AMC Theatres, Bad Customer Experience and a Dying Industry

Popcorn with no butter. No candy. Unlabeled sodas. And the wrong ICEE. This is how our first family trip to AMC Theaters started this winter break. This is how we kicked off the new year. And it got worse, much worse, before it got better. But here’s what matters most: two weeks later, I’m not resentful, and I might even return.

It was Sunday, January 1, 2023. We’d taken advantage of the latest in modern moving-going enhancements; “let us know where you're sitting and we'll deliver your order right to your seat at the time you choose!,” the website proclaims. So we packed ourselves into the Jeep and drove 90 minutes to see the sequel to the family favorite, Avatar. 

As should have been expected on a major highway during the holidays, we hit traffic. But less than you might be thinking. We arrived before the previews ended, and only 10 minutes after our selected food delivery time. And yet, when we approached the concession to confirm the location of our refreshments, no one knew where they were. Not the four (stoned?) teenagers, wandering idly behind the counter. Nor their supervisor, hiding behind the separating wall. 

I mean, we showed them our receipt for $66.09 in food and drink alone, with our confirmation number, our auditorium and seat numbers, and the delivery time. And. They. Still. Couldn’t. Find. Our. Order. In the emptiest theater I’ve ever seen, with no one else on line.

So, realizing there might soon be some yelling, I asked my wife and daughters to find their seats and enjoy the sequel to their all-time favorite film. Maybe the food would be at our seats after all.

“Listen, I know nobody made this mistake on purpose, I just need it resolved,” I said, looking down at the incoming text message from my wife.

“Popcorn with no butter. No candy. Unlabeled sodas. And the wrong ICEE.” That’s what it said. And now I knew that not only had they lost track of our order, it had been delivered to empty seats, and it was wrong.

“I just got a text from my wife,” I said. “The food is at our seats. But the order is wrong. Who can help me get butter for the popcorn, labeled sodas, the right ICEE, and all — not some — of the candy we ordered!?”

Muttering, stammering, mumbling, excuses. 

“I tried," I said. "Please drag your supervisor out of her hole so I can explain why I’m becoming increasingly frustrated, and what I’ll need to rectify this.”

So they did. And the supervisor was even worse, scowling and speaking in a tone suggesting we, not she, had made the error. “I don’t care,” she might as well have said.

And that was it. No longer would I (or the average customer) look to solve the problem without pointing blame. 

I walked to the help desk (or whatever they call it) and demanded to speak to the manager. Admittedly, at this point I was pissed. We chose to drive three hours to spend $150 to watch a movie that would soon be available for streaming at home. We expected to enjoy ourselves. But our order was very wrong, the employees were very rude, and I was already missing the movie. 

Based on all my previous interactions, I expected the manager to prove herself equally incompetent and indifferent. But this is when my day began to improve. 

The theater manager called the food/drink supervisor over so she could listen as I described how their inexcusably bad customer service had made the mistakes with our order exponentially worse. Then she sent her off to re-do and deliver our order the right way. 

“Thank you,” I said. “But that’s not enough. Today was supposed to be fun.” 

The manager apologized profusely, made eye contact, demonstrated empathy, and suggested I join my family as she looked into how we could be compensated. I did, and within three minutes the correct order had been re-delivered to our seats. 

After the movie — worth watching, by the way — I should have been greeted in the lobby by the manager. I should not have had to walk back to the help desk to check whether the manager had done what she’d promised. But I did, and was ultimately relieved to find her awaiting my arrival. 

And while I certainly didn’t receive the VIP carpet rollout, the theater manager promised “a way better experience next time” as she handed me coupons for free tickets, sodas and popcorn. 

So, did AMC do the right thing? How would you rate the customer experience this location delivers?

I expect it goes without saying that the AMC concession staff did not do the right thing when they sloppily prepared our order, delivered it in open air to empty seats, and then lost track of us completely. Likewise, clearly, the AMC staff did not do the right thing when, in response to my complaint, they showed not only a lack of concern but even contempt. And no, their supervisor also did not do the right thing when she attempted to evade me and then shrugged off her team’s mistakes.

