Over a month since I made a complaint about accessibility and quality of their 9 year old cinema, Showcase have finally responded.
For context - we went to see Wicked 2 on my Not Birthday last month. We booked the accessible row but non-wheelchair so I could take Roach but have a recliner seat. Paid extra for Xplus or "crystal clear definition" and "breathtaking, multidimensional sound". Spent a fortune on some impressively mediocre snacks.

Issue 1 - The seat didn't recline (broken) but it wasn't busy so we just moved along
Issue 2 - The screen quality was awful - there were swirly patterns all over the image throughout, which was really distracting
Issue 3 - The audio quality was possibly the worst I've ever experienced in a cinema. We could only hear it coming from the front because the accessible row had a high wall behind in where the regular stadium seating started so we were essentially in front of a baffle that blocked/muffled all the sound coming from the sides, meaning the mix was really odd in places.

We approached a staff member afterwards to make a complaint or at least let them know about the broken seat. They called a manager but I didn't want to hang around any more as I was feeling pretty overstimulated by that point and just wanted to go home. So I used their contact form online the next day.

I got a one line response a couple of days later asking if we'd received anything when we spoke to the staff member. I confirmed we hadn't. I got no further communication from them despite chasing it twice, until today.
Here is the response pasted directly.

"Thank you for the email below and we sinceely apologise for the experience you received in particular as it was your birthday to enjoy the reclining seat.
Wheelchair spaces are provided on the Gallery level as well as the low level between screens 1-6 except screen 4 , each row has is separated by a wall which does not impact the sound but provided adequate leg space for reclining the chairs and guest access.
I, sincerely apologise you have not had the correct response and it is unfortuante you did not speak with a manager on the day as the feedback would have been addressed with return tickets offered .
As a gesture of goodwill I would like to extend two complimenatry tickets to return in the near future, in hope you will accept them, please your full postal address."

Firstly, it is just terribly written for a person responsible for customer service. Maybe I'm being picky but there's a typo in the first sentence ffs.
Secondly, flat out telling me I'm incorrect about the sound being impacted by a solid wall is... a choice.
And then asking for more personal information so they can send two free tickets to go back? Bold. Their entire ticketing system is online so I'm not entirely sure why they couldn't just be emailed.
No mention of them ghosting me for a month or the screen quality.

But say I even wanted to go back, how would it be different? I checked out the gallery option, wondering why we hadn't seen it when we booked before. I couldn't find any available accessible tickets in the gallery in any showings I checked, until I realised that area is only available in the evening - we went mid afternoon.
It's also at least £10-15 more expensive and the actual wheelchair options? Right at the back in the corner of course! And you don't get a seat, just a space for your chair. Because ambulatory wheelchair users don't exist. What do you mean your chair doesn't recline? Ah, sucks to be you!

Of course you can just book regular seats in the gallery section and assume there's somewhere to store your wheelchair. Given the gallery has its own bar I wouldn't imagine that'd be too difficult, assuming they allow you to do that.

So if you're an ambulatory wheelchair user or can't do stairs and don’t want to sit right at the front:
- You can only go to the cinema in the evening
- It'll cost you £44-50 for two, not including drinks or snacks
- It'll be less if you're happy to sit in your wheelchair AND you have a CEA card as you'll get a free carer seat, BUT you have to sit at the back in the corner with the worst view of the screen
- You may or may not be able to store your chair/mobility aid somewhere nearby
If you're a full time wheelchair user, even less choice. If you're also going alone, it's not even cheaper - you're paying the same price as everyone else for an empty space to park.

This turned out even longer than I anticipated, I'm sorry. It is just SO frustrating. Even more so when you get responses like this.

#accessibility #disabled #wheelchairuser