Prior to entering the movie theater where the showing was, my 5 year old son and stopped to purchase popcorn and to request a cup of water. At that time a 4 once open lid cup was handed to us. I asked if it was possible to upgrade to a cup with a lid to prevent any spills from my newly turned 5 year old son during the movie. I was refused due to policy. I offered to purchase a cup with a top and was refused due to policy.
I approach three managers all standing around one another and they also reiterated that it was policy to not make a cup with a top available. I did learn that employees could purchase a cup with top for 0.25 cents but customers did not qualify for such offer. I mentioned spills on the floor, myself or the child to all three managers and they continued to be unmoved.
Later I approached a manager individually, one of the three managers, still in disbelief that a business would not consider giving a parent a cup with a top even with the offer of paying for the cup and I politely but honestly mentioned do to my experience that I would not be returning to the theater. I even offered that the employs fill the cup up behind the counter to ensure that water is was is indeed put into the cup. The Manager?s response was to offer a refund without concern with my disappointment nor any hesitation. I had spoken to my son about going elsewhere earlier and he refused with a tantrum so was unable to accept without upsetting my son. Ultimately I was stuck. After lot of talking with the manager (at least 10-15 minutes he offered me a cup with a top as ?a favor? showing his efforts to go out of his way by breaking policy rules). He mentioned that he hoped that his giving me a cup with a top just ?this time only? would encourage me to return at another time. I mentioned in a polite most logical way, that his comment did not make sense since the policy would not be changed to accommodate a purchase of a cup with a top. I could not see that any future experience would be any different. His response was that he wished he had not given me the cups with the top and left it at that. There were other concerns during our visit that I could point out that are areas in need of improvement, but ultimately my highest concern is a lack for compassion and empathy for a ?need? that a mother requested and even offered to purchase to ensure a pleasurable experience for both parent and son.
Perhaps my bring this to your attention might make for a better experience for someone else. Maybe even a policy change. As for myself, with the attitude that giving a mother a top for a cup is such a concern and too difficult to achieve for several employees, I plan to steer clear of any Santikos owned theaters in the San Antonio area in the future. My family is completely comfortable with Netflix. My question to you as a corporation is what if I had a requested or brought attention to something or some action that would be more urgent, concerning and necessary rather a simple top of a cup? Like the times the seats in the theater at the Santiko Palladium IMAX have been over sold at our expense and we have had to wait for the following showing with our previous showing ticket in our hands along with other paying customers.For this review . . . my son also found the bathroom to be so smelly that HE would not stay in there. If a kids notices that just think how bad it was. P.S. the popcorn also tasted old (I am not a picky eater so for me to notice is pretty bad and 99.9% of the time not a complainer), but non of these items were brought to the attention of the staff after our lack of response for a top for a cup.
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