I am SO SICK of Rude Box Office People...- Page 3

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 9:12pm

Studio 54 has a great staff !!!! All are very friendly !

[jordangirl]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 9:18pm

Yeah, I love their box office people! :)

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 9:46pm

The gentleman that usually works the window closest to the inside of the theatre is extremely friendly-

Its nice to see !

[BillFinn]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:03pm

he's hot too. heh.

[Tom148502]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:12pm

I'm with Dolly and I've been going to the theatre in NYC since 1949. In voicing your complaints about the box-office personnel, many of you come across as arrogant so I'm not surprised at what happened.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 1:13am

I agree, I've not had a problem with the box office staffs I've encountered, and I'm usually buying rush/SRO from them. One of the ladies at the Palace was extraordinarily kind to me during "Lestat"'s run and went out of her way to make sure I got a good seat.

"Direct and businesslike" isn't the same as "rude." The box office staff is there to sell you tickets, not smile and shoot the breeze. They're not going to hold your hand. What do you want, the tickets presented to you on a silver platter with a bow and flourish? And you know...if they did, people on here would probably kvetch because OMG, the staff was SLOW and dared to make them wait an extra five minutes while they were bowing to the customer ahead of them.
Updated On: 6/5/07 at 01:13 AM

[gustof777]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 1:55am

oh yeah the guys at Studio 54 are AWESOME!

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:32pm

<< "Direct and businesslike" isn't the same as "rude." The box office staff is there to sell you tickets, not smile and shoot the breeze. They're not going to hold your hand. What do you want, the tickets presented to you on a silver platter with a bow and flourish? And you know...if they did, people on here would probably kvetch because OMG, the staff was SLOW and dared to make them wait an extra five minutes while they were bowing to the customer ahead of them.
>>

You have to admit, some of them ARE rude---- not direct and businesslike--- just rude. They are in a service industry, where you have to deal with customers (obviously)- If you cant be polite---- (and that doesnt mean serving the ticket on a silver platter, or anything like that ... just polite)... then you may look to get out of the service industry.

I did. I worked retail for years growing up, and dealing with customers is NOT easy... rather than be nasty to them, I just found other employement.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:59pm

On the flip side, one box office person at the New Amsterdam was chatting up with a tourist about where to eat in the theatre district, etc., while I was standing there with a "hello, you're the only window open, and I don't appreciate having to wait" look on my face. She was extremely nice and I lost my attitude when she agreed to exchange my ticket for a better seat for that evening's performance (I paid the difference).

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 6:05pm

Was at Studio 54 (for a change...LOL) before, and gentleman in front of me had to exchange tickets... they were EXTREMELY helpful at the window ! Its very cool when they are so accomodating !!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 1:17am

Okay, I had a rude encounter today.

I went down to Pirate Queen and asked for a Playbill because "I wanted more info about the show." The lady basically flung it at me, which is what I expected. Okay, I was fine with that.

What got me mad was when I asked her "What are the best tickets you have for Saturday matinee for two people?". All she said was, "We have seats available." She looked busy, and I didn't feel like asking again, so I just left.

[WhenURScrap]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 1:24am

"The last time I asked to speak to the Box Office manager the rude person selling tickets shouted "I AM THE BOX OFFICE MANAGER!".

I was so stunned I could only laugh and ask..."Do you need a hug?" "

HAHAHAHA! Amazing ... loved it.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 2:57am

When someone who doesn't have the authority to give me what I need and tells me they are the Mgr. then you go to the House Mgr. That usually annoys them even more!

I worked in Customer Service and have been told what I could do with certain pieces of fine furniture. I wouldn't get upset, I could understand their problem so I knew never to take other's temperament to heart. You represent a business, you are not the business itself so it doesn't help if you can't keep your cool in these sort of situation. What matters is how you deal with your situation. If you can't deal with it, as other have said, it isn't the job for you.

Just as I have worked with some really terrible personalities who were lazy, totally unqualified for the work and they made my job even worse because they didn't do their job right. Yet, still that isn't the customers problem, it's just mine.

It is why you should call or write and complain if the service wasn't good and be specific, so don't get the wrong name and make your troubles worse. Some people keep their jobs because of well, all sorts of reasons...yet if they get enough complaints, their pet may have to be re-assigned answering phones or something hopefully far away from yours. You should also make sure, if you do get very good service that you tell the Mgrs. also. It goes in the Employees file and gives them something to negotiate their salaries with. Many times we let a good worker go by the wayside, forgetting it is a thankless job. I had customers write me letters and wow, that sure made my day and made it a little bit easier to do my work. Especially when my Mgr has to give it to me. Then I knew he knew I was special. It does come in handy many times. Like when you need a certain day off.

