Re: RAT In-House Ticketing (not an aesthetic thread)

[The Independent Eye <bards@independenteye.org>]

Warning: purely personal opinion here (Elizabeth)

	Early in our Philadelphia span we used an outside ticketing
service, and fled in fairly short order.  We always answered our own phones
when we could, and taking reservations was in one sense a royal pain-in-the
butt.  Our OGM, when we were in rehearsal or sleeping, said we'd call back,
and yes, we did (until the last year before The Move) do the credit card
guarantee route, which substantially cut down on no-shows.
	My problems with the ticketing service we used were (1) slow
settlements, (2) chaotic record-keeping, including availability of current
reservation count, and (3) the hassle of having to drive crosstown to get
the physical tickets for the same-day box office on site.  All three of
these can be evaluated by asking off-the-record response from folks already
using the service.
	But my major reason for hating it was from both producer and
attendee perspectives.  The first contact an audience person has is with
the reservation process, and the opportunity for personal contact and a
super-brief schmooze sets a different climate from the impersonal one.  I
like that, I like to provide it.  YMMV.
	As attendee, nobody EVER could tell me ANYTHING about a show, there
was *always* a damn service charge, and it just headlined the commercial as
the baseline.
	Our last year in Philly we heaved the CC option, and the timesaving
in person-hours processing was probably more of a gain than the loss of
folks who don't wanna mess with you if you deal in cash or check.  And I
don't think our no-shows actually rose at that point.
	When we still had the CC option active, we offered the option of
guaranteeing by card and then paying cash or check at the door.  (Didn't
ever have a problem being stiffed on checks.)  We were 49 seats.  We never
solicited CC#'s on the OGM, only voice-to-voice.
	I'd recommend thinking carefully about who answers the phone for
reservations, if you don't deflect it to voicemail, how open you want to
leave it to call people back, confirm, and chat a minute about their
questions, or make their picture of the offering more vivid.  A good
voicemail message can beat a lousy live answer.  Credit cards cost you
money, but people find them convenient.
	 - Elizabeth





Visit The Independent Eye's website
at <http://www.independenteye.org>.