I HAAAAAAAAAAATE THE NEW TELECHARGE!- Page 3

[TC Web Feedback]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 4:52pm

> But you yourself said this plugin doesn't work. So....?

I said it doesn't work in Chrome.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 4:58pm

I've tried using it on chrome as well as others an it doesn't work anywhere.

Look, as I said before I appreciate telecharge trying to improve but this is a disaster on every single level. I don't want to have to download anything to just be able to look at a website. I don't want to have to spend 20 minutes navigating to find information that should just be displayed with a click of a button.

Can you tell us what your ultimate goal with the website is? Wil it ever be as simple as

1. Type in name of event you want.
2. Click on date you'd like to attend
3. See a full seating chart appear displaying all available seats.

Will that happen?

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 5:12pm

I'd love to get some tickets for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike but the site is driving me insane! Can't we roll back to the first version if we wish to use it?

[jeffmiele]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 5:15pm

Totally agree with everything Jordan is saying. I, too, have tried multiple web browsers and it is an absolute pain to use. I love being able to see everything that is available, like on TicketMaster, which was always my number one complaint about Telecharge. But now in trying to improve the site has gotten worse and impossible to use. I'd rather have the old one back. I always liked Telecharge because the service charges were less, but loved ticketmaster because I knew EVERYTHING that was available to me at the time and was able to pick where I wanted to sit rather than some machine telling me where to sit. I'd rather it be the new system then logging on and seeing the new one.

Plus, the design of the site overall is awful. It does not come off simple, it looks cheap too. I should be attracted to it once I log on and easily know where to go and not be distracted by so much crap. Use the Apple logic, it works.

Long story short: Make it user friendly and if it doesn't work then go to the old one until it can be fixed. Users should not have to download a new browser or anything to have to buy a ticket to something. This isn't good for telecharge, because I don't want to buy from them, the show, because there was one time where it would not work at all for me so they did not make any money from me buying tickets, or me, because me as the customer gets frustrated and misses out on theater.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 5:15pm

Oh, I tried looking for tickets for that the other day and just gave up. My roommate told me I needed to calm down I was getting so pissed at that damn website.

[welcometothetheater]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 5:23pm

"I had to verify I was a human everytime I clicked on something."

THIS. THIS IS WHAT I CANNOT STAND. I can tolerate everything else, but the CONSTANT verification compels me to order by phone.

[beensince1987]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 6:04pm

"if you haven't been to the site in the last week or so, you might notice it's less pokey than it used to be"

he/she claims that this to be true but NOT.

I consider myself lucky that I usually see what's available on website then just go to box office that way I don't have to pay extra $10-$15.

I will go back to telecharge site when I can see all the seats that are available the day I want to attend. Otherwise why do I wanna make myself worked up for something that is not working.

Until then I just have to bother box office people for available seat choices.

[beaemma]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 6:54pm

Last spring, I was able to use the site successfully several times with Chrome. Now it won't work with Chrome or Firefox. It's like they're systematically trying to set it up so it won't work with anything. And what's the deal with the 3D seating charts? Do they actually provide any more useful information than the 2D charts at Ticketmaster or Roundabout? Streamline and simplify, guys!

[My Oh My]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 7:56pm

Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles also has a great ticketing system very similar to Ticketmaster's.

http://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=9493

Gave Telecharge a go on my browser of choice, Chrome, but that just gave me a black box where a seating chart was supposed to be. Then tried it in Firefox and this was my experience:

-It worked
-Way too many steps
-Way too many unimportant details
-Too many hyperlinks
-The info box that pops up once you click on the seat of your choice appears for a couple seconds and if you don't click "more details" immediately, it will go away and the only way to bring it back up is to deselect the seat of your choice and then reselect it and click fast or someone else might take your available seat! LOL.
-The verification thing is bad enough on Ticketmaster and similar sites. Here, it's excessive.
-I see they still have the Blue Screen of Death and mid-90s web aesthetic. I'm not easily spooked by things of the past, so it's OK, but there are sites that are very 2013. Maybe they'd like to redesign? Lots of people care about that stuff.

Often times a crappy looking site can be forgiven if it works beautifully, but having both fugly and unreliable is...what's the point?

Updated On: 1/15/13 at 07:56 PM

[TC Web Feedback]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 8:17pm

Thanks for all of the feedback--we really do appreciate it. We're at a point now where we plan to be working to improve the usability of the site. It's also helpful to know that frequent theatergoers like you would prefer fewer features and a simpler design. Are any of the following features ones which you'd want to keep?

