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Cineworld Cinemas

CUSTOMER
ENGAGEMENT
REPORT:
Audit & Strategic
Plan

29 SEPTEMBER 2019

MKTG45416: Contemporary Perspectives in

Customer Engagement

MSc Branding & Advertising

Word count: 3,000

 Customer Engagement Report:
Audit & Strategic Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

An audit was conducted on Cineworld Cinemas’ customer engagement practices, based on

each phase of Sashi’s (2012) Customer Engagement Cycle. It was found that while the
company is certainly doing well with its level of interactivity on social media, implementation
of a loyalty program and on-site self-service technologies (SSTs), and usage of Service
Dominant Logic by allowing co-creation of value from customers, several weaknesses in their
practices remain. Areas that still have room for improvement include the inanimate
environment in its service encounter, the limited function of its mobile application (app), lack
of Hedonic benefits in its loyalty program, and a service recovery program that risks further
dissatisfaction. Also, a thematic analysis of social media posts showed that customers
perceive Cineworld Cinemas’ SSTs to be lacking in the ‘Performance’ and ‘Fun’ factors (re:
Technology Acceptance Model).

Recommendations on how to tackle these main issues is given, encompassed in a new

customer engagement strategy: mobile app optimisation. Aiming to maximise the app’s
potential as a central tool in the ‘Retention’ phase, new features are recommended, with an
improvement of its service recovery program also incorporated into the app. In addition, an
upgrade of the app’s image/positioning from an optional facility to an essential element of the
Cineworld experience is recommended; the app could also fulfil the missing ‘Fun’ aspect of
the on-site SSTs, serving as an off-site counterpart. To tend to the lack of Hedonic benefits,
methods of personalised treatment within the app for members of the loyalty program are also
given. Further details are discussed on how, all in all, optimising the mobile app and pushing
customers to use it addresses the main issues identified and is an appropriate strategy to
maximise customer engagement for Cineworld Cinemas.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 2

Table of Contents ...................................................................................................... 3
List of Figures & Tables ............................................................................................ 4
1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 5
2 Customer Engagement Audit ................................................................................ 5
2.1 Connection & Interaction ................................................................................ 6
Service Experience ............................................................................................... 6
Service Encounter ................................................................................................ 7
2.2 Satisfaction & Retention.................................................................................. 9
Service Recovery ................................................................................................ 10
Mobile Application ............................................................................................... 10
2.3 Commitment & Advocacy .............................................................................. 11
Loyalty Program .................................................................................................. 11
Social Media Activity (e-WOM) ........................................................................... 12
3 Customer Engagement Strategic Plan ............................................................... 14
References ............................................................................................................... 17
Appendices .............................................................................................................. 20
Appendix 1 ............................................................................................................ 20
Appendix 2 ............................................................................................................ 25
Appendix 3 ............................................................................................................ 26
Appendix 4 ............................................................................................................ 32

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 Customer Engagement Report:
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LIST OF FIGURES & TABLES

Figure 1: Brands operating under Cineworld Group plc .......................................................... 5

Figure 2: Customer Engagement Cycle for Cineworld Cinemas ............................................. 6
Figure 3: Current and Potential Position of Cineworld’s Offerings in the Four Realms of
Experience ....................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 4: Servuction Model for Cineworld Cinemas ................................................................ 8
Figure 5: Technology Acceptance Model for Cineworld SSTs with percentage of customer
comments on Twitter in 2018-19 ...................................................................................... 9
Figure 6: Example of typical Cineworld Twitter interaction with general, non-inquiry Tweet. 10
Figure 7: Example of prompt for Unlimited Screening film reviews. ...................................... 13
Figure 8: Corresponding follow-up featuring blog post containing customer-generated content
(available in Appendix 4) ................................................................................................ 13

Table 1: Benefits offered to Cineworld Unlimited Card holders ............................................. 12

Table 2: Summary of main CE issues and corresponding recommendations of strategies .. 14

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1 INTRODUCTION

In 2018, Cineworld Group plc continued its reign as the UK’s leading cinema operator by
market share based on revenue (Cox, 2018). Following the acquisition of US chain Regal
Cinemas early that year (Martin, 2017), Cineworld Group has become the world’s second-
largest cinema business with more than 9,500 screens in 10 countries (Cox, 2017) under its
five reputable brands, shown in Figure 1. This comes with an increased need to appropriately
manage not only the new outlets that are now part of the company, but also the relationship
with all the customers that come with it. Engagement with these customers is key to
maintaining a strong, at times emotional, bond between them and the brand (Sashi, 2012), as
well as allowing for higher brand loyalty, among other benefits (Jaakkola & Alexander, 2014;
Hollebeek et al., 2016).

As Cineworld Group’s flagship brand, Cineworld Cinemas stands as the face of the
corporation and has rightfully employed more notable customer engagement practices than
its counterparts (McCarthy, 2019). In this report, these practices are evaluated and an
appropriate strategy to maximise Cineworld Cinemas’ customer engagement is presented.
First, the effectiveness of its current practices shall be analysed by means of a customer
engagement audit looking into both its stronger and weaker points. Next, the proposed
strategy is introduced, with in-depth explanations of its benefits and how it tackles the
customer engagement weaknesses identified.

Figure 1: Brands operating under Cineworld Group plc

2 CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AUDIT

For the audit, an analysis of Cineworld Cinemas’ customer engagement (CE) practices shall
be outlined by Sashi’s (2012) Customer Engagement Cycle, wherein each practice currently
in operation is categorised under a certain phase of the cycle, as shown in Figure 2. The
effectiveness of these practices shall be analysed using relevant models, concepts, and
theories (MCTs) as well as evidence gathered surrounding the practice.

