First time at the Arclight Sherman Oaks......and my last.\r
They advertised a 12:35am showing....So I called and asked if we showed up ten minutes late would they sell us tickets, they said yes. When we got there the real answer was NO with a point to the door and a hearty laugh at our expense. The Grove sells tickets 25 minutes after the last show starts. The Bridge sells tickets 30 minutes after the last show starts. I was surprised that, in this economy, extra money was not important to this theater. There are so many other theaters that want my money.....I am done with the Arclight. A friend said I should have bought the tickets on-line, but when I went to explain why I had not, I felt like House at a differential. If you are going to see a 12:35am movie and you decide to see it after midnight, you can NOT by on-line tickets for that show. The systems setup says it is the next day, wile the theater says it is the previous day......hence no way to buy the ticket. Try it some time. Wait now there is more (added edit). I was talked into giving them another chance. This time we sent someone ahead (early) to get the tickets and snacks. After purchasing everything the person was told they could not leave the ticket at the front desk or come out of the theater to the lobby to give the late people their tickets ten minutes after the movie started. WHAT??? I was blown way. They would rather give back the more than $60 in tickets and snacks than keep customers who just want to see a movie and are willing to miss the first ten minutes to see it. I tried to talk to a manager so I could understand the logic, but no one would talk to me. I feel sorry for the investors in this theater chain. If you are going to pretend that you are an upscale movie house.......service should be the top priority. Treating your customers like they are grade school children late for a class is not the way to increase sales. Locking out paying customers because they are ten minutes past your schedule is a bit absurd. They are not running a bus line, plane or train that has to leave the station. The employees are still being paid to stand around until the movie is over, why turn away the customer?
Pros: We got to keep our money? Does that count as a Pro?
Cons: They don't want my money.
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