Why AMC’s Express Line Will Make Them Lose Business
As someone whose initials is AMC, I’ve had quite a fraternal relationship with the company.
I was team AMC well into my late teens despite not having a membership for most of it. Hell, I ended up seeing the beloved Avengers Endgame at that theater knowing how much the overall experience of having it be at an AMC would be special. But I don’t believe I’ve been back since, and clearly, some things have changed.
As soon as I was fully vaxxed and have the opportunity to see a mediocre at best movie, I was going to partake in my most ~scandalous~ activity of the pandemic so far. This was my #1 activity to do.
My friend and I, Lin, love the movies. Call us old-fashioned, but we love ticket stubs. We hoped that we could still get ours printed off, especially it being the first movie we were officially viewing inside a theater.
We get to the line, and our movie is about to start in 5 minutes. In front of us, there are two waiting, with one walking to the register. Now we’re next. I turn to my right to see that someone else is in another line. Okay, not odd. There could be multiple lines. But then the cashier chooses this guy over us, so now I’m confused. I think that maybe he has an online order, but this ain’t Wendy’s. Then someone else comes up to the line next to us, and the OTHER cashier takes her! I look to Lin, and both of us are baffled. Finally, I get a closer look to see that there is an express line for members.
The third time is the charm because now we’re both getting heated. Mind you, at this point, there’s someone else behind us too, but every time we think we’re going to go, a VIP member steps in the other line. We’re gesturing to the lady, “what the hell,” because we’re honestly just confused. And she’s looking at us with guilty eyes as she takes the next person that is not us. If you couldn’t tell by now, neither of us is used to this.
Finally, my friend shouts, “we just want to print our tickets,” and the lady begrudgingly tells us to step forward.
We weren’t even on the Karen spectrum at this point, although we could have been while she was nervously printing out our tickets. I think she said sorry, and we walked away, just happy to get our tickets.
And from there, the encounter was a memory.
But as we were walking out of the theater, I remember the very odd situation.
According to Business Wire, a part of AMC’s A-List perks is having an express concession stand line. While this could be beneficial to some movie fanatics, this does not seem like a great move. This system has been out since 2018, and perhaps in the times I’ve come since then, it has been busy enough for me not to noticed, but I could not help to take note of its lunacy today.
Most people don’t have a membership. I know this because I worked at another popular movie theater, and most simply did not. Companies are always trying to find ways to advertise why getting a membership is beneficial, and I’m not knocking them on having to sweeten the pot more, but this seems a little unrealistic.
As a person whose been on both sides, I wouldn’t want the heat of a customer who is upset that she’s in the plebian line. For me, I want my popcorn as much as the next guy. At my job, members and nonmembers stood in the same line, because at the end of the day, we’re trying to get everyone in the theater on time. You’re going to lose customers because not everyone is going to want to wait for their turn, especially if they’ve been there longer. As a customer, if I miss my movie because I just so happen to not be a member, and every Stephen and Jodie are in their little express lane, then that’s on you. That’s now on you because you won’t always get a nice person like me, and guess who has to take it?
The employee
I also am not mad at the employee because I understand being on the other side, and that’s not their fault. She was just following orders, and the home office is not on the ground to even care what’s happening. Employees always take the most heat and may still get reprimanded for rules they did not make.
In all, we know it’s about money. But if a customer storms off, it’s because they’re pissed, and you’re going to lose money. If they don’t come back because of it, then you’re going to lose money. This method is just not it.
You aren’t Disneyland, AMC. Having a FastPass here is not going to help AMC be the Happiest Place on Earth.