Starting with Connection, the cycle follows a customer’s journey onto true engagement with
the brand, going from one phase to the next (see Figure 2). Each of these phases are analysed
in the coming sections.

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Connection
• Cinema outlets
• Website
• Social Media

Interaction
• Animate: In-store staff
Engagement • Inanimate: Decorations,
self-service tills. etc.
• Online

Advocacy Satisfaction
Customer Engagement
• Prompted through social Cycle • Convenience: Online
media channels (e-WOM) booking system
• Service Recovery

Commitment Retention
• Loyalty program offer: • Mobile application (App)
'Unlimted Card' experience

Figure 2: Customer Engagement Cycle for Cineworld Cinemas

Source: Adapted from Sashi (2012)

2.1 CONNECTION & INTERACTION

SERVICE EXPERIENCE

When making the initial connection with the brand, customers can easily realise that they are
purchasing more than mere goods or services. Cineworld Cinemas’ buddle of offerings for
customers, which includes not only the movie being watched but also the confectionary
available, atmospherics, retail items, and facilities, can be considered as an ‘experience’ (Pine
et al., 1999) in that it uses a combination of several goods and services to comprise the overall
benefits being purchased by the customer (Gilmore & Pine, 2002).

In this case, the experience being offered falls under the ‘Entertainment’ Realm (see Figure
3), as the audience are acting as passive participants being ‘fed’, and they are absorbing in
the experience this way, as opposed to being physically within it or surrounded by it, i.e.

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immersed. According to Mehmetoglu & Engen (2011), this realm of experience entails the
customers or participants merely enjoying the sights and sounds provided – which is true for
all fellow cinema chains. This implies that there is a lack of possible competitive advantage
being harnessed; Cineworld Cinemas is not taking advantage of the opportunity to differentiate
itself and cross over into the Aesthetic realm (see Figure 3, Potential position), wherein
customers are invited to become more immersed into the experience. This can be done by
utilising the surroundings and environment that the cinema provides its visitors, which can be
emphasized as a key part of their service encounter.

Figure 3: Current and Potential Position of Cineworld’s Offerings in the Four Realms of Experience
Source: Based on Pine & Gilmore (1998)

SERVICE ENCOUNTER

Any time a customer interacts with the brand, a service encounter occurs (Bitner et al., 1990).
Since it falls under the Interaction phase in the CE cycle, it potentially may have critical
consequences in that it is the bridge that leads to satisfaction (Jones & Suh, 2000; Sashi,
2012). In that sense, service encounters can be considered opportunities to reinforce service
quality, establish and build trust, as well as build brand identity (Bitner et al., 1990; Kuroshima,
2010). The visible and invisible aspects of the service encounter is highlighted in the
Servuction model (Langeard et al., 1981), which proposes that ‘service experience’ benefits
are results of both onstage and backstage resources which simultaneously produce the
experience for the customer. In Figure 4, both onstage (visible) and backstage (invisible)
components are shown in terms of the service encounter at Cineworld Cinemas.

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Figure 4: Servuction Model for Cineworld Cinemas

Source: Based on Langeard et al. (1981)

Starting with the inanimate environment, Cineworld Cinemas does employ self-service
technologies (SSTs) in its outlets, in the form of digital box offices which they provide alongside
regular manned tills. While these do provide the benefits of shorter queues and less staff
required, they seem to be lacking in the Performance and Fun aspect which contribute to
customers’ attitude towards using SSTs in the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1985;
see Figure 5) as evidenced by Tweets about Cineworld’s SSTs from the past two years1,
83.9% of which were negative (see Appendix 1). Bearing in mind that consumers do tend to
be more vocal about negative experiences than acceptable or good ones (Aksu, 2013;
Marketing Charts, 2013; Grainer et al., 2014), this issue can be considered of moderate
importance as a weakness in its CE, with the majority of complaints being about the on-site
SSTs being out of order, i.e. ‘Performance’ factor (74,2%).

That being said, another key aspect of the inanimate environment of any Cineworld Cinemas
service encounter would be the design and decorations of the outlet itself, which build the
atmospherics of the customers’ overall experience (Hoffman & Turley, 2002). As touched upon
in the previous section regarding shifting over to the Aesthetic realm from the purely
Entertainment realm (see Figure 3), it can be said that Cineworld falls short in this category,
especially when compared to how store environments are used by others within the cinema
chain industry sector. For example, South Korean multiplex chain CGV Cinemas, the world’s
fifth largest cinema business (Noh, 2017), has been known to make use of store decorations

1
Timeframe: 1 January 2018 to 26 September 2019; full dataset available in Appendix 1.

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as a unique selling point, regularly going above and beyond with movie-related photo-worthy
set pieces in their outlets, much to their customers’ delight (Frater, 2019). These themed
displays usually result in customers uploading photos of themselves at the venue, increasing
online word-of-mouth (Yoon & Han, 2012; Erkan, 2016; Li & Xu, 2017). From this perspective,
it is apparent that Cineworld is still behind in terms of themed on-site decorations and
immersion.

Figure 5: Technology Acceptance Model for Cineworld SSTs with percentage of customer comments on
Twitter in 2018-19. Source: Based on Davis (1985)

2.2 SATISFACTION & RETENTION

With SSTs as discussed above, comes a risk of lower satisfaction simply due to a low
customer-task fit, which results in unfavourable results attributed to the ‘incompetent’
participation on the customer’s part, such as not understanding how to use the machine and
declaring it does not work (Dong et al., 2015). With this, customers hold the power to widen
the service performance gap and decrease satisfaction (Zeithaml et al., 2010). Naturally,
satisfaction can also be affected when service failures occur by the fault of the company, and
can be especially linked to how the company tackles these incidents through their service
recovery procedures.

