Kim F.
Yelp
This is a fun place to see movies (okay, FILMS, if you insist) that aren't shown elsewhere. We just saw an amazing film, Parasite, on a recent Saturday afternoon. The experience was...strange. Buying the tickets went okay. But at the concessions counter the woman snapped, "What are you having?" And as my husband was telling her, she interrupted him with: "Are you a member?"
She had done the same thing to the previous customer. Look, we know the cinema relies on memberships -- we're just not in a position to buy one at the moment. I understand they have to ask because members get a deal, but what about greeting the person with a cheerful hello first, and THEN asking if they're a member? Rather than asking for the person's order and then cutting them off?
At the end of Parasite I wanted to see some of the credits, so we were a bit late getting out. Another delay happened when my husband had to use the restroom afterward. I sat on a bench across from the restroom and waited, holding my leftover popcorn. It was neatly folded up and I hadn't dropped or spilled it. I wasn't creating any sort of nuisance or issue, but every staffer (or volunteer) in the place was staring at me. It was a bit bizarre.
The lobby was empty except for us and the staffers, who continued to gawp at us. As my husband and I walked together toward the exit the glares just intensified. It seemed as if they were perhaps expecting an interaction with us, so I called out, "Thank you!" to the ticket taker, but he turned his head away and pretended not to have heard me.
I still can't feature what happened. We're educated and employed. We looked normal. We didn't dress in costume, weren't drunk, had no facial tattoos. We're pretty much the people-equivalent of wallpaper. And we'd just given them our business. Maybe we were fucked because we weren't members?
I wanted to return because I love Almodovar and they're showing his latest film next week, but I'm having second thoughts. We've lived in Tacoma for a few years. This is our neighborhood movie house, but I don't feel welcome there at all.
Perhaps the workers just need some customer-service and courtesy training. As an Aspie I'm not all that great with social stuff, but with some guidance and practice I've been able to learn the basics of helpful interaction in the jobs I've held, so that customers don't feel dismissed. The Grand Cinema could fix this issue. But I'm not holding my breath it'll happen.
