tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11999615.post112593580950508965..comments2023-10-02T03:17:59.953-07:00Comments on Moviepie Musings: TIFF Entry #3: The Efficiency Experts?Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738949094361039874noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11999615.post-1126100804782809352005-09-07T06:46:00.000-07:002005-09-07T06:46:00.000-07:00Yeah, I knew I posted that "Wow! They're FAST!" th...Yeah, I knew I posted that "Wow! They're FAST!" thought too soon. <BR/><BR/>That exchange line was insane. I walked past it on Monday, saw it snaking all the way along Balmuto to Charles St., and left. <BR/><BR/>I went back to the exchange line on Tuesday morning, when it was considerably shorter (but still long enough that I was there for an hour). Not so much with the efficiency and problem-free ticketing this time around, though. The two volunteers "working" the line were terrible. Since the line was broken (half inside, half outside...a block away!), they were supposed to:<BR/><BR/>a) keep people from joining the end of the *inside* line by...<BR/><BR/>b) correctly directing them *outside* where the line continued, until...<BR/><BR/>c) move outside people inside every 10 minutes or so, as space permitted<BR/><BR/>That's pretty much it. <BR/><BR/>But I can't tell you how many times my fellow line-mates and I were the ones directing foot traffic and dispensing information! The volunteer inside would routinely disappear, leaving no one to answer questions or point to lines or wrangle confused ticketholders. Not that she was all that well-versed in TIFF info, anyway.<BR/><BR/>The volunteer outside, who seemed to be in a rather foul mood, did the same thing...turn around, she's gone!...resulting in the inside volunteer literally RUNNING around trying to find her. I know they've used radios in the past to coordinate info/action between volunteers, and to avoid all the running, but I guess not this year.<BR/><BR/>When I finally got close to the box office entrance, I looked in through the glass and saw the inside volunteer being chewed out by, I assume, the box office manager or volunteer manager. Heh.<BR/><BR/>And, really, why only SIX cashiers?!? When they operated out of College Park, they had at least double that! I realize the space is smaller...but then why not set up temporary shop someplace bigger?<BR/><BR/>I will say, though, that there were more than a few exchangers who were CLEARLY unprepared for the process. There were two women who were in there for at least 20 minutes. Probably longer, actually, since they were way ahead of me in line and still in when I left -- standing at the cashier, MULLING OVER CHOICES BY LEISURELY THUMBING THROUGH THE PROGRAM BOOK! No, no, no. At this point in the process, you go in with your list of choices ready! You have your alternates lined up! You go through them one by one! If there aren't any tickets left, you don't stand there, hogging the cashier, while you hem and haw over what to do and what to see instead! Okay, maybe for 5 or 10 minutes, fine. But 20 minutes and counting?!<BR/><BR/>Of course, it would have been up to a volunteer to say something, but none did. And the women stood. They may, in fact, still be there now.Vickiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13827246920952240232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11999615.post-1126050826991037562005-09-06T16:53:00.000-07:002005-09-06T16:53:00.000-07:00Speaking as someone who was in the "exchange" line...Speaking as someone who was in the "exchange" line for 4.5 hours, and then after hitting the front, realized that it wasn't entirely PEOPLE who slowed it down, but was the incompetancy of the "cashier". Why did they need to know my last name? Why did they need to navigate a system when I had barcodes ready?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com