The Belasco Box Office Staff Proves Yet Again What As%h*l#s They Are — Page 3

I think that's the same guy who gave me attitude when I went to collect my tickets to Women On The Verge

I've only ever had a problem with the BO staff at the Music Box and the Longacre. But I've also had the rare pleasant experience with them as well.

I've worked in customer service since I was 16 (which I know is not terribly long in the grand scheme of things, since I'm 22) and have never found it necessary or productive to be openly rude to a customer. Fake, sure. Frustrated, definitely. But if you hate people so much that you can't mask your nastiness, customer service is probably not the industry for you. The key is to put on a happy face and grin and bear it. I am always polite and ask as few questions as possible when I'm in line at a box office and the amount of times a staff member has been openly rude is just totally uncalled for.

I agree that The Cort has an excellent staff. When I was collecting my tickets for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE a few years ago, I watched the box office attendant handle a difficult situation with a patron very well. (The patron had TDF tickets, which were in the balcony, and was complaining; the box office attendant calmly told her that those were the only seats available at that price, before respectfully asking her to step aside so that he could help the other customers) It was a lesson in how to keep your cool and project total professionalism in a bad situation.

I've dealt with unpleasant people at the box office, but the only truly bad experience I recall was at The Longacre. I was trying to get a rush ticket for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. After the box office clerk told me that I looked too old to be a student (I was 26 and in grad school at the time) and suggested I was trying to scam him, he gave me grief because my student ID didn't have an expiration date. He said something along the lines of, "you've probably been using this for years." I left without purchasing a ticket because I wouldn't condone that level of rudeness.

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Updated On: 4/30/12 at 09:55 AM

The customer isn't always correct, it depends if he/she is paying!

As theatre fans, we see loads of shows and sometimes the same show several times, we demonstrate our love of theatre by how often we attend and not how much we pay for our tickets. As theatre fans to go to the theatre a lot we have to resort to doing lotteries/rushes, so we can stretch our finances to see more shows.

However when going to a box office and asking for rush seats,I have felt looked down upon and treated diffrently to a person who has requested premium tickets, that they are more valid customer, as they are spending more money.

When customer service staff is rude, demand to speak to a manager. Stand your ground, refuse to move until you've spoken to a manager. At the very least, demand the name of the offending staff person, and make it very clear that the management will be hearing all about it.

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^^^ It's understandable you treat all customers the same, as you are a "theater fan", like all of us, but how many people just do box office, because it's a job that pays the bills? There to impress management because they have shifted a few premium tickets today? stuck in that little box room for another 12 hours and another tedious day, with the dumb public asking more silly questions? Some dick comes up and asks for details on rush, why are they asking stupid questions are they going to ask about sight-lines and partial views, when they are getting the ticket for next to nothing anyway? Wonder if there are going to be any thick tourists who I can convince to upgrade to premium, where they could of had seats two rows behind and saved themselves $300, anyway they are tourists so they have more money than sense, I will scream if another person asks if there is a performance tonight! Wonder if there are anymore of those business men after top price tickets, god they are so powerful and mean and don't even bat and eyeball when handing over so much money? When is the next ball game!

Are we buying tickets at K-Mart? 'The customer is always right' motto breeds a lot of contemp. Go sell your sob story to a major retailer.

This doesn't happen in the West End of London.

During my visit to NYC in March I had the worst experience at the Broadway trying to get tickets for Sister Act before Patina left. This was on an odd night for them (Thursday). I went into the box office not knowing anything about the rush or lotto policy. I was told by a gentleman that the rush was always done right before the show and it was a general rush not just for students. So I came back and waited around till I could get my rush ticket. Come to find out when I got back there were no rush tickets left according to him. Sad I decided that maybe I should just leave and come back in the morning for tickets.

Halfway to the subway I had a revelation that the rush seats were about 5 bucks less than the cheapest seat so I went back to purchase one of those balcony seats. The woman at the box office had me standing there for 5 mins while she talked with her co-horts. I then cleared my throat and she looked and me and says "Can I help you," with the nastiest tone. I told her I would like to buy a balcony seat and she then rolls her eyes and says "If there are still any available?" I asked her if she knew if Chester Gregory would be on for Eddie that night. She just looked at me and ignored my question. So I asked again this time a little louder, because I have been known to be soft-spoken at times. Her comment to me made me so angry I wanted to snatch her glasses off her face. "I don't know? There is a board over there, you can read can't you?" She took her time finding me a seat, handed me my ticket and went back to talking to her superior.

I sit my happy self in my seat only to find out that the whole damn theater was pretty much empty. I would say there were maybe 70-85 people in the theater. What took her so damn long to find me a seat among a score of open seats? Also what was she giving me the 'tude for? I really don't feel like I deserved it at all. I was nothing but kind and gracious to them and she had the nerve to ask me if I could read? WTH?