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SERVICE RECOVERY

Currently, Cineworld Cinemas’ service recovery practices comprise of a customer service

hotline and their active Twitter account, which serves as not only a platform on which the
company can promote itself, but also to tend to customer queries and complaints. This
regularly spans multiple Tweets in an ongoing back-and-forth between the brand and
customer, with the brand providing appropriate follow-ups (see Appendix 2). On top of this,
the Cineworld Twitter account also regularly responds to general Tweets which are not
inquiring for any particular answer from the brand; Figure 6 below shows a typical example of
such an interaction. This has been known to make customers feel significant, and more
connected to a brand (Templeman, 2017; Morgan, 2017), thus Cineworld is definitely on the
right track in this regard.

Figure 6: Example of typical Cineworld Twitter interaction with general, non-inquiry Tweet.
Source: Cineworld, 2019a

However, when it comes to service recovery, Cineworld is currently employing a centralised

hotline system which results in on-site staff not being able to handle most customer service
needs – trained instead to simply signpost customers onto the hotline number. This requires
customers to re-explain their situation or issue, which risks eroding satisfaction and loyalty as
it is seen as a hassle (Dixon et al., 2010; McGovern & Moon, 2011). Seeing that “customer
service” is included as part of Cineworld Group’s Purpose Statement (Cineworld, 2018), it can
be said that the alignment between their current strategy and brand values in terms of
customer service is not apparent.

MOBILE APPLICATION

A mobile application (app) can be a key tool in increasing retention among customers
(Horovitz, 2013; Jin-Oh, 2014; Alba, 2015); Cineworld however is not exploiting this, choosing

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instead to have the app as a mere gateway onto their website ticket-booking system. This
renders the app impractical to the customer – in fact, 32% of app user reviews have
complained about having to re-enter login credentials each time the app is opened (Appendix
3); some say it is an even bigger hassle than going on the actual website. This illustrates how
the app was merely created to serve a quick booking function, and not much else (e.g. an
environment wherein customers would want to spend their time). All that said, this is a weak
utilisation of the app, which could be optimised to deliver other features to maximize
engagement.

Moreover, the app is currently not pushed as an essential element of the Cineworld
experience. With the growing online complaints regarding in-person booking stemming from
out-of-order SSTs and long queues (see Appendix 1), it is likely that these customers are not
informed about online booking which can mitigate these in-person booking mishaps. Tying
back to Figure 5 previously shown, the on-site SSTs are resulting in heavily negative
comments; this is where off-site SSTs (Reinders et al., 2008) such as the mobile app could
help. The limited emphasis that Cineworld has placed on the app and its features is evidenced
by the confusion from customers – e.g. although Cineworld has introduced in-app e-tickets in
its effort to decrease paper waste, the policies regarding their use is still unclear to customers,
resulting in frequent questions on the subject (Cineworld, 2019). This feature of the mobile
app could play a central role in the customer experience, but is currently not treated as such.

2.3 COMMITMENT & ADVOCACY

LOYALTY PROGRAM

To guide customers onto the next phase, Commitment, wherein a pledge to continue the
relationship with the brand is evident (Dwyer et al. 1987), Cineworld has employed a
subscription-style loyalty program, the ‘Unlimited Card’, which involves binding customers in
a contract of a minimum of 12 months. This way, customers are committed in that they will opt
to always choose Cineworld for a movie-going experience. This is commendable as by joining
the program, customers are showing willingness to remain committed, which assumes
continued value for both parties to be produced from the relationship (Hardwick & Ford, 1986).
Table 1 below outlines the special added benefits available to the Unlimited Card holder and
reveals how the loyalty program is currently not fulfilling the Hedonic category of benefits for
committed customers. It is important for members to feel the maximum benefits of being a
committed customer, in order for them to be more ready to move onward in the CE cycle and
become customer advocates.

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Table 1: Benefits offered to Cineworld Unlimited Card holders (i.e., Committed customers).

Offered to Cineworld Unlimited

Type of Benefit Description
Card holders
Utilitarian benefits Customers attach more - Discounts in partner stores.
importance to these - Exclusive advance screenings.
benefits. - 1 month free for recommending
a friend.
Hedonic benefits No personalisation.
(e.g. personalised treatment,
exploration of new products) Enhances and develops
Symbolic benefits relationships over time. Physical card given.
(e.g. recognition by firm, social
status, belonging)
Source: Based on Mimouni-Chaabane & Volle, 2010; Stathopoulou & Balabanis, 2016.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY (E-WOM)

Cineworld Cinemas is encouraging ‘Advocacy’ and the spreading of electronic word-of-mouth

(e-WOM) adeptly through one of their most prominent Twitter tactics: prompting Cineworld
Unlimited Card holders to post reviews of the films they have seen at exclusive members-only
screenings dubbed the ‘Unlimited Screening’, shown prior to a film’s UK release date (see
Figure 7). The benefit of this is twofold, in that it gets the non-Unlimited customers interested
in watching said movie when it gets a wide release, while also promoting one of the main
Utilitarian benefits of the Unlimited Card loyalty program. By partaking in this, Unlimited
customers are encouraged to display behaviours of Advocacy online, while also attaining the
Symbolic benefit of showcasing their special status as a moviegoer who has watched a film
before everyone else.

