It pains me to give my beloved Alamo Drafthouse a poor review, but they really dropped the ball on our visit. I am an Alamo Drafthouse Victory rewards member and used the Alamo App to purchase my tickets. I received an emailed confirmation of my purchase as well as a digital ticket. We arrived for the show to find a large group taking up the entire row where we were supposed to be seated.
The Alamo waiter also happened to be there taking their orders. I explained very politely that I thought they may be seated in our seats and showed them my digital ticket and confirmation. They stated that they had the tickets for the seats and tried to show me via the website, however, that doesn't prove a thing. I asked if I could see their "digital ticket" to confirm and the woman really really looked as if she didn't have it saying..,Here is the website..see? We bought the row. I asked once more, "I understand, however can you show us the ticket? Here is ours showing we purchased these seats." At this point the waited interrupted to say, "Sometimes the system sells the same tickets twice." So I said.."Ok..well can someone please produce a ticket then? Here is ours" At no time did anyone in this group show a ticket. The waiter was a nice kid and seemed really stressed and said he would go get a manager explaining once again that the "system" double sold the ticket again, which in my experience working over 24 years in tech believe is very unlikely, but I didn't want to make trouble for the kid who was basically left out to dry by his manager that never even came over to speak with us. They never produced a ticket or confirmation. We did. They got to keep the seats. Meanwhile, we were left standing in the back to find seats. My husband followed the young man, who was very polite, it wasn't his fault to go speak to the manager. They found some other seats for us much closer to the screen, however, it wasn't where we wanted to sit and no one ever came over to apologize or speak to us. I have worked for a major telecom company for over 20 years and have managed a retail store as a store manager for several years and know that when you are the one in charge, it is up to you to step up, address guests about the problem and how you will resolve and at least apologize. Also- How the hell do these other guests get to keep our seats and never produce a ticket? Seriously? That is total baloney. We have never ever ever had an issue on an Alamo visit before and if we had, someone always made it right., The waiter was a nice kid, but the manager should have definitely have stepped up to intervene or apologize and offered something in my opinion. Some soft drinks, a voucher..something. At bare minimum..an APOLOGY? Lol. Nothing. Zip. It was a total ball drop. Not cool. I didn't know that at this location, people sitting in your seats get to keep them even if you have a confirmed payment email AND can produce the ticket! Nope- you get made to move even though they refuse to produce a ticket if their own and no one apparently cares. We left the waiter a good tip. It wasn't his fault, but just know that if you arrive at this location with proof you purchased the seat, this particular location really doesn't care so good luck! It is musical chairs here and the first person to arrive gets the seats regardless of they can produce a ticket or not.
If I had been the manager on duty, I would have come over personally to ask the guests to please produce the tickets as the waiter was clearly not comfortable sue it it being a large group of almost ten people. At the very least, the manager should have come over to our new seats and apologized. I would have said, "I deeply apologize for this inconvenience...this is not what we strive for here at Alamo but we want you to have a great night.~~~~ will take your order and I am going to get you folks vouchers for a future visit and I have some hot buttered popcorn and soft drinks coming on the house. Thank you for being a victory rewards member and we hope you enjoy the show and come back to see us! "
That's what I would have done, but, I actually cared about my guests and would be embarrassed if someone had that experience in my business , was a rewards member and it wasn't their fault.
It was a really big bummer to not get the seats you paid for in a nearly sold out show, but a sincere apology, or any for that matter would have helped and the hot buttered popcorn and soft drinks would have made my husband happy and feel acknowledged and it would have made ME happy because my husband wouldn't have been complaining to me and quietly seething in his seat all night pissed off these other people basically stole our seats.
Boo to you Alamo La Centerra. You need to do better. read more