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Vue Cinema - out of focus - Too British to complain?
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rl290
Posts: 316 Forumite
Just a quick note on my experience in the Vue Stratford City Westfield (a London shopping mall) yesterday...
I went to watch Planet of the Apes and the images was clearly out of the focus for the adverts. This persisted in the main film and was particularly noticeable because there are a lot of subtitles.
Despite this being really obvious, only 2 people in the entire audience (over 100 people) complained - I was one of them. The duty manager quickly figured out that the projectionist had accidentally left some of the 3D equipment mounted, even though it was a 2D showing. He offered to refund our money, and gave us (and only the 2 of us who had complained) 3D glasses so that we saw only one of the projected images - and everything was clear.
As it happens, 5 mins later, I got fed up with wearing the glasses (which also dimmed the image), so asked to go to the next showing a few mins later. The manager upped my wife and me to VIP seats, and I was more than happy with this. (I didn't even take him up on his offer of a refund)
What amazes me was that no one else in the entire theatre complained, and the duty manager didn't proactively inform anyone else (to my knowledge). In other cinemas where I have had technical issues, the manager often makes a big deal of these sorts of things, and gives out free tickets / vouchers. Are we really too British to complain ?? Cinema tickets in London cost a pretty penny!
R
I went to watch Planet of the Apes and the images was clearly out of the focus for the adverts. This persisted in the main film and was particularly noticeable because there are a lot of subtitles.
Despite this being really obvious, only 2 people in the entire audience (over 100 people) complained - I was one of them. The duty manager quickly figured out that the projectionist had accidentally left some of the 3D equipment mounted, even though it was a 2D showing. He offered to refund our money, and gave us (and only the 2 of us who had complained) 3D glasses so that we saw only one of the projected images - and everything was clear.
As it happens, 5 mins later, I got fed up with wearing the glasses (which also dimmed the image), so asked to go to the next showing a few mins later. The manager upped my wife and me to VIP seats, and I was more than happy with this. (I didn't even take him up on his offer of a refund)
What amazes me was that no one else in the entire theatre complained, and the duty manager didn't proactively inform anyone else (to my knowledge). In other cinemas where I have had technical issues, the manager often makes a big deal of these sorts of things, and gives out free tickets / vouchers. Are we really too British to complain ?? Cinema tickets in London cost a pretty penny!
R
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Comments
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To be honest rl290, they have a bigger problem than you think at that site.
Was picture out of focus on one side or all over the picture?
In most of the major cinemas they use a system call RealD, a propriety system which has mirrors in the setup. One side of 3D goes directly through setup while the other side bounces off a mirror whilst they go from left to right at 150 times per second (75 frames each).
Even if they do not remove this equipment out of the way when showing not Showing 3D, the picture should not be out of focus, but as you said would be darker.
What has happened is that the alignment of the internal mirrors has been knocked out of alignment inside the equipment.
To be honest sorting the problem you had was by sliding the equipment out of the way, a 2 second job. Then everybody could see the picture correctly. Why they did not just do that is the question.
A Bigger worry is that when a 3D film is shown in that cinema screen with the equipment in place, it will also be out of focal alignment and the 3d will be out of alignment giving a softer out of sync 3D experience.
But noting this will not be really noted unless you know what is wrong. That takes experience.
There is no excuse for this problem as there are test charts and checks built in the projector to allow them to check this on site and sort the problem out.
It does show that the equipment has not been checked recently by a someone on site.
But do note there is no such thing as a projectionist on site now. They are usually mangers who have to split time between the projection boxes and taking the money. Taking the money usually wins out!!
As of the Duty Manger, it seems has little clue of the equipment on his site as he could have moved the equipment out of the way.
As for the experience from the manager he should be shot. I don't think he was following company procedures and his customer service was S**te .
Personally I would tell you to complain to head office, not the local manger, about the problem with the picture experience and about the customer service.
Reasons why- That projector needs alignment ASAP!!
Also that manger needs retraining on the reasons and ways faults can be resolved. They are all trained in the basics. And to be honest of his bad bad customer service.
And before anybody says 'compensation' its got nothing to do with that. Think if you are the person next to watch something in that screen and the faults not fixed and the manager does not sort it out correctly.The more I live, the more I learn.
The more I learn, the more I grow.
The more I grow, the more I see.
The more I see, the more I know.
The more I know, the more I see,
How little I know.!!
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Robin,
Many thanks for your thorough reply! I used to do some cinema preparation and projection work (slicing and sticking films, manually projecting), but have never seen how a 3D set-up works - all very interesting to me! As you suggest, I will send a short email to to HQ to alert them to what has happened. When I was projecting, I would certainly have fixed the error immediately (I'd be sat in the projection room)
I'm still amazed that so many people tolerated that experience though!
VoucherMan,
You're right to pick up on that - mea culpa (and there are probably far far more errors in there!). My grammar change was for one specific bug-bear of mine. I had written 'my wife and I' when it should have been 'my wife and me.' There aren't many point of grammar that I'm precious about, but it does annoy me when people use 'and I' even when it is completely wrong. End rant.