1. The ability to search a range of dates and choose multiple performance times within that range (eg any Fri or Sat eve from Jan 15 - March 31)--this is the date search option on the right side of the new site

2. The ability to choose multiple performances at a time from pull-down menus (as opposed to a calendar)--this is the date search option on the left side of the new site

3. The ability to have the website choose the best seats for you (as opposed to choosing from all available seats on the chart)

4. The ability to choose a specific seating section (eg Orchestra, Mezzanine), particularly when you have the ability to choose from all available seats on the seating chart

5. The ability to search for single seats (where your entire party wouldn't sit together)

6. The ability to search for obstructed view seats

Jordan Catalano and jeffmiele, I'm going to send you both PMs. I'd like to try to figure out why the seating chart isn't working on any browser you try, so that we can fix whatever is causing that problem.

[beensince1987]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 8:51pm

Why can't you just show all available seats like ticketmaster and roundabout websites? Do people actually let computer choose if they have a choice of choosing yourself?

If you go to buy LUCK OF IRISH, you can see what's available, but if you go to KINKY BOOTS, you can't see that at all. Why?

I think 3D is a waste, you don't need it. As long as you know where the overhang is, that's all I need to know.so 2D is totally fine.

Go to these 2 sites (ticketmaster and roundabout) to see how they operate, they go back to your site. You should be able to see how annoying and user-unfriendly your site is.
Even Metropolitan Opera and NY Phil sites you can choose seat you want.


"5. The ability to search for single seats (where your entire party wouldn't sit together) "

This, if you can see what's available, they understand (we are not THAT stupid) they won't be sitting together or choose the day that they could. Updated On: 1/15/13 at 08:51 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 9:05pm

"1. The ability to search a range of dates and choose multiple performance times within that range (eg any Fri or Sat eve from Jan 15 - March 31)--this is the date search option on the right side of the new site

If you're going to let the computer choose for you than I guess it's a good idea to have this. But if we're going to be able to just look at seating chart and see what's available on a certain date (like Ticketmaster or Roundabout), than there's no point in having that.

2. The ability to choose multiple performances at a time from pull-down menus (as opposed to a calendar)--this is the date search option on the left side of the new site

Again, this is not necessary if we can view what's available from a seating chart.

3. The ability to have the website choose the best seats for you (as opposed to choosing from all available seats on the chart)
If people want this, more power to them.

4. The ability to choose a specific seating section (eg Orchestra, Mezzanine), particularly when you have the ability to choose from all available seats on the seating chart
And again, if we can just see a picture of the seats, we will see what's available where and not need to choose specifically orchestra or mezz.

5. The ability to search for single seats (where your entire party wouldn't sit together)
And again, not needed if we can choose from a picture.

6. The ability to search for obstructed view seats"
When you roll the arrow over a seat that is obstructed view, it should say "obstructed view" in the popup and again at checkout for those who didn't see it.

From the questions you asked, it sounds like the "Ticketmaster/Roundabout" easy view plan isn't really something that Telecharge is interested in. If so, than please just go back to the old way.

[jaxandmci]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 9:06pm

At least from the shows I've tried to buy tickets for using the Choose Your Own Seat Option, you still don't see ALL the available seats, just a subset of seats--the same lousy group shown one (or two) at a time when you let the site choose seats for you--regardless of the performance. And these are not high demand shows!

[mordav]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 9:59pm

"We're at a point now where we plan to be working to improve the usability of the site".

Planning? Now? What took so long to get to this point? And how long do you think you will "plan" to be working on it before you actually start working on it?

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 10:05pm

I will add yet another voice to the chorus saying that we want a map of all of the available seats so that we can click on the one(s) that we want, like ticketmaster or roundabout. None of the features that you mention are needed if that map is available. The "best available" selection algorithm is severely flawed (e.g. choosing obstructed-view full-price seats while empty ones are available in the center section. None of this would be an issue if the map were available. We have some local, community, and regional theatres that even have this option on their ticketing websites, and those are small groups with their own site. Is it really that hard for a professional ticket agency to program this capability? If so, why not license the useful software from ticketmaster?

[morosco]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 10:06pm

Is there any reason Telecharge can't be this easy? This example is from the Kennedy Center.



Updated On: 1/15/13 at 10:06 PM

[Kelly2]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 10:14pm

Honestly, it's gotten to the point that if shows have their tickets on Telecharge, those are the shows I think "Eh, I'll just wait and see what rush is". The worst. By far.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 1/15/13 at 10:36pm

This is honestly one of the ugliest and least user friendly websites I have ever seen. I am trying to be a SINGLE ticket for one performance of Matilda.

I still have not bought said ticket 20 minutes later and am calling to order tickets because this is ridiculous. My comments as I experience this website. (I'm using Firefox by the way)

1.) The website looks absolutely hideous. It's such a busy design for something that should be made as user friendly as possible and the blue color scheme really doesn't work. I honestly wouldn't care about this at all though if it worked.

2.) After trying to get my bearings I notice Matilda is actually one of the featured shows on the front page of your site so I click it thinking it will be easy and direct me straight to where I need to go to purchase tickets. Instead, after a white screen for about a minute, two boxes appear on top of each other one with a list of Broadway shows and one with a link to Matilda but I can't seem to click on the right box or read anything.