This is followed by the next part of the tactic, which involves using these customer-generated
content (Unlimited Screening film reviews) as content for the brand’s blog in their website.
This adheres to the Service Dominant Logic (SDL) concept, which views customers as co-
creators of value, rather than just passive receivers (Payne et al., 2008). Also, within this
situation Cineworld Cinemas is acting as the facilitators of value co-creation as opposed to
simply producers of standardised value. An example of this is shown in Figure 8, where a
Tweet invites the public to click through to their blog post (titled “Rocketman: discover the
reactions from the Cineworld Unlimited screening”; see Appendix 4). This allowing of co-
creation of value is noteworthy as it enables the company to interact with customers even after
purchase (Akaka et al., 2013), which helps maintain relationships while allowing the company
to build a rapport with them (Vargo & Lusch, 2008).

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Figure 7: Example of prompt for Unlimited Screening film reviews.

Source: Cineworld, 2019c.

Figure 8: Corresponding follow-up featuring blog post containing customer-generated content (available
in Appendix 4). Source: Cineworld, 2019d.

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3 CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIC PLAN

Given the CE strengths and weaknesses identified in the audit, Table 2 presents several
recommendations for CE enhancement corresponding to each phase of the cycle.

Table 2: Summary of main CE issues and corresponding recommendations of strategies. Source: Author.

As seen in Table 2 above, multiple CE weaknesses can be tackled through one new
engagement strategy, the optimisation of the mobile app. As previously mentioned, the current
usage of the mobile app is truly a missed opportunity; fortunately on the other hand, the app
can be packed with an array of features which shall maximise engagement and simultaneously
cover multiple phases of the CE cycle.

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Firstly, to better utilise it as a tool for retention, the main objective of the app revamp should
be to allow it to serve beyond the function of just online bookings – it should be a space that
hooks customers in, making them spend more time on the app; a key characteristic of apps
considered as entertaining and enjoyable to consumers (Solon, 2016). This can be done by
introducing more enhanced, diverse features such as having a News Feed section containing
Cineworld’s blog posts, providing users’ watch history, and/or allowing users to give personal
ratings for movies watched at Cineworld. Adding such features which elongate time spent on
an app leads to higher affinity for the brand, as users feel more ‘connected’ or even dependant
on the app (Hartmans, 2018), also possibly resulting in actions such as booking more tickets,
or converting non-Unlimited customers to Unlimited members. By embracing the appropriate
user interface, the app is also a great opportunity for Cineworld Cinemas to fulfil the Fun factor
of Technology Acceptance (Davis, 1985), which is currently missing from customers’ attitude
towards SST as evidenced in social media posts in 2018 to 2019 (Appendix 1).

The app can additionally serve as a platform for more seamless service recovery. Minimal
‘referring’ of customers to different personnel is crucial in an effective service recovery
program, as customers expect their issues to be fixed in as few steps as possible (Dixon et
al., 2010), notably without having to re-explain their situation to different staff members or
contacting the company multiple times (McGovern & Moon, 2011). With a service recovery
program incorporated into the app, such as a customer service messaging feature or ‘submit
issue ticket’ option, Cineworld Cinemas may mitigate risks of customers getting even more
dissatisfied as a result of having to go through an extensive service recovery journey.

Moreover, personalised treatment for Committed customers, i.e. Unlimited Card holders,
would help fulfil the Hedonic benefits missing from the current loyalty program. As seen in
Table 1, the description of this type of benefit indicates that it is required for more long-term
commitment, in that it builds and strengthens the relationship with the customer over time
(Mimouni-Chaabane & Volle, 2010; Stathopoulou & Balabanis, 2016). Thus, additional
features or content for these customers on the mobile app – such as a) visual representations
of discount vouchers to remind users of the existing promotions available to them, b)
countdown to ‘Premium Unlimited’ upgrade (users are eligible for upgrade after first year of
Unlimited membership), c) birthday offers, and/or d) ‘official titles’ awarded for reaching certain
milestones of number of films watched – could be incorporated into the app to further solidify
commitment.

Lastly, the app should then be pushed as one of the essential elements of being a Cineworld
customer. This transformation of the app’s image and positioning, from optional to vital, should

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inform and educate customers and potential customers about the ease of online booking via
app and the hassle-free nature of paperless e-tickets, which will lead them to realise that the
Cineworld experience could be much more effortless, facilitated by the app. This will aid in
reducing dissatisfaction while also increasing overall engagement by having customers feel
closer to the brand, as they have a symbol of its presence in their daily life; their phones.

This mobile app optimisation strategy does not only entail the aforementioned advantages,
but is also the most suitable option given Cineworld Cinemas’ current circumstances as other
CE strategies do not address its current weaknesses or situation. For example, creating an
online customer community would hinder the company’s current advantage of having access
to the large number of social media users (e.g. movie fans who thrive on Twitter, dubbed
‘#FilmTwitter’) with which they can collaborate for customer-generated content, wider reach,
and more visible interactions. Utilising existing social media platforms also increases e-WOM
outside of the company’s own customers – an advantage that a closed online customer
community does not offer, making it unsuited for Cineworld Cinemas. Also, as the company
has already employed other CE strategies such as SSTs and a loyalty programme, the
appropriate strategy to really elevate its CE would be the one proposed. In addition, it also
includes another CE strategy – having a comprehensive service recovery program – within it,
rendering it all-encompassing.