R0 -
I've had so many of these issues with Vue, I've given up going there now.
I've had the picture out of focus, projector pointed the wrong way (so the left foot of the film's shown on the curtain and the rightmost foot of the screen is blank), sound channels missing, two occasions where they've just not been able to get the projector to work, lights left on throughout the showing...add that in with the noise, phone use etc that accompanies their lack of staff...and it's just not worth going. I don't even go that often and have racked up this little list. Each time they give you a voucher/refund etc, but I've complained to HQ many times and it makes no difference in terms of the issues keeping occurring.
Whatever the trailers they show tell you about it being "the experience that counts", don't believe it. It's the profit that counts to Vue and the experience is very much secondary to that. The theatres are frequently filthy when you go in, the food's awful quality and a complete rip off (even by cinema standards) and they just don't show any interest in improving.
If possible, just go elsewhere.0 -
Obviously it's not for the 'too British'.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2712380/Vue-cinema-apologises-friends-turned-away-security-guard-not-Muslim-family.html0 -
Well rl290 I hope my information helps in getting things done.
Telling head office is always best in these situations , as the site you went to has not got a clue in how to show a film properly.
Also that site has a bad customer experience.The guy needs the company's 'how to run a site book' thrown at him.
Yes they do have a big book- now mostly online- to tell them how to manage every problem they may come across. Evidently he has not read it lately. Or he is an recently upgraded team leader to the lower level of manager.
If you tell the local manager at that site, it will most probably be covered up. He has his end of year bonus to think of!
I tell everybody right now not to put up with a bad experience if you see a film shown to you badly. If you don't complain you will not get it sorted at the time. And the more everybody complains, in the end the tide will turn.
Reason I know a bit about these things. is I used to be a projectionist at a cinema until recently.
Have been working with Digital projectors since they were financed by the old UK film council in 2006.
My first 3D film was the U2 film called appropriately 'U2 3D'
The trouble today is as Idiophreak says 'it's all about the money'
The last site I worked at, had when I started there, 4 full time projectionists plus a part timer to fill in the holidays when required.
last year that cinema lost it's last on site projectionist.
So from 4 projectionists to none, took only 3 years!
Now the mangers do all the programming of the films and the running of the projectors and sort out any 'local' issues.
I used to look out of the projection box porthole before I left, on a busy day like Orange Wednesday, seeing the mangers running around like headless chickens. I used to think, how the hell were they going to run the projectors and sell the popcorn at the same time.
OK there's an area projectionist that can be called in if necessary. There's NOC connection to the sites projectors so they can monitor the projectors off site.(In another country I might add!!).
But that's not like having someone on site who as I used to say 'knows the equipment and knows where to kick it when needed.
'
Personally I don't miss the company I worked for but I do miss the staff I used to work with.:(
Also this may say something. I have never , ever seen a film at my last site since I left. I don't think I could take it on an ex projectionist level watching a film there.The more I live, the more I learn.
The more I learn, the more I grow.
The more I grow, the more I see.
The more I see, the more I know.
The more I know, the more I see,
How little I know.!!0 -
When I was a student there was a small independent cinema in the town. Technically it had 2 screens but only one ever was on when I went there. A guy would sell you your ticket at the booth, then follow you to the popcorn stand to sell you the sweets etc. Amusingly he then followed you to the screen door and insisted that you presented the ticket you'd just bought from him and then disappeared into the projection room.
Cinema was never very clean, not great sound system etc but they turned a blind eye to people smoking whatever they wanted to smoke or doing pretty much anything else in the cinema so it had certain appeals to some plus was the only town centre cinema.
As British people we are terrible at complaining and many companies are terrible at dealing with those that dont complain. One famous chain of electonics stores used to have a "never be beaten on prices" type promise plastered all over the store. I pointed out that their hoover was above the price of their competitors so they price matched for me. The guy behind me however paid full price for the identical item. Surely if they were "never beaten on prices" they should have reduced all of the items and not just for those that complain/ point it out?
That said, as someone who will complain and doesnt just accept things (plus has a very loud latina wife who doesnt care about everyone else hearing) I tend to do very well out of poor service etc0 -
InsideInsurance wrote: »As British people we are terrible at complaining and many companies are terrible at dealing with those that dont complain. One famous chain of electonics stores used to have a "never be beaten on prices" type promise plastered all over the store. I pointed out that their hoover was above the price of their competitors so they price matched for me. The guy behind me however paid full price for the identical item. Surely if they were "never beaten on prices" they should have reduced all of the items and not just for those that complain/ point it out?
So you didn't think of mentioning the price match to the guy behind you? 0 -
Idiophreak wrote: »So you didn't think of mentioning the price match to the guy behind you?
Yes, after they'd gone to charge him full price.... I just wanted to see what the store were going to do before making them aware.
As per the adverts, there is a certain satisfaction to knowing you paid less than everyone else for the same thing but not to the extent that you will let someone get fleeced in front of your eyes.0
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