Comments on: Does Event Cinemas Need Good Customer Service?

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:15:37 +0000

Event Cinema Castle Hill – I have 2 major issues:
1./ Booking on line: I had 2 Gold class ticket vouchers, tried to book our 2 seats on the website with them, yet everytime I got to a certain point it said I MUST select 4(??) seat places. So I stopped the order and went thru the whole process again and again, still the same. So I said ok here are my 4 preferences for our 2 seats. OK. Then it asks for extra Paypal or credit card for the booking fee to finish the order. Did this. Low and behold they’ve charged me $92!!! And I end up with 4 seats, 2 extra seats that i never wanted.
2/ Phone contact: Just try phoning to sort out an issue like this. After trying every few hours to call them for 24hrs, all you get is a recorded message telling you to either go to the website or try this other number, you wait and then go in circles a few times, waiting, waiting, then it hangs up. What a farce. Judging by previous blogs, when I get to the cinema itself, unless there is a miraculous change, I’m not going to get the sort of assistance we should all expect.

By: Jayne Rixon

Jayne Rixon — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:36:16 +0000

I too am disgusted at the service from Event Cinemas. I complained yet again about points not being issued to my family loyalty Cinemas Buzz cards when booking on line. Why have loyalty programs if you are not going to honour them. No one has bothered to reply after repeated emails since December 2011. Can’t seem to find Head Office either. Where do you go when no one will reply? Clearly something needs to be done.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:52:28 +0000

i am disgusted with the website and lack of service and response from Event cinemas. they clearly dont care about customers or there experience which i why i no longer go there. I have unused vouchers that are impossible to use online and of course there is no conntact details and no one will get back to you anyway. Never buy vouchers from them as you wont be able to redeem them. go elsewhere as they clearly have no customer service policy or care about their customers at all.

By: Barry

Barry — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:29:49 +0000

I tried to book Gold Class seats at Castle Hill by phone. I dialled the published number, pressed the button extension, listened to a minute of bad music, then received a message to tell me to ring the number I dialled in the first place. How hopeless is this!!!

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:07:06 +0000

dont worry Ive wanting to see paranormal activty 3 at castle hill event cinemas but because i work six days a week i had to find a time that suited me, but low and behold every session on every day was either 4:50pm or 9:30pm, i work from 6:30 to 4:30 like normal people do. How the #### are people suppose to organise themselves around these ridiculous times. i either have to leave work early or stay at the cinemas till midnight. Wake up event cinemas. u have the poorest business ethics i have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:12:12 +0000

I don’t like event cinemas costumer service because I went there once and the lady at the counter was so rude, seriously it ruined my whole evening. She wasn’t even looking at me as if I was from outer space. Seriously she ought to have manners. She acted if she was queen of the world. I would just say that you are right event cinemas don’t have good cutomer service. They hire people by looking at their skin colour not by their personalities. I mean who cares about how you look because it is all about how mannerful you are.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:38:38 +0000

Just had a horrible experience at the Greater Union here in Manuka in the ACT.

Half way through the film, it started playing upside down and in reverse! After about two minutes of this, the film was shut off and we were stuck there for about 10 minutes while they ‘fixed’ it. When it started again, a whole 10 minutes was completely skipped with no explanation whatsoever, and we headed straight into the climax with no clue as to what was going on. The manager when sought afterwards was less than helpful, blaming it all on the ushers for not relaying the message that a portion of the film would be skipped. Pathetic.

Any chance of passing along that phone number for the Head Office, Janelle? Would certainly like to pass on some choice words without having to go through the cinema itself where the message would most certainly be ‘lost’.

By: Janelle

Janelle — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 11:24:36 +0000

I found your experience interesting. Our local Events/Greater Union Cinema has been removed from advertising in our local paper and Sydney Morning Herald. I realised the theatre had not closed.

Had a dickens of a time getting phone number of “Head Office” and when I rang was told to go on to internet for session times. I explained that I find it more convenient to “read it in the paper” and I know many elderly people do not use computers (Im not elderly and DO use a computer by the way) again I was urged to go on line. They said people I should speak to were not available but message would be passed on and they would contact me. Huh….. a month ago and havent heard a thing. I also find it an insult to the intelligence of residents of our Shire to not be given opportunity to see some of the more unusual movies which seem to be screened at theatres in the northern suburbs of Sydney only. Alternately I travel to the independents (different company) at times.

Re Gold Class tickets. I won two passes recently (have 12 months to use) and was going to book on line – if they ever screen a gold class that appeals to me!! I will probably be better to go along in person and buy in advance after reading the comments on your blog about this.

Events have taken over two independents in my area and the service they give is far superior to the other theatres in the group. (unfortunately not in GoldClass category).

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 07:03:54 +0000

I used to work for Event Cinemas in Innaloo, the cinema you are talking about.
Cody was one of the managers at the time.
This is not the first time I had heard a complaint like this. Not about Cody, but about seating.
Reserved seating works, MOST of the time. It does need to be patrolled more when the cinema is busy, I totally agree.
At one point whilst working a “floor” shift (usher) I had a complaint, similar to yours about someone sitting in their allocated seats. I walked in and asked the people to move to their correct seats, and they explained someone was in their seats. This turned into a domino effect, almost no-one was sat where they were supposed to be, so I radioed the projectionists and asked them to hold the film. I turned the lights on, got everyones attention, and moved EVERYONE to their correct seats.
The issue with this, is that I seemed to be the only one (from Event) who cared enough to do this.
They would drill in our heads about customer service, then never follow it up themselves. It would always end up being a joke in the managers office “Oh that lady has nothing better to do than complain” etc.
There is a reason I left this company. I care about customer service, whether I am giving the service, or recieving it, it matters to me, and to be honest, to that company, it doesn’t.
It’s such a shame for such a huge business

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 06:04:51 +0000

I really like your blog above. It reminds me of my recent experience where the staff were quite rude, let alone had any competence! I had a terrible movie experience with kids kicking the back of my chair and there was a pungent smell around the area I was sitting.I demanded a refund but as soon as I mentioned “refund” the Pretika from Parramatta Event Cinemas shut me down immediately. She didn’t even let me explain my grounds for refund!