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1

Tweets regarding Cineworld SSTs in 2018-19; Raw dataset as of 26 September 2019:

Technology Type
Acceptance (Pos, Neg, Cineworld
Date Tweet Factor Inquiry) Responded?
cineworld Please help I booked a
show online and printed tickets at the
self service kiosk at cinema, only to
realise that the tickets were for the
wrong day. I still want to watch the
show (which is today) but I’ve lost the
tickets How can I get them re-
04-Jan-18 printed? Ease of use Inquiry Yes
cineworld Cardiff self service. Sort it
out please. (photo of 3 "Out of Order"
06-Jan-18 SSTs) Performance Neg No
So cineworld couldn’t find the
booking on the self service
machines, staff said they couldn’t
print the tickets and there was
nothing they could do...when we
eventually got into the
screening...they double booked our
tickets...#Seriously #Annoyed
09-Jan-18 #WellDone Performance Neg Yes
The film eventually came in just after
11 but no one offered an explanation
or an apology. Really not a good
experience. They seemed short
staffed, the self service machines
weren’t working properly so had to go
to the food counter to get tickets,
03-Feb-18 sadly a very poor experience Performance Neg Yes
cineworld There was no one serving
at any of the tills, unhelpful. The self
service machine didn’t give this
option, it just rejected the Unlimited
14-Feb-18 card. Ease of use Neg Yes
Really bad service cineworld Enfield
yesterday. People queuing for tickets
for ages. Only 3 self-service
machines and not working properly. I
spent 15 min in one machine only to
get an error message at the very
end. Spent 40 min in total and
04-Mar-18 missed the film. App also not working Performance Neg No

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.cineworld is getting increasingly

rubbish. Third time a film has been
interrupted or failed to start due to
technical fault. Add to that the
queues at the tills & constantly
malfunctioning self service kiosks;
I'm starting to wonder if it's worth
04-Mar-18 paying for. Performance Neg No
cineworld U ok hun? Your website is
having a melt down. As are your self
service machines and the queues
04-Mar-18 out the mall. Cineendoftheworld? Performance Neg No
I really enjoyed Tomb Raider, but the
visit to Regent_Circus Cineworld
wasn’t great. 2/5 self service
screens weren’t working, one person
in front of me but took 15 mins to get
served, staff couldn’t even put my
swipe card in the slot when swiping...
30-Mar-18 not good :( Performance Neg No
cineworld hi, will I incur a booking fee
charge if I buy a ticket on the self
04-Apr-18 service machines? Ease of use Inquiry Yes
cineworld Yes!! I messaged you last
week! The staff said it happens “all
the time” on the self service
machines and that I would be
refunded in “a few days”. I would just
23-Apr-18 like my money back now please! Performance Neg Yes
cineworld My local in Birmingham is
like that too. They got rid of loads of
staff and put a load of self service
machines in and then every time I go
in and want to get food there’s
03-Jun-18 usually a ridiculously long queue Performance Neg No
Cineworld - 3 months with no air con
in 2 of your screens. 2/3 self service
machines don’t work. Why do we pay
20-Aug-18 nearly £20 a month for this?? Performance Neg No
cineworld Appreciate that the
feedback will be passed along. I can
understand the transition to self-
service units, but when queues are
building, the tech is failing and you're
told to go to the food kiosk which
have even longer queues, it defeats
02-Sep-18 the initial purpose of the machines. Performance Neg Yes
cineworld There was nobody on the
booking desk and the self service
booking screens were not working.
We had to wait in the lengthy food
and drink queues which made us late
07-Sep-18 for the film. Performance Neg Yes

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cineworld #Gutted as yesterday went

to see #SearchingMovie at 17:10
...but it was #cancelled...why??..girl
on till #rude about it...but the guy
greeting on the door,etc polite! Also
why dont u have contactless
payment?! & cant do the
19-Sep-18 #meerkatcode on self service!? Performance Neg Yes
cineworld Was at Aberdeen Queens
Link yesterday. Using self service
terminal. Error message came up.
Spoke to staff about this. Had to buy
tickets from manned counter. My
debit card has now been charged
22-Sep-18 twice. Performance Neg Yes
cineworld I’m in Tallinn Estonia today
visiting the local cinema This is how it
shone done. Low prices mean people
don’t mind paying for these. Self
service drinks & popcorn means no
massive queues either. If only the
new Eastbourne complex could be
16-Feb-19 like this. Ease of use Pos No
cineworld hello, am I able to use a
meerkat code on a Tus/Wed on the
self service ticket machines on the
day to get tickets? Or do I need to go
08-Apr-19 to the tills to do so? Ease of use Inquiry Yes
cineworld At Newcastle, one of the
self service food order points does
not scan the unlimited cards. The
little box doesn't light up. I did tell
staff but not fixed yet. Needs a sign
on to say it's not accepting unlimited
21-Apr-19 cards. Please repair. Performance Neg Yes
cineworld No self-service ticket
machines working at Swindon
Regent Circus. I have anxiety issues
and am being forced to queue in the
30-Apr-19 foyer. Not good enough. Performance Neg No
cineworld Gloucester Quays useless
card machines don’t work nor do the
29-May-19 slushy machines or the self service Performance Neg Yes
cineworld Why is your Gloucester
Quays cinema such a mess at the
moment? Only one of the self
service ticket kiosks has worked for
a while, the escalator has only just
started working again after being out
of order, and last night no card
payments could be taken for
31-May-19 anything! Performance Neg No

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oh cineworld just walked in to your

