When self-service gasoline pumps became prevalent (believe me, there was a time when there existed such a thing as a gas station attendant, who did more than sit behind a counter reading a magzine and collecting payments. In addition to filling the tank, he would check the oil, clean the windows, and look over the tires to see if they needed air…), stations often offered discounts to motorists filling their own tanks. A couple of cents-per-gallon cheaper.
It allowed the attendant to fill someone else’s car, while not missing a sale.
Grocery stores have the self-serve scanners that usually have shorter lines, mostly because a lot of people are afraid of the technology. Unlike the gasoline stations, though, there are no discounts applied.
The internet age has introduced the sale of event-tickets online. Similar to the self-check grocery store register, it allows for the purchase without an attendant. Like the food market, there are no discounts for doing the work of a theater box-office teller.
YOU PAY A CONVENIENCE FEE.
That’s right. For doing all the work that the employee does behind the glass, sliding the money one direction and a ticket the other, the buyer is required to pay for the privilege of doing the labor. $1.25 per ticket.
It may not seem a lot, but it amounts to a $5 bill for four tickets purchased, which is a down-payment on any theater food item.
There are times that the theater has lines leading up to the box office. On the other hand, there are times when it is possible to walk directly to the entrance, buy a ticket, and cruise directly inside.
I’m betting that this evening there won’t be a line.
Even if there is, I’ve saved myself five-dollars worth of aggravation by buying my ticket at the theater, instead of recalling how I had to pay to do the work. Convenient? I don’t think so.
I can can push a banknote through the opening a lot easier than typing all the info required to buy it online.
And sometimes, the kid behind the glass smiles and says
‘Thanks.’