[DRFielding]

I recently went to visit my local Odeon only to find the Box Office boarded up, forcing me to queue at the concession stand to buy my tickets even though I didn't want any sweets/drinks etc. I was waiting in the queue in excess of 10 minutes. Furthermore when I bought my tickets I wasn't offered the option to choose my seats (As I had in the past). When I checked their website I found this facility had also been removed from the website (unless I wanted to pay extra for Premium Seats).

I sent a complaint to the Odeon, outlining the excessive delays to buy my tickets and the removal of the option to choose were to seat, explaining I prefer to book in advance to ensure I have a good seating position, as I have in the past turned up and had to sit on the front row spoiling my enjoyment of the film....The replay I got is below:

Dear Mr Fielding,
thank you for taking the time to write to us as feedback from our Guests is invaluable during this trial period. We have closed box office for the time being to try and reduce the average queue time by allowing Guests to purchase everything at one till. I appreciate you may not wish to wait behind Guests purchasing food so may I suggest that you use our sales and Collection ATMs at the cinema's entrance where you can pay for your tickets using a credit or debit card at no extra cost?
As for the standard seats no longer being allocated, this again is a trial to reduce the amount of time Guests have to wait to be served with the express aim of ensuring they do not miss the start of their film. Rather than taking time to make their decision at box office, Guests are now able to choose from the available seats once they are actually in the screen. We appreciate that not all changes are always universally popular and it is therefore essential that we receive feedback such as yours so that we can effectively review the trial going forward.

Best regards,

Richard Wilson,
General Manager

Now call me a cynic but I think the real reason that the Box Office was closed is twofold :
1/ Cost savings - Less staff required
2/ Increase the amount of (over priced) sweets etc sold, with impulse buys

As for the seating issue, I'm not sure, yes it would reduce queuing time slightly but as we humans have a problem sitting next to strangers people will always leave seats empty, resulting in cinema staff running round asking people to move up when they are busy.....Some what counter productive I think!!!

In the Manager's reply he states that 'Feedback is invaluable' so if anybody thinks as I do that these changes are a backward step then please post your comments below, and I will email the Manager again with a link so he can view.

Thanks for your time.

Robert

[J1mbo]

Odeon shooting themselves in the foot again...

The chain must be in trouble if it has to shed staff like this.

I loathe the 'premium' seating policy, but I imagine it's netted a decent profit for them. I imagine this is equally designed to increase revenue at the expense of customer satisfaction.

[raigraphixs]

I hate queues hence book in advance, longest queue time is usually about 2mins.

[McNab]

Originally Posted by DRFielding

Richard Wilson,
General Manager

I don't believe it!

[binbag]

Originally Posted by DRFielding

Now call me a cynic but I think the real reason that the Box Office was closed is twofold :
1/ Cost savings - Less staff required
2/ Increase the amount of (over priced) sweets etc sold, with impulse buys

You're a cynic! Your assessment is bang on though.

Bet that the time saved by removing the seating decision will be totally dwarfed by the time taken for families to make the sweety decision at the new point of sale. Which in turn will make more customers go to the pre-book web service and if its free now thats all well and good but how long will it remain so when other cinema chains already charge for this facility?

How long before you have to swipe your credit card to gain entry to a screen and pick up a 'bundled in the ticket price' food & drink option as you walk to your seat?

[travlinmatt]

This is real reason I rarely go to the cinema anymore, unless I'm at home midweek and know there won't be too many others messing around, or heading into Central London for a "tent pole" type of film, but going midweek durring the day does take the fun of seeing a film with a crowd away.

My local Vue in Croydon, rarely if ever opens the ticket booths. Last time I went the "movie times" flyer in the window of the booth was four months out of date, which shows the care taken.

Just wish they would hurry up and open a Gold Class type cinema like they have in Oz. Saw Quantum of Solace for the second time in one in Melbourne. Me, a mate and maybe 25-30 others in the cinema, big screen, great sound, Lazee boy type recliners, waiter service and booze. Was heaven, just like being at home, only in Oz and it costing more, other than that perfect!

[denzyl]

Originally Posted by DRFielding

Best regards,

Richard Wilson,
General Manager

I don,t beleive it

[tony brazao]

For many reasons already mentioned, I avoid public cinemas and I enjoy watching films at home on my projector/HC set up. With beer. And no idiots laughing or chucking food at around etc....