3.) After repeated clicks on the Matilda box I finally get a white screen again and 30 seconds later a page appears to order tickets.

4.) I click the performance I want and am then prompted with another screen asking me to confirm what performance I want and it provides me with a range of dates. This is so confusing and unnecessary (and also takes 30 seconds to load) since I already said the date I wanted.

5.) I then am brought to yet another page with more options to fill out (why couldn't you just put this all on one page - especially when the website runs so slowly and poorly that each successive click is another minute of wasted time?)

6.) I select the "Choose my own seat option" which seems ridiculous to even have such options - how many people want a machine to choose a seat for them when one can easily look at a chart and pick the exact seats they want?

7.) I type in the code and my computer completely freezes and nothing works. Finally, after about 2 minutes I'm able to see a block box with a little circle that says loading performance on top of it. This persists for about three minutes before I decide to take my dog for a walk.

8.) I return to find that the seating chart has finally loaded but a seat has been preselected for me. When I click on another seat to find out its price, an error pops up telling me that I've exceeded the maximum number of tickets. I realize one needs to deselect their ticket but the seats are all so close together that in my attempt to deselect one seat I hit the one next to it and get another error message.

9.) I then realize there is no way to choose a seat by price so I need to click on every damn seat to find the cheapest seat. This is most frustrating of all as every seat takes about 15 seconds to select then deselect.

10.) I realize it's been 20 minutes and I'm still no where near able to get a SINGLE seat I want for one performance.

I'm sorry, I usually don't like to complain but this is ridiculous.

Updated On: 1/15/13 at 10:36 PM

[dtzumbrunnen]

Posted: 1/16/13 at 9:57am

Simplicity wins. The bottom line is picking your seats is ideal.

If I can't pick my seats, I'd rather be able to search a price level than a specific section of the house. I tried to buy tickets last night for the In The Heights concert and searched three times using sections that were marked as the $45 price level. Each time, my search results gave me $150 seats. Thanks, but that's not what I searched for. Tried again with the $65 price level (maybe the $45 were sold out, right?), same result.

Called Telecharge and in 5 minutes was able to learn that there were several $45 seats available, as well as $65 seats, which I ultimately purchased.

Blue-sky core function of Telecharge ticketing website: Sell tickets to theatre-goers.
Current state of Telecharge ticketing website: Nuisance that prompts theatre-goers to call more expensive, staffed-by-humans call center to purchase tickets, except in instances where they can walk to box office and save $20 bucks on service fees for a pair of tickets.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 1/27/13 at 9:58pm

Just tried three times to buy tickets. Froze my computer each time. Had to wait minutes between each drop down menu, only to be booted. Horrendous. Spent 30 minutes and go nothing.

TELECHARGE!!! You need a do-over! Just use the same system Roundabout has! BOOM! DONE! Easy as pie!

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/27/13 at 11:40pm

Joining in the chorus of complaints.

I used to far prefer Telecharge to Ticketmaster, but no longer. The home page is a cluttered, cheap mess.

The ability to navigate is beyond frustrating. Not to mention that it seems to crash my computer whenever I try to submit a selection.

Epic Fail.

[suestorm]

Posted: 1/28/13 at 3:28pm

I gotta say TICKETMASTER is AWESOME. I was supposed to go see TEGAN and SARA tonight but it was canceled. I received 3 EMAILS and they called me to let me know! thats service.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 1/28/13 at 8:45pm

I cant get a good seat to save my life-and that is for shows with low grosses. Ridiculous.

[mordav]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 1:02am

I know this has been done to death, and maybe I am living in a fantasy world by thinking that if people persevere with their complaints then Telecharge will do something to improve their service - but I know in the past a Telecharge rep has come onto the site to comment, so here I go. I was in New York in March and had to endure Telecharge and will be back in September and wanted to check out prices and availability for The Glass Menagerie. I cringed when I saw it was through Telecharge. They have made some changes - it seemed I was having to enter CAPTCHA codes a lot more frequently and there was a blank black screen where the seating chart used to be - is it possible that they have actually made this site LESS user friendly?
OF course, it still offered up sh*tty seats against the wall of the theater as the "best available", and crashed my computer mid way through using the site. I take that as a given.
Is it possible to use Telecharge without the need for a cathartic rant on this message board?
Can I still use the old site somehow?

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 5/23/13 at 8:32pm

I've spent the last 15 minutes attempting to buy tickets for a specific performance for Pippin next month.

The seating chart was not loading so then I clicked the option for the site to pick the best available and it gave me five different options but whenever I click one it freezes and every two minutes it says my hold on the tickets has expired and boots me out and makes me fill the form out again.

This is absurd. I have a new computer and have never had any other problem anywhere near this on any other website. It's clear it's the site, not my computer. How is this still not fixed?