Unfiltered Story #239122

[Our doors close approximately twenty minutes after the billed time for the last film which is between 9pm and 10pm during the week but is anytime between 10:30pm and 12am on Fridays and Saturdays. Despite locking the front doors, people frequently try to come in through the exit when other people leave somehow not understanding that we’re closed.]
[On this Saturday the last film is down for 11pm and as we have a lot to do, our manager locks the door and takes the tills as soon as it hits 11:20pm because otherwise we will be there all night. – we have several of the machines already broken down, the doors are shut and all of the tills are visibly off when two guys come up about thirty seconds after the last till is taken (the door has been locked for at least five minutes)]
[Given that our cinema is opposite a large club and we often have their patrons stumble in, as well as other buzzed/drunk individuals, as long as we’re not outright rude to customers, we’re allowed to be firmer than you might be at other businesses because some people don’t understand a firm or polite ‘no’ or ‘we’re closed’]
Me: *with a large part of a popcorn machine in my hand as they approach* Sorry guys, we’re closed.
Customer #1: You’re kidding right?
Me: *shrugs* I’m sorry but all the films are started and they’ve taken the tills. There’s nothing we can do.
Customer #1: That’s ridiculous, we’ve JUST got here.
Customer: #2: Our friends are already in there!
Me: Oh. So they already have your tickets?
[sometimes if people already have tickets they purchased earlier or booked online, we’ll allow them in for five minutes, just as a courtesy, but they still can’t get food]
Customer #1: No! We need to get our tickets.
Me: Well I’m sorry but we’re closed.
Customer #2: This is ridiculous! We want to watch this film and you’re refusing to serve us.
Me: I don’t know what else to tell you. The films are all started and we have no tills. We can’t help you.
[They walk off towards the doors and I and the other closer continue to clean. At some point as I glance up, I see the two guys sneak past the now unmanned gate (because we’re closed) and head upstairs]
Me: They’re trying to sneak in.
Coworker: No they’re not.
Me: They are. I’ve just seen them go upstairs.
Coworker: No you saw someone else. Those guys left.
Me: I’m telling you, it was definitely them.
Coworker: Then why aren’t you going after them?
Me: Because [other coworker] is right behind them. How did they not see him?
Coworker: I still think you’re seeing things.
Me: No look, here they come now.
[Less than ten seconds later, the two guys are coming down the exit escalators with a third man, escorted by [other coworker] and instead of leaving they follow him back into the cinema and begin harassing him about getting into this film. I can see him trying his best to explain that they can’t go into the film but due to his hearing impairment and the fact that English isn’t his first language, he struggles to be understood at the best of times.]
Me: I’m going to try again.
[I grab a radio and head over, ready to call a manager]
Me: *approaching* Guys, you’ve already been told you can’t go in.
Customer #1: Why the hell are you talking to us like that?
Me: The film has started, we can’t sell you a ticket, you need to leave.
Customer #2: But our friends *indicates customer #3* are already in there and there’s loads of seats and the film hadn’t started when you wouldn’t serve us! This is ridiculous!
Customer #3: This is insane. The film’s started now. You’re just making us miss it. If we’d known you were going to close, we’d have got their tickets for them!
Customer #1: Can’t we just buy a ticket for tomorrow from the ATMs and you just let us in today?
Me: No.
Customer #1: Well why the **** not! You’re still getting the money.
Me: That’s not how this works. You’ve just admitted the film has started and in line with policy we cannot let in new customers after the film starts. It will mess with our daily numbers, you probably won’t pay the same amount, not to mention that in the event of something going wrong, you won’t be accounted for on the system AND that we’ve already told you more than once that you’re not going in. I am asking you one last time to leave before I get security involved.
[Eventually Customer #1 and Customer #2 leave while Customer #3 shows his ticket again and goes into the film. Given that a lot of people like to complain, I mention it to the manger and supervisor at the end of the night, so they know what happened in the event that someone complains.]
Manager: No, you absolutely did the right thing. I’ll back you up.
Supervisor: Besides I think they wanted to go into [film that started 15 minutes before they even turned up the first time] anyway.
Me: WHAT?!?