS THE ISSUE as this has not cost them money when they fail. EVENT are not going to lift their game are they?
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This is better then any drama on TV right now – Tim LOVING This – well done on catching them out!
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When friends and I went to watch Kylie live in 3D, half way in the sound went to mono, then when they came to fix it they turned the lights on in the projector room for almost 15mins… we complained and got nothing. except being told they were about to close and we would be escorted out by security..
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Good work Tim. The reason i like this, is that none of the other people in the cinema have the platform to let the story get out and would have otherwise just been taken advantage of without anyone knowing.
Also this is a -1 for stupidity, the ‘i called my lawyer’ and that ‘degree in media’ girl.
It’s a +1 for the rest of us.
Thank you.
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It’s fair fodder for a marketing site. It’s a story about how people who work in customer service can compromise the customer experience (and subsequent word of mouth and media coverage) associated with a brand by acting like self righteous, self important, neurotic, know-it-alls.
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It’s clear listening to the audio that girl claiming to have a degree was basically spinning shit about herself. Just how does Event Cinema hope to win over customers by pulling out threatening immature garbage like that? Now you know why more people are buying home theatre systems and watching at home rather than having to put up with crap like that.
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“Today Mumbrella had what looks like its second biggest traffic day of the year, which suggests that there is some interest.”
Ironically, not for the core reasons around Mumbrella’s existence though.
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I’ve had similar poor experiences with cinemas – which increasingly leads me to ask why I don’t simply download movies instead. Though as an illegal act isn’t the answer to an obnoxious one I don’t engage in this.
Cinemas seem to employ the cheapest labour they can find, provide no training and expect a positive customer service outcome. This just doesn’t work and they are killing their own industry in the process. They are not the only distribution channel for movies anymore, and need to recognise that their only competitive advantages are screen size, time to market and customer service. The first two factors are technological and legal and can be easily reduced, whereas only the third provides a sustainable competitive advantage.
Tim, totally support your position and actions and how to see a Part 3 on how the cinema handles it. BTW – I hope you’ve complained to their senior central management.
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There is case law that shows that recording a conversation in the open isn’t considered installation of a listening device.
Which makes sense. Ears are listening devices.
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It’s a little known fact that the “Media Degree” from Club Mac allows your the convenience of an arts degree that’s useful for social situations without burdening the certificate holder with a lifetime of low wages and suffering in the media industry itself.
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It seems to me Tim that they were just doing what they needed to. I’m a regular cinema go-er and a goldclass patron, I’ve never had a issue with the staff at george. They’re helpful and patient and usually try their best to accommodate for everyone- when ever they can that is. The only problem I would raise is their constant shortage of staff for such a busy site.
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Is there a outcome? Did that post really come from the employee? Is Tim to be locked up? Please won’t someone fill us in on what has happened in the last 24 hours???
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Have so enjoyed following this little story and all it’s twists, turns and commentary. I’m amused that so many seem to have forgotten that the whole reason one goes to the cinema is to watch a movie on a big screen in full colour and stereo.
Phone or no phone isn’t that the issue??
Thanks Tim. It’s been a successful water cooler extravaganza.
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#Unethical abuse of power Tim + 1
also – spend the time reading:
NSW Photo Rights Australian Street Photography Legal Issues
By Andrew Nemeth BSc (Hons) LLB MTeach
http://4020.net/words/photorights.php
You may want to rethink the audio upload.
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I thought she said “I have a degree of media”. Yeah, me too.
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Event Cinemas are rather quiet on this matter. I trust they’re in touch with a good PR agency and have a good solution to turn this into a positive for their business somehow.
This is scarily like a car crash – can’t help but look.
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Exhibition is a valid a topic of discussion for a media & marketing blog/publication.
If Tim was complaining about an incident that he’d had at his local fish & chip shop, then that strays far from the focus of Mumbrella. Instead, the incident started from an intent to report about a technical failure at the country’s leading cinema exhibitor and the way by which audiences respond to such failures. What it then became was a case of poorly resourced staff reacting badly when confronting a journalist from covering the event.