Resortworld multiplex, only 2 self
service machines working 1 of those
is unable to accept cards, 3 people
behind the concession counter trying
to serve 50 people, 2 staff standing
behind the Starbucks counter looking
5-Jun-19 at each other Performance Neg No
Nope, no one at desk and the self
service machine wouldn’t let me buy
one and then the film just
disappeared from the screen nbd
22-Jun-19 I’ll just watch it on netflix! Ease of use Neg No
Just attempted to use a voucher at
the self service @cineworld cinema.
Where it told you to scan the code,
there was no scanner. (I assume
software was for different machine)
instead of putting in what you want
then entering code to get discount (in
29-Jun-19 this case 2 free tickets Ease of use Neg Yes
The second night in a row and still
nothing has been done about only 1
self service ticket machine working
at @cineworld Wembley, huge
3-Jul-19 queues Performance Neg Yes
Dear @cineworld, you have five self-
service ticket machines at
@CineBrighton. Every single one of
them is currently out of order. You
might want to repair them? (Oh, and
we got your shitty advert twice again
4-Jul-19 tonight.) Performance Neg No
Another week, another film, another
disaster at @cineworld ashton. No
self service kiosks working and
massive queues at the tills due to
getting tickets and food from the
same place. Brewery and p. up
28-Jul-19 springs to mind. Performance Neg No
cineworld can I use cineworld
unlimited at a self service ticket
3-Sep-19 machine Ease of use Inquiry Yes
cineworld Tonight all four self
service ticket machines at your
Swindon Regent Circus cinema were
broken and the queue at the food
counter was out the door. Shit show.
Hire some staff and fix your
7-Sep-19 machines!!! Performance Neg No

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Summary table:

Technology Acceptance Factor

Ease of use Performance Fun Total
Neutral / Inquiry 12,9% 0% 0% 12,9%
Negative 9,7% 74,2% 0% 83,9%
Positive 3,2% 0% 0% 3,2%
Total 25,8% 74,2% 0% 100%

Breakdown per Factor (Figure 5):

Source: Twitter, 2019

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APPENDIX 2

Example of typical Cineworld Twitter interaction with customer enquiries or concerns:

Source: Cineworld, 2019b

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APPENDIX 3

Summary table of Cineworld Cinemas App reviews on Google Play for the month of
September 2019 (1 September – 27 September) by theme:

Number of reviews
Theme Negative Positive Grand Total Percentage
Ease of use 1 3 4 6%
Error message 3 0 3 4%
Good overall 0 15 15 21%
Miscellaneous 1 0 1 1%
Navigation 0 3 3 4%
Not working properly 7 1 8 11%
Re-login every time 20 3 23 32%
Suggestion 2 3 5 7%
PayPal error 5 0 5 7%
Cannot open app 5 0 5 7%
Grand Total 44 28 72 100%

Source: Google Play Store, 2019.

Raw dataset:

Star
rating Cineworld
Date /5 Review Type Theme Responded?
Doesn't work on my Samsung Tab S4. Get
error code resultCode":-1,"error":"ERROR
when I try to open Manage My Account. I
have uninstalled the app and reinstalled
but still doesn't work, preferred the older Error
01-Sep-19 1 version! Neg message Yes
Can't pay via PayPal as the pop up window
doesn't allow scrolling so the confirm
button is not accessible. P20 pro Clearing
cache did the trick. Thank you. Further edit
This does not work. Tried again and
01-Sep-19 1 clearing cache did not work this time. Neg PayPal error Yes

01-Sep-19 5 Very easy to navigate Pos Navigation No

Its good but could be better to show only

currently showing movies as you have to
go through lots of future films and you don't
01-Sep-19 4 know till you click on them Pos Suggestion No
Slow. Have to login everytime I make a Re-login
01-Sep-19 3 booking. Also PayPal doesn't work. Neg every time No

It cannot see my e tickets, states that the Not working

01-Sep-19 1 server isn't available. Completely useless. Neg properly Yes

01-Sep-19 5 very easy to navigate Pos Navigation No

02-Sep-19 5 Best Pos Good overall No

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Difficult app if you want to add

03-Sep-19 1 discounts....it doesn't cooperate Neg Ease of use Yes
All the information I need at my fingertips
03-Sep-19 5 and very easy to navigate. Pos Navigation No
Cannot open
03-Sep-19 1 App won't open at all Neg app Yes
Love this app, its easy to use. Has all
upcoming movies and the screens plans
are easy to pick your seats so very pleased
03-Sep-19 5 with this app Pos Good overall No
Great when it works! Too many "server
connection issue" messages - a re-install
usually fixes. Now I get "there is a problem
with you internet" messages a. re-install
doesnt fix it b. there isnt a problem with my
interet, i've just re-installed your app and
posted this review! No login, cant
understand why I still appear to be logged
in even after a re-install? Downgraded to 2
stars after mutltiple {"resultCode":-
1,"error":"ERROR"} when trying to Manage Error
06-Sep-19 2 My Account Neg message Yes
Won't let me log in, says wrong email and
password despite resetting the password!!! Not working
06-Sep-19 1 Useless !! Neg properly Yes
Re-login
07-Sep-19 3 Keeps logging out by itself. Neg every time No
No issues with the app overall. Have been
using it for years BUT they really do need
to build the feature to simply cancel an e-
ticket for Unlimited cardholders. I've
needed to do this countless times. It would
obviously free up the seat for someone
else and leaves me free to book another
film around the same statt time if I want to
without having to physical line up at the
kiosk for them to cancel it. It'd be a better
07-Sep-19 4 service all round. Pos Suggestion No
Not fit for purpose. Does not allow you to
chose yr seats any more (07/09). Doesn't
remember details or signs you out at
random. Often crashes and posts an inane
apology. Not a good app. A complete Re-login
08-Sep-19 1 waste of time. Neg every time Yes
THIS APP IS STILL SHOCKING! I use it
begrudgingly to book my tickets. I find that I
have to log in for EVERY booking. This is a
problem when you want to book to see
more than one film in the same day. The
old version remembered me between
bookings. Recently it updated and LOST
ALL OF MY CINEWORLD CARD DETAILS
IN MY ACCOUNT, AND THAT OF MY
FRIENDS'. Absolutely shocking! I'm a
programmer myself and would NEVER
release such shoddy workmanship!
Contact me if you want this app to work Re-login
08-Sep-19 1 properly. Neg every time Yes

