A friendly welcome, well-run bar and clean loos can make a big difference to audiences – and we tend to love it when we find the artistic director is tearing tickets

Yesterday I casually tweeted how nice it was to go to London's Gate theatre to see the excellent Sunset Baby and find my ticket being torn by the artistic director, Christopher Haydon. In fact I think having the AD tearing the tickets is something of a Gate tradition, possibly something started by Stephen Daldry when he ran the tiny Notting Hill theatre.

I was surprised by the strong response the tweet elicited, with people reporting back from around the country how much they appreciated it when those who actually run our theatres, or make theatre, engage face-to-face with audiences on the way in or out.

Several people fondly recalled the strong front-of-house presence of Giles Havergal and his team when they were at the Citizens in Glasgow, and I've always liked the fact that at both BAC and the Young Vic in London, the artistic directors are very much in evidence in the public parts of the building on a daily basis. @deldridgewriter described the Young Vic's David Lan "like a shop-keeper padding around the pavement in the Cut", and @ClaremBrennan reminded that Northern Broadsides' Barrie Rutter always makes a point of greeting audiences. @danielbye recalled having his ticket torn in Paris by the great Ariane Mnouchkine.

It was David Eldridge too who pointed out that it is box office staff and ushers who are the playwright's best friend because they are a direct conduit between those buying the tickets and those making the work.

Theatres often spend large amounts of money on tracking customer feedback but perhaps what is really needed is for Greg Doran and Nicholas Hytner to usher a few of the shows in their theatres so they get a real sense of what audiences feel, not just about individual plays but the whole customer experience. It's something that fringe theatres are often good at: @benmonks singled out Tara Arts for friendliness, and @MissSionedJones praised Sasha Regan at the Union who pretty well does everything from directing to serving behind the bar.

@DandDUK pointed Twitter towards a fascinating Devoted and Disgruntled Roadshow report that came out at the Edinburgh D&D, in which a session was called to discuss the crucial importance of ushers in the theatre, and how they can make or break a performance both for audiences and companies.

The exchanges got me thinking just how important the front of house experience is for theatregoers. After all, even if the food is good, we wouldn't go back to a restaurant where the maitre d' was rude to us, but we might feel very inclined to return if, after the meal, the chef came out to ask us what we really thought of the meal she had served.

We may like to think that the show's the thing, but with rising ticket prices the investment that people make in a night out is quite considerable, and it can be the little things – a well-run bar, clean toilets (with soap, the absence of which is one of my bugbears) friendly staff and a warm welcome – that can make all the difference between feeling that you've had an OK night out or a really good one. Even the quality and price of the ice-cream can be a dealbreaker.

What makes a difference to you when you go to the theatre? Share the things that irritate you, and tell us about the welcomes that have ensured you return to a venue again and again.