[Steven]

Premium seating at Odeon's are not worth it

A bit extra for a seat with a bit of extra padding. Nothing premium about it. Not even optimum viewing placement

[Yuzo]

only tend to visit the cinema on orange wednesdays (2 for 1).

... so watching a new film for around £3 is very good.

there is the odd annoyance when i visit,.. but mostly well worth it for the price.

plus take my own drinks and supply of sweets and im laughing

[BenchyUK]

The cinema is really going downhill and slowly dying. At my local cineworld, ticket prices are high and a regular coke and popcorn costs £8 which is just the start.

The sound is terrible and picture isn't all that either. I was kind of hoping that 3D was going to be the savour of cinema but they costs of implementing it will be too expensive plus companies are already developing 3D for the Home.

I rarely go anymore and would rather pay the extra to go to London and see a film at the Imax.

I'm more than happy to just watch a film at home in HD.

[Greg]

Only really go to the cinema at the Hatfield Galleria. They have the new digital screens and the picture quality on the whole is pretty good. Sound is fine as well.

Although make no mistake they are very expensive now.

I would imagine a family of 4, could easily spend £30 at least with admission and food.

[kBm]

Originally Posted by DRFielding

when I bought my tickets I wasn't offered the option to choose my seats (As I had in the past). When I checked their website I found this facility had also been removed from the website (unless I wanted to pay extra for Premium Seats).

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

Premium seating at Odeon's are not worth it

I've paid the extra in the past - only to have people strolling up in the dark siting in whatever seats they want - the premium seats, without paying for them!

Do they have staff around to stop this? No.
Are you giong to get up and complain just as the film is starting? No.


I'll stay at home and sit in my own premium seat thanks.

[Boson]

ive been told that the only profit the cinema makes is from selling food and drink, the cost of the ticket goes to the producers etc.

so i think that your 2 theories are spot on

you can't use the atms if you have vouchers or 2-for-1's either

[Boson]

Originally Posted by BenchyUK

The cinema is really going downhill and slowly dying. At my local cineworld, ticket prices are high and a regular coke and popcorn costs £8 which is just the start.

The sound is terrible and picture isn't all that either. I was kind of hoping that 3D was going to be the savour of cinema but they costs of implementing it will be too expensive plus companies are already developing 3D for the Home.

I rarely go anymore and would rather pay the extra to go to London and see a film at the Imax.

I'm more than happy to just watch a film at home in HD.

plus you have to sit around the general public, which i think people are slowly becoming less tolerant of

best off downloading a hd film off pirate bay, turn the lights out, look the tv up to the amp and speakers

you can buy popping corn for a £1 which produces about the equivalent of 6-7 large boxes, so thats a saving of £30 on top of the £8 ticket

add some beer or wine and enjoy

[Dirty Harry]

This is a perfect example why bad people settle for a slightly lesser quality pirate version of the movie to watch in the comfort of their own home rather than pay over the top price's with crap service at there local Odeon

[nitram100]

Whilst i don't entirely believe that its just to reduce time, i do some level agree with the General Manager's email, im afraid. I much prefer to pick the seats when i go in, but i always go to the front row, so this is not a problem, as nobody ever goes to the front. Reason being is that i can stretch my legs out and lay back whilst having all the noisy people behind me, as opposed to all around me.

[arthurdentpc]

They could always do away with a lot of piracy by releasing the DVD on the same day the film hits the cinema ......

[mooperman]

Originally Posted by arthurdentpc

They could always do away with a lot of piracy by releasing the DVD on the same day the film hits the cinema ......

agreed, but this would single-handedly bury (sp?) the cinema in 1 swoop....

[Dirty Harry]

Originally Posted by mooperman

agreed, but this would single-handedly bury (sp?) the cinema in 1 swoop....

Hopefully

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by DRFielding

I recently went to visit my local Odeon only to find the Box Office boarded up, forcing me to queue at the concession stand to buy my tickets even though I didn't want any sweets/drinks etc. I was waiting in the queue in excess of 10 minutes. Furthermore when I bought my tickets I wasn't offered the option to choose my seats (As I had in the past). When I checked their website I found this facility had also been removed from the website (unless I wanted to pay extra for Premium Seats).

