Collins Road Theatres — Attraction in Marion

I am so sad to say my husband and I will not be going back to Collins Road Theater. This movie theater use to be our favorite date location. Collins Road Theater was our favorite date location because of the nostalgia of entering a movie theater that feels warm, safe, and old-fashioned. The owner even one time stood at the front of our theater to welcome everyone to the show; you do not see that kind of customer interaction and service 'now a days'. The owner seemed like a man who is a friend to everyone. We have a tradition, we get appetizers at Applebees and then head to Collins Road Theater for a movie. It does not matter what movie they are showing, we go for the atmosphere and the tradition of the date. I bought my husband tickets to see Wonka for his birthday. My husband was happy with the sweet and simple gift, but suggested we find another time to attend Wonka due to the weather predicted for when I bought the tickets for (Sunday, Jan. 14th). I called Collins Road Theater on (Friday, Jan. 12th) to inquire about our tickets for (Sunday, Jan. 14th). The young gentleman I spoke to told me they would be happy to make accommodations for us. He noted that we can arrive to a showing of Wonka at a later date (showings on 1/15, 1/16, 1/17, or 1/18), show the box office staff our tickets intended for 1/14, and switch them; he noted a manager would need to do this. I repeated what I heard back from the young gentlemen and he noted I was correct and told us he would see us this week. Well, I just got off the phone with the owner of the theater (I recognized his voice immediately because of how many times we have been to the theater). I called to see if we could get a refund for the tickets or use them for a different movie; he told us we could not. No worries; I understand. However, he then proceeded to tell us we could not use them for a later showing of Wonka. I told him that is not what his employee had told me on the phone on Friday, Jan 12th. He was firm and noted he could not and would not help us. He noted that his employees would never say that. He kept saying "refer to the email you received when you bought the tickets". I did not receive an email because I drove 30 minutes to the theater to get tangible tickets (my husband and I keep every ticket from this theater). I explained to the owner my sadness and how this interaction has left a 'poor taste' in my mouth for future visits to his theater. He said, "Well you can just go to the double priced theater then" and hung up the phone. This place presents that they are better than other theaters because they are like the 'good ole days', but the customer service is indicative of 2024. I do not care about losing 20 dollars in tickets. I care about losing my favorite place to go to with my husband. I care about losing the warm and safe feeling I feel when attending a show at his theater. My husband and I will find another spot in town to make our own for the time being and come back to the theater when ownership changes. I am heartbroken. This theater means more to us than the owner could even begin...

Responding to the owner's response to my wife's original post (Caitlin Sturms-Salyer):

Collins Road Theatres thank you for taking the time to read this and re-explaining the refund policy to me. However, you misrepresent the situation I have laid out. Our disappointment is that, A.) you would not honor the the original exchange policy that was given over the phone to us 2 days before the showing. I only called the theatre for an exchange 2 days after the showing because my original conversation BEFORE the showing outlined that that would be okay. I did also inquire on a refund, which you denied and I accept. At worst, we were looking for an exchange to a different showing of the same movie, as it was outlined to us in my first phone call. I realize that all of this is laid out on the website, but a customer should not have to double check what an employee told them to make sure they were correct. A theatre honoring the nostalgia of the old days would surely give more weight to a customer buying a ticket in person and checking on a policy over the phone than anything posted on the modern internet. B.) The rude tone used and rigidity of the situation conveyed over the phone. You have outlined an over-reliance on technology that does not allow for any exception to the rule and made no effort of showing good will to a repeat paying customer. If, as an owner you cannot provide an alternative solution to make a situation right other than to cling to your refund policy that was not clearly articulated in this situation, you are more concerned with the bottom line than customer service. Even your response was written to demonstrate how we were wrong, not how the situation can be made right despite a clear mix-up on the theatre’s end.

Nonetheless, you have further demonstrated your character by threatening to terminate someone that is likely a minor for a simple mistake that could have easily been rectified by a sincere apology and a small form of good will. The only instance of quality customer service came from the original young man’s efforts, even though they were not according to policy. The world should lean more on kind errors rather than rigid policy delivered in an...

Let me share how garbage of an interaction with the person running this theater was in response to my disappointing watching experience. I was very excited to watch the new Deadpool movie with my family and chose to spend the $9 per ticket to see an ENTIRE movie at this theater. This poorly managed theater had an interruption in the movie of about a minute right in the middle. Once the movie was over I asked to get a refund for the poor experience. If you pay for a product or service and don’t receive what was paid for then a refund is not unreasonable is my point to which I explained to the “owner” whose was not only rude and being classless but best response was to first dodge accountability of ruining my, my family, and the rest of the theater’s movie experience on a “power issue” and when I insisted that regardless of the why it happened that we didn’t receive what we paid for he finally and only because he doesn't want to deal with me offered to give me a refund if I produce paper tickets. We bought our tickets digitally in advance and then proceeded to tell us that unless we can produce the paper tickets, even though we clearly can produce the digital receipt, that he wasn’t going to refund. So not only does this clown scape responsibility he refuses to produce a reasonable resolution to a poor movie watching experience based on not having a paper ticket in my hand even with obvious proof we were paid for the movie. My family and I will not be returning back and I warn others to enter at your own risk as you may or may not get what you reasonably expect you are paying for and if you dare to advocate for what should have been an obvious easy solution to an issue for any manager/owner worth their salt, be prepared to be significantly...