Tickets can be refunded within 30 minutes of the opening of the movie, can it be promoted on a large scale?
Industry insiders pointed out that it should be clear that the cost of ticket refund is borne by the filmmaker, the theater or the ticket inspection service provider
This newspaper (reporter Liu Xiaoyan) "The director didn't shoot the excitement and tension in the movie introduction, so I rushed to the self-service refund machine to apply for a refund within 30 minutes of the opening of the movie." On January 1, Ms. Li, a citizen of Changsha, Hunan Province, told reporters about her experience of using a self-service ticket refund machine in a theater in Yuelu District during the New Year's Day holiday, which is also a service that some theaters in Changsha are currently piloting.
During the New Year's Day holiday, the first batch of self-service ticket refund machines in the country were launched in some theaters in Changsha, and for 5 specific films, citizens were supported to apply for refunds due to poor theater environment or movie quality not meeting expectations. Unlike most of the current refund rules, which are limited to before the opening of the film, the refund service of this pilot allows citizens to self-select a refund within 30 minutes of the opening.
"You need to scan the QR code on the movie ticket with the WeChat applet to get a verification code, and then go to the self-service refund machine at the entrance of the theater to review it twice, and then select the reason for the refund on your mobile phone and submit a refund application. Ms. Li told reporters that there were still several spectators queuing in front of the refund machine that day.
It is understood that the initiator of the refund service is an electronic ticket inspection service provider, and its main business is to provide self-service ticket inspection equipment and ticket inspection system for theaters. The person in charge of the ticket inspection service provider said that at present, the money refunded by the ticket is paid by the company and will not affect the box office and the revenue of the cinema.
Although the scope of the "refundable within 30 minutes" pilot theaters and pilot films is limited, in Ms. Lai's view, the refund of movie tickets was basically limited to before the start of the screening, and a handling fee was required, and some specific screenings were not even allowed to be refunded. "Allowing refunds after the opening is the most direct way for audiences to express their viewing experience. She said.
Mr. Wang, the manager of a cinema in Chaoyang District, Beijing, also agreed. He said: "Under normal circumstances, if a customer has special circumstances such as buying the wrong show, we can operate a refund on the spot. The introduction of self-service refund machines can help reduce customer complaints and attract some consumers through this service. However, Mr. Wang believes that the premise of the large-scale promotion of the refundable ticket service within 30 minutes is to make it clear that the cost of the refund is borne by the filmmaker, the theater or the ticket inspection service provider.
As a veteran moviegoer, Ms. Zhang, who lives in Yanghu Street, Yuelu District, Changsha, plans to go to the cinema to experience it in the near future after hearing about this new refund service. "If it can be promoted on a large scale, it will help urge theaters to strengthen service and management. However, issues such as how to determine malicious refunds, how to maintain the order of movie-watching, and how to keep up with follow-up subsidies all need to be solved. Ms. Zhang said.
However, some industry insiders believe that once an unconditional refund is allowed 30 minutes after the opening, it will not only increase the workload of theater management and services, but also may have an impact on the film production ecology. In the view of Mr. Liu, general manager of a cinema chain in Hunan, in the era of short videos, it is difficult for some audiences to settle down to watch a movie in the cinema, and the opening of "30 minutes without reason refund" is not conducive to cultivating the audience's viewing habits, and will also make more movies subject to the content expression of the first 30 minutes.
In the opinion of experts, consumers are more willing to see a wonderful movie than a refund, rather than just changing the theater service, environment and playback effect. (Workers' Daily)