I sent a complaint to the Odeon, outlining the excessive delays to buy my tickets and the removal of the option to choose were to seat, explaining I prefer to book in advance to ensure I have a good seating position, as I have in the past turned up and had to sit on the front row spoiling my enjoyment of the film....The replay I got is below:

Dear Mr Fielding,
thank you for taking the time to write to us as feedback from our Guests is invaluable during this trial period. We have closed box office for the time being to try and reduce the average queue time by allowing Guests to purchase everything at one till. I appreciate you may not wish to wait behind Guests purchasing food so may I suggest that you use our sales and Collection ATMs at the cinema's entrance where you can pay for your tickets using a credit or debit card at no extra cost?
As for the standard seats no longer being allocated, this again is a trial to reduce the amount of time Guests have to wait to be served with the express aim of ensuring they do not miss the start of their film. Rather than taking time to make their decision at box office, Guests are now able to choose from the available seats once they are actually in the screen. We appreciate that not all changes are always universally popular and it is therefore essential that we receive feedback such as yours so that we can effectively review the trial going forward.

Best regards,

Richard Wilson,
General Manager

Now call me a cynic but I think the real reason that the Box Office was closed is twofold :
1/ Cost savings - Less staff required
2/ Increase the amount of (over priced) sweets etc sold, with impulse buys

As for the seating issue, I'm not sure, yes it would reduce queuing time slightly but as we humans have a problem sitting next to strangers people will always leave seats empty, resulting in cinema staff running round asking people to move up when they are busy.....Some what counter productive I think!!!

In the Manager's reply he states that 'Feedback is invaluable' so if anybody thinks as I do that these changes are a backward step then please post your comments below, and I will email the Manager again with a link so he can view.

Thanks for your time.

Robert

OMG! I cant belive that in these hard (financial) times a private company are trying to reduce costs and maximise profit. How dare they. Their response seems perfectly fair to me. You can buy your ticket at the ATM using a card to aviod the queues and then sit where you like you arrive. I really do not see the problem.

[binbag]

Originally Posted by Sandman

OMG! I cant belive that in these hard (financial) times a private company are trying to reduce costs and maximise profit. How dare they. Their response seems perfectly fair to me. You can buy your ticket at the ATM using a card to aviod the queues and then sit where you like you arrive. I really do not see the problem.

Unless it degrades the experience to the point where people stop coming and buying the popcorn and drinking the coke. Maybe they could shelve the whole film thing and concentrate on where they make the money.

[BenchyUK]

Originally Posted by Boson

plus you have to sit around the general public, which i think people are slowly becoming less tolerant of

best off downloading a hd film off pirate bay, turn the lights out, look the tv up to the amp and speakers

you can buy popping corn for a £1 which produces about the equivalent of 6-7 large boxes, so thats a saving of £30 on top of the £8 ticket

add some beer or wine and enjoy

I agree with everything you say except the Pirate Bay part.

It shows how peoples views are changing, with money especially. If my sister and her family go and see a film (2 Adults/ 2 Children) It's going to be £20 just to get in, Ashford Cineworld has clamped down on people taking in their own food so it's almost going to be another £15-£20 by the time you buy a coke and popcorn for 4 people.

I really think they only reason people still go to the cinema is because the screen is Big

I'll only ever go to the cinema these days if it's a Major release like Quantum of Solace or Dark Knight and even then it has to be on cheap Tuesday (£4.40 a ticket instead of £7.90)

I'm the same about movie rentals. I hate them and can't understand why people go and pay £3.50 for a new release for 2 nights where the likes of ASDA sell it for £9

[SlinkDaddy]

Originally Posted by DRFielding

I recently went to visit my local Odeon only to find the Box Office boarded up, forcing me to queue at the concession stand to buy my tickets even though I didn't want any sweets/drinks etc. I was waiting in the queue in excess of 10 minutes. Furthermore when I bought my tickets I wasn't offered the option to choose my seats (As I had in the past). When I checked their website I found this facility had also been removed from the website (unless I wanted to pay extra for Premium Seats).

