anyone heard of Movie Theatre Mystery Shop?

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There are a few companies that do theaters, I applied for one and it will be my first.

Live consciously....
Sounded like a pretty good deal. 2 reimbursed tickets and $15 allowance for the concession stand. Plus $5. I applied for one a few days ago but have heard nothing.
That is a brand new shop that is just starting in July as far as I know. Good scheduler and good MSP so I would think it is reliable.
Are they scheduling shops for other msc's like Certified???

Or are they actually doing the shops themselves???

Many Thanks
Are they scheduling shops for other msc's like Certified???

Or are they actually doing the shops themselves???

Many Thanks
Service Sleuth does movie theatres in my are but they're REAL hard to get. I've applied & applied - all "Shop Closed" replies.
Which MSC is the OP referring to?

Triple Platinum Certified - Shopping South Central Kansas
I recently received a large listing through Kerns scheduling. There was only one local theater so I applied for that. Almost a week later I received a rejection e-mail.
I got the impression that the OP was asking about a MSC with that name. In terms of who has movie shops, in addition to Service Sleuth, ICCDS has them. I've only done them for ICCDS. Actually, I just remembered that a friend of mine did one for TNS. She said it was a serious pain, and that she'd never do it again. However, she's not an experienced shopper, so that may have been the problem.
Your right, I'm doing one next Friday, this is my first, I've never applied before, and got it with no problem...think it depends on location, city ones go quicker. but, I was emailed one in Westwood and had to decline due to previous schedule. They actually extended for more days due to holiday. Will let you know amount of work. kimcox17 Wrote:
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> Service Sleuth does movie theatres in my are but
> they're REAL hard to get. I've applied & applied
> - all "Shop Closed" replies.

Live consciously....
Whomever does "HARRY POTTER, Part 2", this next weekend----> Please wear comfortable shoes!!!! :-)
They are a royal PITA...so much to remember, counting everyone that comes into the theater and everyone that leaves throughout movie. They have ticket stubs, so if your not right, no pay....never again, I'd rather pay my 8.00 bucks and enjoy the movie.

Live consciously....
Irene_L.A. Wrote:
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> They are a royal PITA...so much to remember,
> counting everyone that comes into the theater and
> everyone that leaves throughout movie. They have
> ticket stubs, so if your not right, no
> pay....never again, I'd rather pay my 8.00 bucks
> and enjoy the movie.

Very true that they CAN be, but this is certainly not always the case. It depends entirely on the company. I did one earlier in the week, and it took me less than five minutes to fill out the form.
The one I was looking at (but didn't get) had a reimbursement of $15-20 for the concession stand plus the cost of 2 adult tickets. Seemed like a pretty good idea for date night with my wife. But of course since I didn't get it I have no idea how difficult the assignment and report would've been.
I've done that one. It is not difficult and you get to stuff yourself with junk food.
That is the one I did, counting heads in dark theater and the pages and complexity of report, to enjoy it, I need not to count heads in a dark movie for 2 hours + all the the rest that's required. This was pages long. I love film and want to enjoy the film, it's not about the popcorn or candy, I bring my own anyway, pay my 8.00 senior price and have a ball (on my own). ces1948 Wrote:
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> The one I was looking at (but didn't get) had a
> reimbursement of $15-20 for the concession stand
> plus the cost of 2 adult tickets. Seemed like a
> pretty good idea for date night with my wife. But
> of course since I didn't get it I have no idea how
> difficult the assignment and report would've been.

Live consciously....
Counting the attendees in the movie was the only difficult part. I say go for it, I will do that shop again it I see it. I found it pretty easy and with fast report form.
apparently having topay and then being reimbursed is the gamit now adays i dont pay out money, especially if the assignment has big milaege.Gas costs big time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2011 01:43PM by missann.
The way I looked at it was.
A, It was a movie I wanted to see
B. The tickets were free
C. The popcorn and soda's were free
D. It seemed as though the information that was needed was pretty minimal.

In my area it would cost $32 for two adult tickets 1 large soda and 1 large popcorn so I figured if the entire report could be done in an hour or less I was OK with the compensation.
The theater is 8 miles from home so gas wasn't a big issue.
The shops that are customer service oriented where you evaluate the concessions are worth it, IMHO. I've done the ones through Kern that reimburse for 1 guest.

I live in a densely populated area with expensive parking, so it's normal to see weekend movie shops bonused to help with parking. I used to take those to cover my guest's ticket cost where we could walk to the theater. I'm on a regime of no soda or junk food these days, though, and would rather cough up $25 on my own than do a patron count, so no more movie shops for me.

As far as accuracy with patron counts goes; I can't imagine having your findings refuted by the MSC or pay withheld. The whole point of those shops is to keep the theaters honest in their reporting of ticket sales, so the MSC should be taking your word for it or what's the point of sending you there!
Steve, Instructions clearly say, "We have correct count through ticket stubs, so you need to be right", that is enough for me, and since I go to most movies alone, and bring my own stuff, not worth it. When I was assigned the one in westwood (Mann), great movie house, but parking, even though they pay, was impossible on a Saturday. Drove around forever, they don't pay for gas, and you know where I live.

AM, I think your talking about a different MSC than most of us are, as there are literally pages to report, names to get, manager, everything with this MSC needs to be evaluated, that's why the pay is high....it was mentioned above by others. I would maybe do it if I had a "friend" to take, but for 8.00 bucks, I can afford to enjoy myself.

I wouldn't give misinformation, as I think it a difficult shop, especially for a newcomer to tackle, and if you can't enjoy yourself, well......

Live consciously....
I get that the instruction read that way, Irene. I was just pointing out the stupidity of it.

Ticket sales and actual patrons can vary for a variety of reasons, including unscrupulous practices by theater management, since movie studios rely very heavily on box office numbers to be high.

Some patron counts are paid for by studios checking up on theaters and other are paid for by the theater themselves. You never know, but If the shopper is there to verify the accuracy of the reported sales, it just seems nonsensical to threaten them with checking against the reported sales.

Either way, it seems like a terrible assignment....hence the decent pay.
Irene_L.A. Wrote:
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> Steve, Instructions clearly say, "We have correct
> count through ticket stubs, so you need to be
> right", that is enough for me, and since I go to
> most movies alone, and bring my own stuff, not
> worth it.

There's no way to ensure what is "right", since there are still people who sneak into showings in theatres with multiple auditoriums. In the shops requiring a count, the trick is to sit in the back, and they will often tell you that in the instructions.

That said, the bottom line is that these shops DO differ, depending upon the company, and also depending on whether or not it's a competitor shop. That, and also, to each their own! I've only done movie shops for one company, but a friend of mine who did a shop for a company that reimbursed for two tickets, said it was a royal pain.
On a side note one of the theaters that I do some work in and am also a patron of does the following.
About 20 minutes into the movie an employee comes in the auditorium and takes a head count to compare with the ticket sold printout. Another employee comes in and does the same thing about an hour in.
Don't what they would do if they found more people then bought tickets. Probably nothing.
NT, that's a good point, and I admit to having seen a double on my one ticket, as do many others (I just admit it), so, getting a perfect count seems impossible. They also give out free tickets on the 3th street promenade Santa Monica, so, not all stubs are paid for, but you know msing, totally insane.

Live consciously....
There wouldn't be much they could do except be more vigilant about the folks who do not leave the theater at the end of the movie. Several theaters I used to check had folks leave by an exit and watched closely those who headed for the restroom from the exit lane or headed for the restroom shortly before the film was over and asked to see ticket stubs of those returning to the auditorium part of the theater.
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