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I give free movie passes to all my employees as an incentive. I'm wondering what others do to boost the relations between management and employees. Any suggestions?

We have an arrangement with the other theatres in town and they get passes. For Graduation we gave out $25 gift certificates to Borders. For Christmas we held a party with secret Santa and we took them bowling. One really buisy nights we have been known to buy the staff pizza.

Treat your staff well and perhaps they won't be so quick to abandon you when the time comes. And if they do, they usually get their friends to work for you.

Large - You have some good ideas here. I will put some of them to work for me. I bet you have a very happy staff. Hats Off to you for showing an appreciation for your crew. That dosn't always happen in this line a business.

At The Colonial employees are allowed at any time to attend a movie with a guest as often as they want. We are pretty generous with gifts... Christmas bonuses range from 100-25.00. We have a Christmas Breakfast party catered in a private restaurant room with some kind of entertainment... this year we had a caricaturist who did everyone, we had a Tarot reader/palm reader another year/ secret Santa is fun but you get to take the present you like as each person goes round.

I also used a "point system" where every employee got a certain amout of points for taking the initiative to do something on thier own. they could them redeem them for days off, extra breaks, free food, promo items, record store gift certificates etc. some "points" were hidden as slips of paper
when that person happened to clean that area without being told they got the points they found.

All good ideas. The carrot is better than the stick. Use honey to attract bees. etc.

Frequent TWO-WAY communication is a good idea, with a confidential comment box or pre-addressed stamped envelope to share concerns with management. Suggestions on how to do things better and please customers should be encouraged and rewarded.

Nametags are a good idea, with customers encouraged to cite employees who are especially helpful.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
EI Worldwide Technical Services
Research Labs, Building 69
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Telephone: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

I buy meals for employees who are on shift. We are surrounded by great ethnic restuarants, so it's never the "Big M." Most of my workers are grad students and are welcome to crack the books between shows if everything is done. Schedules are flexible -- they like that. I can't pay much, but they are welcome to come in and see the movies with friends. If i do a special showing for a school or the like, i let all employees know and they are welcome to attend. the biggest thing i think that helps is to let them feel like they are part of the place: I don't like Christmas, but two of my workers are into it the way i'm into breathing. I let them decorate the place and wear antlers with bells while working. I kept my mouth shut and only thretened violence when left the dancing osterich on the counter with the batteries in it . . . Much as John mentioned, let them know that their input is important. major and minor decisions are discussed -- from a new cash register to how to handle sell-out lines. Never forget, choose the people you want working for you very carefully. there is a whole species of worker out there who doesn't get that, "The Show Must Go On."

Gee, I must be working for the wrong company. No incentives, no free meals, nada.
I remember last fall my assistant and I sealed the entire roof of the theatre, with one of the owners helping (you know, smoking cigarettes, talking). We told him that we were going to go to the local custard stand and get something to eat. Well, you would have thought that he would have offered to pay, think again. The corker was, he asked us to pick up something for him too! Our managers do receive a small percentage of all concession sales. But, I'll repeat, small, make that very small. The company also will dock you from your check if the theatre doesn't pass their inspections. Funny thing is, they have never supplied us with an itemized list of deductions when asked. I have yet to see them inspect the building since I have worked there. Nor has any other staff member. Basically, they are never around, ever. Oh yeah, they did bring down a pair of Bucks tickets on monday, for tuesdays game. Gee, how are ya suppose to go when you're scheduled to work.

All the comments made here are good ones with the exception of Movieguy. Poor guy. But as I was reading them I began to think about what I really felt was important when working for someone else. The free tickets and the meals and all that are fine. But you know what? I think the most important thing is being told that your doing a good job, (if you are) and being counseled (not yelled at) if your performance is failing. No matter how hectic the work day is, when its over and you get a thank you, it makes you feel pretty darn good. So the perks are great, but lets not forget the simpler things okay.

We have meetings at the end of every week and try to come up with ideas to make the theater a better place. Usally we order out for Pizza or something. The meetings give everyone a chance to vent anything they feel bad about as well as any ideas they may have. I find it better when we all agree, as to just come down with a decree.