I sent a complaint to the Odeon, outlining the excessive delays to buy my tickets and the removal of the option to choose were to seat, explaining I prefer to book in advance to ensure I have a good seating position, as I have in the past turned up and had to sit on the front row spoiling my enjoyment of the film....The replay I got is below:

Dear Mr Fielding,
thank you for taking the time to write to us as feedback from our Guests is invaluable during this trial period. We have closed box office for the time being to try and reduce the average queue time by allowing Guests to purchase everything at one till. I appreciate you may not wish to wait behind Guests purchasing food so may I suggest that you use our sales and Collection ATMs at the cinema's entrance where you can pay for your tickets using a credit or debit card at no extra cost?
As for the standard seats no longer being allocated, this again is a trial to reduce the amount of time Guests have to wait to be served with the express aim of ensuring they do not miss the start of their film. Rather than taking time to make their decision at box office, Guests are now able to choose from the available seats once they are actually in the screen. We appreciate that not all changes are always universally popular and it is therefore essential that we receive feedback such as yours so that we can effectively review the trial going forward.

Best regards,

Richard Wilson,
General Manager

Now call me a cynic but I think the real reason that the Box Office was closed is twofold :
1/ Cost savings - Less staff required
2/ Increase the amount of (over priced) sweets etc sold, with impulse buys

As for the seating issue, I'm not sure, yes it would reduce queuing time slightly but as we humans have a problem sitting next to strangers people will always leave seats empty, resulting in cinema staff running round asking people to move up when they are busy.....Some what counter productive I think!!!

In the Manager's reply he states that 'Feedback is invaluable' so if anybody thinks as I do that these changes are a backward step then please post your comments below, and I will email the Manager again with a link so he can view.

Thanks for your time.

Robert

I partly agree with Sandman. Given the current financial climate I think that the cinema cutting costs is more than understandable, it's the same as almost everyone else in retail/hospitality/public service is doing.

To the OP, at least the manager of the cinema took the time out to reply to your complaint, that is more than you would get from a lot of companies. He did offer a way for you to purchase your tickets without having to wait. I must admit though that I think it is a bit crazy that there is no box office at the cinema and the waiting times aren't acceptable if you are paying cash for your tickets. Having worked in retail for 15 years i'd guess that the reason the cinema has to operate in this way is likely to be related to a payroll budget that is set for the cinema by head office. I'm guessing it was the manager of your local cinema that took the time to reply to you and unless you have his consent i'm not sure it is right for you to have put his full name in your post (assuming of course that is his real name). I'm also not sure that further complaints to him are justified when you have already made your point to him. Maybe any other correspondance should be directed to the odeon head office?

If you get to the cinema just a little earlier, pay on your card without having to wait and then go and choose a good seat while there are still lots availabe, you should still manage to view the film you want to at a decent standard. Surely the picture and sound are still the most important thing to consider with regards to the cinema? If this is awful as well, then stop going!

I completely agree with you that the service you now get isn't as good as it used to be or should still be but I just can't help seeing it from the cinemas point of view as well. I hate all the propaganda that is thrown about in the news but the fact is that it is really tough out there and setting your business up so that it will continue to trade makes sense to me.

[DRFielding]

Originally Posted by Sandman

OMG! You can buy your ticket at the ATM using a card to aviod the queues and then sit where you like you arrive. I really do not see the problem.

You can only sit were you want if your first in, which means turning up at least 30-40 minutes before the film starts. By choosing my seats in advance I can arrive just in time for the film (missing all the adverts etc) knowing I've got a good seats!!!!

[mike7]

Originally Posted by raigraphixs

I hate queues hence book in advance, longest queue time is usually about 2mins.

Good policy. However if you do find yourself in a very long queue just wip out your mobile and a credit card. Leave the queue and pick up your tickets from the machine.....simple !

[DRFielding]

Originally Posted by mhsslinky

I partly agree with Sandman. Given the current financial climate I think that the cinema cutting costs is more than understandable, it's the same as almost everyone else in retail/hospitality/public service is doing.

To the OP, at least the manager of the cinema took the time out to reply to your complaint, that is more than you would get from a lot of companies. He did offer a way for you to purchase your tickets without having to wait. I must admit though that I think it is a bit crazy that there is no box office at the cinema and the waiting times aren't acceptable if you are paying cash for your tickets. Having worked in retail for 15 years i'd guess that the reason the cinema has to operate in this way is likely to be related to a payroll budget that is set for the cinema by head office. I'm guessing it was the manager of your local cinema that took the time to reply to you and unless you have his consent i'm not sure it is right for you to have put his full name in your post (assuming of course that is his real name). I'm also not sure that further complaints to him are justified when you have already made your point to him. Maybe any other correspondance should be directed to the odeon head office?

If you get to the cinema just a little earlier, pay on your card without having to wait and then go and choose a good seat while there are still lots availabe, you should still manage to view the film you want to at a decent standard. Surely the picture and sound are still the most important thing to consider with regards to the cinema? If this is awful as well, then stop going!