08-Sep-19 5 Disbury Cineworld is the best in all over UK Pos Good overall No
Easy to use and book tickets, never lags or
doesn't work and as a Cineworld Unlimited
holder it works perfectly for my needs. Only
slight issue is that it regularly logs you out
which is a tad annoying but not life Re-login
09-Sep-19 4 changing Pos every time No

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Nice and east to use so much easier than

going on the website. And so much
09-Sep-19 5 quicker. Pos Ease of use No

09-Sep-19 4 Wonderful app. Pos Good overall No

Miscellaneou
09-Sep-19 3 Basic app. Nothing soecial Neg s No
It was fine before it was updated and now it
takes me to dublin cinema and i cant Not working
11-Sep-19 1 change to uk cinema. Really annoying me Neg properly Yes
the app used to be good. Now you have to
log in each time it no longer remembers
you and the e tickets never work within the
app. Making it harder to remeber bookings Re-login
11-Sep-19 1 Neg every time Yes
Still prompting to login when I try to book a
film. Even though the app says I am logged Re-login
11-Sep-19 3 in and can see queued e-tickets. Neg every time Yes
Great app but I have login every time when
i want to but a ricket. Why doesn't it keep
me logged in? Im always logged in via the
way youve suggested, but keeps asking for Re-login
11-Sep-19 4 me to login again every time I book. Neg every time Yes
Can you please add screen size and
screen number on particular movie show
11-Sep-19 2 and its time. Neg Suggestion Yes
PayPal payment screen is not scrollable. In
the event of multiple cards impossible to
pay, because of unreachable bottom
11-Sep-19 4 button. Neg PayPal error Yes
Useless if using PayPal Unable to scroll
down and pay for tickets once
authenticated to Paypal. No scroll and
frame does not fit screen so....cant
progress booking. Going to a different
cinema chain. Edit: tried removing
additional card from PayPal but still unable
to approve transaction due to rendering
issue. I use PayPal to avoid trusting
multiple co's with card details. Still 1 X *
rating as PayPal integration test should
have been performed before releasing this
11-Sep-19 1 update! Neg PayPal error Yes
Hey, Thanks for answering my previous
query. Im finding i have to keep logging
into book a seat for every film. Please fix Re-login
11-Sep-19 4 this Neg every time Yes
Have a Cineworld account and an
Unlimited card, pees me off i have to log in
EVERY time i open the App to book tickets.
If i go to My Cineworld, i am logged in, as
soon as i confirm a show, i have to log in. Re-login
12-Sep-19 4 Strange. Neg every time Yes

12-Sep-19 5 Smooth and easy Pos Good overall No

Will not open anymore. Says 'app keeps
stopping'. So now I can't book the cinema Cannot open
12-Sep-19 1 and you lose my money. Neg app Yes
Never have I used something so infuriating!
So many issues with this app, as many
people have mentioned below... Having to
do an additional log in to book every time,
paypal does not scroll down so can't pay,
server issues when trying to view my e-
tickets, and so on. I've stopped bothering Re-login
13-Sep-19 1 with the app and just book via the website. Neg every time Yes

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Cannot open
14-Sep-19 1 This app has just stopped working Neg app Yes
Although the app is still logged in, their
website keeps logging you out after a
while. When you want to buy a ticket you
have to logout and login again from the
app, so the buy ticket section doesn't ask Re-login
14-Sep-19 3 you to login over and over. Neg every time No
Absolute garbage, e-tickets display in app
doesn't work most of the time. Booking Not working
15-Sep-19 1 works fine though. Neg properly Yes
Handy app for checking screening times
and booking tickets. The search function
doesn't seem to let me reset my favourite
cinema, but at least it recognises my
nearest. A minor quibble. Otherwise very Not working
15-Sep-19 4 good. Pos properly No
Rubbish app only use it because I have to.
Try to pay with PayPal and no "continue"
15-Sep-19 1 button Neg PayPal error Yes

Terrible. Had to login three times to

complete purchase. PayPal screen
wouldn't scroll. Pay by card doesn't work Re-login
15-Sep-19 1 with stored card details on phone. Neg every time Yes
I hate that i have to always enter my login
details also the booking process is too
16-Sep-19 5 long. Now fixed by developer, good work. Pos Good overall Yes
The app based pages are ok, and the
movie browsing easy and smooth. When it
then displays embedded web pages within
the app it seems to all fall apart. The
account management screens are clunky
and buggy (multiple selected home
cinemas for example, or whole white pages
with some JSON and and error message!).
Payment page is a nightmare if you use
PayPal; with 4 payment or more methods
in PayPal, the app trims the bottom of the
web page meaning you can't proceed past Not working
16-Sep-19 3 the payment method selection. Neg properly No
App was good but for the last 5 days the
app will not open on my phone so cant
view what's on or book tickets. Staff at
cinema dont know how to fix it. I've
uninstalled then reinstalled it so not sure
what the problem is I have a Samsung S9
phone I deleted the cache but still didnt
work. I've now deleted cache and data and Cannot open
18-Sep-19 2 it now works. Thanks Neg app Yes
Already I think that I should be able to
access the synopsis when I view a list
filtered by date or time, but now it is not
even opening. Installed again, but still
keeps stppping. Please fix. EDIT: My
mobile is spanking new, so I honestly
doubt the issue is my mobile. Ironically, the
app was functioning fine on my 6+ yo
mobile. Go figure. EDIT2: Thanks now it Not working
18-Sep-19 4 works fine. Neg properly Yes