I have even brought treats, gifts to shows I particularly liked or because it is the Holidays, knowing they will be stuck working 6days a week and struggling to get their shopping done on time if they are lucky. Mostly because ticket prices weren't very expensive so rather than tip the Theatre I rather it benefit the staff and actors more.

I am sorry to hear about that bad time at Drowsy's box office though in NY. I bought my ticket in the afternoon there so no line and the service was very good. The attendant took the time to help me pick a good seat too. Described where to find the Stagedoor too which was a little more difficult to find for a tourist like me, so that I could leave a card. There was no line, someone came in after me but I wasn't rushed and the next customer was patient with me.

The doorman was atrocious though, so luckily I decided I better see to the Office Mgr. because he was just taking up space and didn't give my card to the Actor I was there to catch up with whom I knew. I was use to dealing with Office staff so this was new to me. The Office Mgr was wonderful as was the staff in the Theatre so only this one guy gave me grief and the Mgr. knew it, since I told him. So even if it kills you, you have to at least try to be nice because you never know.

It's like giving lousy service and expecting a good tip just because you got the food to the table. Had someone once drop my friends hamburger on the carpet and then tried to serve it up to us! We laughed but of course sent it back and gave her a lousy tip. As I did to the Waitress who presented me with a very greasy folder for me to put my credit card into and then called me rude for asking if she could find one that was clean so my card wouldn't be ruined. I swear, it just came out of the fryer, I kid you not! I left a dollar tip.

Ha ha, don't shortchange a Customer Service Rep on her service. Since we never know whom we are serving, I never felt it worth the chance of taking a customer for granted. Even if I said those things don't look very well together and they disagreed. The next day they try to sneak in and pretend it was my fault they had to bring it back because it was, well a horrendous combination to begin with. That's satisfaction to me.


It was cold though, that Mgr refusing to refund the tickets. They could at least maybe offer you another show in exchange to teach you not to do that. Yet, if you didn't come, you would be helping them out by paying for seats you didn't use and they could easily fill them with a last minute buyer at a higher price. It is worse though to ask for a refund, if it is a high priced ticket. Harder to give that kind of money back. That isn't typical, even though it was your doing, since it is better business to make the Customer happy so that they remember they owe you for your understanding. Don't however blame them for checking to see if you are on their mailing list first before taking your problem under consideration. Woe if they remember you though and call you up on that favor, like conniving you into buying higher priced tickets next time because of that favor.

You can also perhaps consider them charity, donate them, so that you can get a write-off if the situation gets desperate. Sell them at the show yourself? I have bought tickets off of customers who were refused a return before at a better price than I would pay the venue for. Though realize some Companies have policies that forbid it completely. It is however the job of the CS person to explain this with the utmost understanding because it isn't their fault. Mgrs. can do a lot more than the typical CS person can do and most of the time they don't even tell their CS staff that it is a possibility, forcing them to try everything in the book to calm a frantic Customer when it wasn't even necessary because when the Mgr. comes out they just give them what they want. If the Customer gets mad at you because you don't know this but they do, it just makes the situation worse.

Whenever I go over someones head, I always try to explain why I must do this and that I understand their limitation and promise to tell the boss it isn't because of them just the policy I must object to. If you don't, you get ripped off, so you do what needs to be done to get by. Just remember how limited most CS personnel are and deal with the appropriate person for the situation.

I do however dislike extremely working with people who think they are underpaid, under compensated for a job almost anyone can do. You can't support a family off this kind of work. You either have to go to College or learn a trade. Theatres can't afford to pay much for this kind of work. It is no excuse for taking it out on the Customers, especially for questions that are typical, like seating arrangements, ticket prices.

I know some too frown on the cheap seats, if the Production isn't doing so well, yet you can't get blood from a turnip or a person strapped for cash. You need to treat them as well as the next person because an empty seat is just that. Some shows just don't get the attention others do. That isn't the person asking for the tickets fault, I know some are just cheap, yet that is a whole other problem with Theatre especially since big production do cost a lot of money to perform. Yet I have no tolerance either with those who think if you can't afford a 100 dollar ticket, there is no place for you in a Theatre. Very bad attitude as well.