I completely agree with you that the service you now get isn't as good as it used to be or should still be but I just can't help seeing it from the cinemas point of view as well. I hate all the propaganda that is thrown about in the news but the fact is that it is really tough out there and setting your business up so that it will continue to trade makes sense to me.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my post and reply, in response to the points you have raised:

Yes it was the manager from my local cinema that replied (I did complaint to Head Office but they passed it to my local manager to reply).

Leaving the managers name on the post was an oversight on my part, however his name is listed on the cinema's website, so don't believe it's an issue, but happy to remove if other think the same?

Yes buying the tickets from the ATM is a good idea which I wasn't aware of prior to the managers response....However how long before other people cotton onto this as a way to beat the queues, only to create another?

This is not about further complaints.....In the managers reply he states 'feedback from our Guests is invaluable during this trial period.'....I suspect most cinema goers will put up with these changes and never complain. However as this forum is used by people with a passion for watching films I thought by posting here I could get others to say if they thought the charges were a good idea. The manager states it's a 'trial', so if he gets enough negative feedback over the changes then he my reconsider. However to be honest I don't think I will forward the link to him as the majority of replies are Off Topic and not relevant....But interesting reading never the less!!!

I don't want to arrive early, I want to pre-book my seats and arrive just prior to the film starting in the knowledge that I have good seats. For the really big films when you know the cinema will be packed this means arriving at least 30-40 minutes beforehand.....The old system worked really well, as yet nobody as offered a really sensible reason as to why the cinema as removed this facility!!!!

Yes businesses have to make a profit, but not at the expense of quality of service. Short term gains in profit are no good if the long term result is less people visiting the cinema.....At present there is no reports in the media that the 'Credit Crunch' is affecting cinema attendance, so these changes can only be to increase their margins rather than protect their business?

If cinema's want to make more profits through their concession stands then why don't they consider selling their products at reasonable prices.....Everybody knows that they over charge in comparison to your local corner shop never mind your large supermarket. Because of this a lot of people take their own food and drink into the cinema....But as another poster mentioned cinema's are now clamping down on this....Well sell at reasonable prices and surely more would buy, end result cinema goers happy....cinema more profit!!!!

They could also look at the cost of cinema tickets and other incentive. How often have you gone to the cinema outside of peak time only to sit in a screen that can hold 2-300 people, buts theres only about 10 people in there...This can't be cost effective.

Bottom line is that the best way to increase profits is to offer an enjoyable experience for visiting guests at resonable prices, which should result in more bums on seats.

I wanted to highlight want I believe is a bad move by the cinema, that at the very least will annoy people who have to queue as I did for over 10 minutes. Not only that, but if like me your consider your seating position important to the overall enjoyment of a film you must now arrive 30-40 minutes earlier to ensure you get said seats. For me this means I will be visiting the cinema much less in the future.

Thanks

Robert

[SlinkDaddy]

As I said I agree that the service you now get is not as good as it was. I just wanted to point out what could easily be the reason why that is the case. It's not always as simple as "the manager/company wants to sell more popcorn", that is one possibility as is the possibility that I have suggested.

If it is indeed a trial and the manager is open/able to change then I think he would be more likely to listen to feedback from paying customers in his cinema. Rather than a bunch of people moaning about it from around the UK/world that have probably never set foot in his town never mind his cinema.

Whilst I know there has been no news about Cinemas struggling, given the way that the whole country is looking to cut back i'd say that there is a very high probability that the like for like numbers are more likely to be down than up. The cinemas aren't used as an indicator of how retail is doing like the big retailers such as M&S are. The only time lesser known/cared about businesses get any air time is when they go into administration. Unless you go to a board meeting you aren't likely to hear how companies like the Odeon perform, I believe they are a privately owned company and therefore don't release their profit performance to the public/media.

The problem with naming the Manager is that his name is there to be shot at by people that have the option of hiding behind their username if they wish. He has no platform for defending himself and given that all he has done is gone to work and done his job it seems a little unfair to name and shame him IMO. I have sent letters to customers in my time and if I were Mr Wilson I wouldn't be happy to be honest.

As for choosing your seats, I have had to wait behind a couple that spent ages choosing their seats before and so I can see some logic in removing it from the Cinema itself. Leaving that facility online would make sense though, I don't get why they would remove it from there.