But, fortunately, the AMC theater manager did do the right thing — and it’s because of her and only her that I’d consider returning after my first visit to a theater in three years took more effort than it was worth. 

• I never should have had to meet the manager, or even the supervisor
• The manager should’ve properly trained the supervisor
• The supervisor should’ve properly trained her staff

This applies to all businesses, in person and online, because:

• 96% of consumers will no longer shop a brand after experiencing bad customer service
• 68% of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from a brand known to offer good customer service
• 93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies that offer excellent customer service
• 78% of consumers will do business with a company again after a mistake if the company’s customer service is excellent
• 83% of consumers feel more loyal to brands that respond and resolve complaints 

But that’s not all. Companies that prioritize the customer experience position themselves ahead of their competitors; according to our own research at Customer Engagement Insider: 

• Only two in 10 consumers (21.65%) believe companies provide transparent communication
• Almost half of consumers (40.72%) say they receive some communication or empathy — but no “solutions” — when experiencing delays

In an industry that’s already flailing, this is inexcusable.

Wakanda Forever cannot save movie theaters

“Even before COVID-19 — as plenty of theaters were retrofitted with leather recliners, better image and sound, and dinner offerings — it was clear that the experience of going to the movies was anything but cinematic,” wrote Fast Company global design editor Mark Wilson in November 2022.

Three years later, the industry isn’t better off:

• The US box office is still down 30% from pre-pandemic levels
• Cineworld, the second largest theater chain in the world, filed for bankruptcy
• Several iconic film-viewing venues, including LA’s ArcLight Hollywood and Brooklyn’s Regal UA Court Street, shut down altogether

“While the one-two punch of Black Panther and Avatar sequels… boost[ed] attendance and end[ed] the year on a high(er) note, theaters cannot survive by awaiting the next blockbuster alone,” warned Wilson, whose features on tech and culture have also appeared in GQ and Esquire.

Indeed, long-anticipated releases like West Side Story and Nightmare Alley flopped in theaters, “only to become hits once they wound up on streaming services” (EW). And though the nation’s nearly 6,000 indoor movie theaters are typically found in the most desirable commercial real estate zones across the United States, the 40,000-square-foot theaters typically operate at less than 20% of their capacity.

Which brings me back to my story, and how foolish AMC leadership must be to allow their customers to be mistreated in this business environment. 

As “industry veterans EW polled point[ed] out… in order to keep the lights on, theater owners need to make their venues feel more regal: No one wants to pay at least $10 a ticket — plus another big sum for snacks — just to sit among annoying texters and talkers.” Or just to miss the beginning of the movie because all the new so-called filmgoing conveniences actually create more inconvenience.

In conclusion

Jane Rosenthal, Oscar-nominated co-founder of Tribeca Film Festival, said the goal is for consumers to once again say, “I want to be here, and I want an experience that takes me beyond just watching something on a screen.” But for me to say that, I’ll need a lot more convincing. 

I grew up in an era of musky old cinemas and VHS rentals from Blockbuster, so you wouldn’t think I’d need much to be impressed. And I don’t. I actually don’t need the 3D, or the reclining leather seats, or my food delivered to me. I just want to watch a movie on a big screen and get what I paid for, without hassle.

In other words, AMC could add crystal chandeliers and fine dining and it wouldn’t matter to me if, upon my return, the employees between the entrance/exit and the auditorium still don't know what they’re doing or how to treat paying customers. Unless the CX matches the surroundings, this industry won’t survive.

After all, most of us now have “souped-up entertainment systems in [our] own living rooms,” where we can eat the same amount of popcorn and drink the same amount of soda for less than one twentieth the price.

Image Credits (in order of appearance)

1. Photo by Unsplash+ in collaboration with Getty Images on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/_2sJmGuFiLY
2. Photo by Meg Boulden on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/A0FgI6AFjng
3. Photo by Rob Laughter on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/WW1jsInXgwM
4. Photo by Philip Strong on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/iOBTE2xsYko