19-Sep-19 5 Very easy to use no problems Pos Good overall No

19-Sep-19 3 Not bad, could be more user friendly Neg Suggestion Yes

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Fix your damn app. It's not hard to have an

automatic login functionality. Also, what on
earth is going on with your PayPal
integration, have you even tested this? You
can't even bloody confirm payment. Sort it Re-login
20-Sep-19 1 out Cineworld. Neg every time No

20-Sep-19 5 Easy to book films Pos Good overall No

Like everyone else I have to keeping
logging in every time I book a film yes
cineworld I have tried logging on as soon
as I go on app like you said and every time
it says I'm logged in I book all my weekend
films at the same time and I have to log in
for each film why when I don't even leave
the app after each booking it's got to
something cineworld end as everyone
having the same issue Cineworld tried
what you suggested and NO it didn't work Re-login
20-Sep-19 1 Neg every time Yes

Not sure how this helps me manage my Error

20-Sep-19 2 account: {"resultCode":-1,"error":"ERROR"} Neg message No
to improve :(under android Sony
Xperia Z5) all the time need to logging as
the app does not keep you logged in
permanently. (I just downloaded the app
and entered my details. So the solution
provided on other message do not work).
Would be nice to have the membership
card include in the app and shown at the
moment of scanning ticket to avoid to have
the card all the time with you. Otherwise
good and easy to book tickets. Remember Re-login
20-Sep-19 3 the card and friends membership card too. Neg every time No
Possibly the worst mobile experience ive
ever endured. Tried to pay for tickets using
gift cards and the remainder using PayPal.
Gift cards were a pain as i had to enter four
but then when it came to paying the
difference, the PayPal credit card upsell
box meant it was impossible to actually
click confirm. I tried to get around it but
instead it cancelled my booking and
support advised me to just book on a
desktop (by which time the seats i wanted
had gone). Great App!? Top work
21-Sep-19 1 Cineworld!? Neg PayPal error No

21-Sep-19 5 Love it Pos Good overall No

Would give it 5 star if it stops frustrating

you by making you write in your login
details everytime you go into the app and Re-login
21-Sep-19 3 try to make a booking Neg every time Yes

21-Sep-19 5 Excellent app Pos Good overall No

Lost all personal details. Took 7 attempts
to book tickets. Didn't store my payment Not working
21-Sep-19 2 card. Poor service. Poor app Neg properly No

22-Sep-19 5 Always easy to use Pos Good overall No

22-Sep-19 5 Good app. Easy to use Pos Good overall No

24-Sep-19 5 Fast and easy bookings Pos Good overall No

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The log in verification is a pain in the

rear....why do I have to verify when I'm
using the app? Edit: My issue is I'm already
logged into the app but when booking
tickets I am passed to the website and
have to log in again, then go through the
archaic verification system to identify traffic
lights or hills in photos. The app needs the
booking process to be simplified and Re-login
24-Sep-19 2 streamlined Neg every time Yes
I am a cardholder and find it annoying you
have to log in everytime you try to book a
movie. Can you not have fingerprint login
like every other app. I find the app very
dated due to this and normally book via the
website. **Update** I am logged in through
MyCineworld but makes no difference.
Every time I have to book I have to login Re-login
24-Sep-19 2 again. Neg every time Yes
Good app for booking your tickets,
however a few slight annoyances. Once
you're logged in, would be better if you
didn't have to keep putting in your
username and password everytime you
want to make a booking, using the Re-login
25-Sep-19 2 fingerprint scanner would help with this. Neg every time Yes
26-Sep-19 4 Live it Pos Good overall No
Not bad, needs work. I tend to screenshot
my e-tickets because half the time you
can't get the ones you've bought to display
of you've bought them online rather than
through the app. Should be simple to link
27-Sep-19 3 the 2 via Unlimited Card number. Pos Suggestion No
Excellent app. Booking tickets and
choosing your seats is so easy and
straightforward. Selecting your favourite
visited cinemas too is a handy feature, as it
lets you see immediately at a glance when
you select a film, which of your earmarked
cinemas are showing it. Their respective
distance away is also a useful extra bit of
info. I used to use the app on my tablet, as
it didn't behave well on my smartphone, but
those early gremlins seem to have been
27-Sep-19 5 sorted now. Thumbs up all round, I love it. Pos Good overall No
27-Sep-19 5 Easy to book and select the seats. Pos Ease of use No

27-Sep-19 5 So easy to book tickets, Pos Ease of use No

Won't even run anymore. Samsung s9+ Cannot open
27-Sep-19 1 and it won't even start! Neg app No
Great experience. (Apart from always
needing to login when making a booking,
despite that fact that I am already logged in Re-login
27-Sep-19 4 when it starts). Pos every time No
Have to log in everytime you open it.
Complete pain, may as well use the
website as at least that remembers your Re-login
27-Sep-19 1 credentials. Neg every time No
Other than having to resign in everytime I Re-login
27-Sep-19 4 use the app I have no complaints Pos every time No

31
 Customer Engagement Report:
Audit & Strategic Plan

APPENDIX 4

Re: Figure 8 – Cineworld blog post containing customer-generated content, allowing

customers to be co-creators of value.

32
 Customer Engagement Report:
Audit & Strategic Plan

Source: Wilson, 2019.

33