[Spiderkid]

These are clearly difficult times for traditional cinema. With the advent of genuinely affordable home AV equipment and the step up from SD to HD viewing, along with the increasing availability and quality of pirate films (not that I approve) then cinema seems to be fighting a loosing battle as two of it's major USP's, quality of audio visual experience and ability to see films as close to their release date, are being erroded.

Back in the day when most people watched dodgy VHS films on small TV's with very limited AV cabability (and usually in stereo) anything between 6 months and a year after they'd been released, and when pirate films were a hazey gamble of snowstorms and bobbing heads cinema's didn't have a lot to worry about. But in just a few short decades all that has changed.

The trouble is, what the need to do to survive in these difficult economic times is to invest in their last remaining genuine USP - customer service, becasue really that's what people are paying those extra pounds for, an 'experience'. Sadly what they appear to be doing is cutting their costs (probably as a response to falling revenue) and thereby reducing the overall 'quality' of the whole experience, the very thing which makes their business viable in the first place.

I've noticed exactly the same thing at the 'brand new' Odeon which opened recently in Liverpool's new L1 development. It's a wholely souless place, a large, empty atrium with one ATM ticket machine and a row of tills selling popcorn and tickets. As the price continues to rise the 'experience' continues to decline, and much as I love the cinema experience I just can't continue to justify the hassle and cost with so little return.

They've also massively cut back on staff by having just one attendant take tickets at a central point for entrance to ALL 14 screens! I know a lot of places do this now, but for some reason it feels very impersonal and bugs me.

Also I had high expectations for a brand new, state of the art cinema, but I was extremely dissapointed to see or hear no visible improvement over the 40 year old Odeon it replaced. I also hated the fact that they've now done away with carpets, so you feel like you're sitting in a doctors waiting room rather than a luxurious cinema. I understand why they've done it, again cutting costs for cleaning times. And no one liked getting their feet stuck to a carpet that hasn't been cleaned in a decade, but you could live with it when it cost a few pounds to watch a film. Now you're lucky to get change from a tenner, and that's without the overpriced popcorn and drinks.

The point is, I don't mind paying a bit over the odds for tickets, or even food and drink - but for that money I expect an experience which far excedes the one I could create in my own living room. And sadly modern cinemas just don't seem to be delivering that.

The one exception appears to be the 'niche' market of independant cinemas and the quasi-independant chains like Picture House. In contrast to the Odeon's latest travesty the last new cinema to open in Liverpool in the futuristic Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) got just about everything right. State of the art THX certified cinemas, with spacious, reclining chairs (for ALL patrons, not just 'premium') a proper box office, the ability to pay online and collect your tickets, the ability to choose your seats... reasonably priced snacks and drinks, individual attendants at each screen to welcome you to your film, awesome sound and picture quality, great visibility from all seats, fully licensed theatres with a convenient bar... and all for the same price as a the Odeon's 'pleb-rate'. Plus because the cinema's are run by Picture House they show an excellent range of traditional blockbusters and a good selection of independant and foreign films to boot.

The bottom line is, I will happily pay a premium for this level of 'experience' (although ironically Picture House only has one flat rate!). I think the major chains like the Odeon have lost sight of what made them so popular and in a generation where the average teenager now has a better AV set up in their bedroom than most families had 20 years ago their grip on the market is quickly weakening.

In hard times you have to adapt to survive, and simply cutting costs and corners and reducing the customer experience is not a sound business model. I'd be very sad to see the eventual demise of the Odeon, it would be like loosing an old friend, but I don't think I can bring myself to keep pumping cash into it as it slowly implodes.

[SlinkDaddy]

I agree with pretty much all that you have said Spiderkid. The problem is I don't believe the general public all feel the same way in as far as people on the whole aren't interested in paying extra for a better service. If they were there would still be independent Grocers, Butchers, electrical retailers etc in every high street in the country.

As far as the cost is concerned, I don't think my local cinemas are comparatively any more expensive now than they were 20 years ago. In fact back then they didn't have Orange Wednesdays or cheaper tickets on a Tuesday either from memory. I'm not defending the Odeon as a company however, if they want to compete in todays market then all the points you have made are correct. In reallity though funding all the things needed to sort things out in the current climate would be pretty impossible without the investment company that owns the Odeon wanting to take a huge gamble which isn't something investment companies normally do.