I mentioned before how former Forbes movie critic Scott Mendelson was complaining about people not supporting movie theaters and how much of a hassle I think movie theaters are. It was interesting then when NPR linked to this PBS piece about local theaters in suburban Philly that have managed to thrive in the post-pandemic world.
A couple of things stood out to me, the first being that these are not the huge, impersonal multiplexes like your AMC theaters or other huge chains. These are renovated old movie houses with just one screen or so. There's no stadium seating or "IMAX" or probably even 3D. I don't think it says what their sound system is but probably not top-of-the-line Dolby whatever.
What also stood out is there's an emphasis on community. Besides movies there are events like book signings and birthday parties. The theaters have donors to help foot their bills. Since these are smaller towns, people probably know each other better than a big suburban theater.
Thinking back to when I was talking about the comeback of Barnes & Noble, part of that was using a more personal touch by having people who knew about books and could be helpful answering questions or making recommendations. Clearing out some of the toys and other junk also made it more welcoming for book lovers.
Maybe in this age of online shopping and streaming services the way to survive is to focus on the personal touch. Maybe it's not about having the biggest screen, fanciest chairs, or latest sound system. Maybe people will make more of an effort to see "Just a movie" if it feels more like going to a small town theater than a stadium.
That is probably the same for other things like department stores, supermarkets, or restaurants. Maybe people would enjoy going to those places (and spending a little more) if there were more of a small-town vibe instead of sullen employees, computer kiosks, and harsh fluorescent lighting. And maybe people wouldn't be in such a goddamned hurry and on their phones all the time.
Of course that means places need to motivate employees to try harder--or at all. One night I went to Wendy's and the order was $5.30. I handed the cashier what I thought was $20.30 but then a couple of minutes later she tries to hand me this wad of bills and coins because apparently I gave her only $20.21. Why didn't you just ask me about it before getting all that stuff out? I could have just given you the dime that I apparently didn't grab. But no, that would require actual thought and initiative. It's easier to just be a human automaton and punch the numbers in and grab the change to thrust at me. "Service" like that makes people prefer to use apps and kiosks because if the humans are going to act like machines, then why not just use the machine? That's what happened with self-checkouts at grocery stores. Cashiers stopped bagging your items or in some cases wouldn't bother to reach more than a couple of inches to grab your stuff to swipe. And just act all sullen and rude, like you're interrupting their day. So it's no wonder people accepted machines so readily.
A lot of it is up to management though to make employees actually want to come to work and not be sullen a-holes or act like human robots. Which would mean paying employees a living wage, providing benefits, and not overworking them so they can have a decent work-home balance. Which is pretty much the opposite of what managers have done since...ever. Which maybe didn't seem so important but in a future where computers, "AI," robots, 3D printing, etc can do just about everything, the personal touch is about the only competitive advantage humans have.
But I suppose there are times where you don't want as much personal service. Like if you're getting your morning coffee before work you probably just want to get your damned coffee so you can get to work and don't want to chit-chat and stuff. Or at the gas station or convenience store you probably just want to get your stuff and go.
I'm just saying that maybe more places should take note of those theaters' success and try to focus more on providing a great customer experience instead of making things bigger and more impersonal.
2 comments:
I think you nailed. Most people in retail have no people skills whatsoever. They are there to do the bare minimum. If people actually interacted and did the best they could, that would go a long way. Maybe if they worked for tips like waiters do, it would motivate them.
Personal touch is definitely necessary. I love the idea of those local movie theaters as part of the community. And interesting comment about getting change at Wendy's.
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