Event Cinemas have some amazing fascilities. I recently visited their refurbed cinema at Carindale in QLD and have never encountered a cinema that offered such a high level viewing experience. Unfortunately, the manner by which they deal with the public is downright offensive at times. The more times this is highlighted, the more the company will hopefully consider where they can work on correcting this.
I, for one, am very happy to see Tim shedding some light on their practices.
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Has Media Degree.
Probably spends part of the day asking people if they’d like to upsize.
Meme’d.
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Miss Moneypenny had a media degree. Then again she also could knock out Chuck Norris. . .
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Wow, money not well spent on a “Media Degree” to be able to work in a cinema….
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“I have a media degree and so does my wife!”
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“We all have a media degree, a media degree, a media degree.
Now the film has ceased to play,
for everyone of us, who has paid.
The screen was blue, the screen was green,
and it was yellow, ‘media degree’….2….3….4:
We all have a media degree…” – chorus, repeat.
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Event, your management is terrible.
Tim, you sounded passive-agressive.
‘Yuck’ to all of it. Where is the dislike button?
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I’d have to say I had a positive experience with Event in the last month.
I had a problem booking online and submitted a complaint ticket and had my problem resolved and a refund in a few days or so.
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If the policy was to give two free tickets to each person inconvenienced I suspect most people would see that as fair.
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Comments 68 and 69 seem a little bit suspect to me. “Sniff, sniff”…
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The more we allow appalling customer service to go unreported the more companies like Event will get away with it, and the less they will care about it, and the less they will deliver it. Another reason for people not to visit the cinema, and everybody in the industry suffers.
Keep serving it up to them Tim, maybe one day they will stop being so arrogant and respond. (maybe a free Media degree with a ticket?)
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Ummm. When you are finished with our collective teacup, can we have it back?
There’s a queue of storms waiting to make use of it.
This is a story? First world problem. Your viewing pleasure was interrupted Tim. There, there. Have a Bex and a lie down dear.
Adjust your tiara and get a good night’s sleep. I would have done more than tell you to f#$k off.
First world problem of the highest order.
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I worked for Event when they were known as BCC in Queensland many many years ago, and it sounds like the attitudes of people who work in this “industry” haven’t changed.
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Now we’ve established it’s unacceptable to be rude on the job – Tim is there anyone you or your team would like to apologise to?
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… and yet again, sub-par customer service. Tim, you were totally pulling a passive aggressive stunt here, but I can forgive you for it because the customer service was so appalling from minute one that I find it pretty understandable. See, this is what happens when poor staff training comes into play. People think that being “assertive” and “taking charge” in a peremptory manner is “managing the situation”. It isn’t. You can tell this when the girl talks about calling the police and suddenly there is an eruption of noise from the people around her. She made the situation so much worse by her attitude.
There are times when you need to stand up for yourself in the customer service industry and tell people to back off, but this really does not seem like one of them. The problem is that people are way more likely to repeat bad customer service stories than good ones.
However, I am not blaming the 2 staff members here so much as the operators of the business. With proper training and supervision by someone experienced in customer service and management, they would have been skilled at turning the situation around from a negative one to a positive one, and controlling people’s reactions to the experience. They would never have started a conversation with an already (and rightfully) cranky customer with a resounding negative, and they would not have mouthed off silly threats at you. They also would have realised that, as a journo reviewing the film, it was important for the distributor’s interests to be covered and have taken extra special care to make sure the situation was turned around for you.
If the customer service had been excellent and they’d made up for the technological issues in a satisfactory manner, you would not have compelled to right the article. Well, I hope you wouldn’t have been. If you had, then you would be the twit.
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why did I read the freaking comments?
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Useful scenario for a training exercise for service industries, people in staff training, customer service and public relations, media law and online media. Hopefully the protagonists also will learn from it.
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Today, while I was at work, my sister stole my
iPad and tested to see if it can survive a 25 foot drop,
just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now destroyed and she has 83 views.
I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
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