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

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 1:11am

I will say, the folks at TKTS are very good. A few times I've had a list of 3 or 4 shows and they're all sold-out by the time I get to the window, and the person has let me go out of line, take a look at the sign, then go back in the line towards the front.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 1:46am

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

[morosco]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 2:42am

I know a box office manager who has been in the business for years. His quality of service is consistently above and beyond the call of duty. I asked him how he keeps the customers from making him angry. He said that years ago he realized that it wasn't the customer who was making him angry it was he HIMSELF that was making him angry. Ever since he learned that life lesson he's been a delight at the window. (Once he had a b*tch of a customer and after her long rant about something ridiculous he waited a couple of beats and then calmly said, "do you need me to come out there and give you a hug?" lol. She got the message and she even smiled.)

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 9:30am

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.

[Patash]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 9:43am

"Meanwhile, 2 women left the show before intermission..They came out saying what a big pile of crap it was.The guy gets off the phone and asks if he can help me. I told him by him blabbering on the phone I saved myself the price of a ticket for the show."

Wow. Someone decides what show to see based on two matinee ladies leaving at intermission who thought the show was a piece of crap? That even happens at Book of Mormon. Kind of an odd way to determine if a show is worth seeing!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"That's why I book on the internet. . ."
While it may be worth it to some people to pay an extra $12 or so to be able to buy a ticket on the internet, isn't it a sad state of affairs when you have to PAY to avoid dealing with a rude box office worker?

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 9:55am

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.

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

[chewy5000]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 10:06am

I had a student card from a school in another country which also had no date listed, and no questions were asked, even though I expected them.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 2:47pm

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.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 3:51pm

Again, it's the fault of the management. Box office employees don't make commission so it doesn't matter in the least what sort of ticket you are purchasing at any price point or discount. They adopt these attitudes from their superiors and co-workers when it is deemed acceptable and learn by example. They are there to sell available tickets and to answer questions.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 4:05pm

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.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 6:24pm

"Again, it's the fault of the management. Box office employees don't make commission so it doesn't matter in the least what sort of ticket you are purchasing at any price point or discount. They adopt these attitudes from their superiors and co-workers when it is deemed acceptable and learn by example. They are there to sell available tickets and to answer questions."

Such a good point. The box office I work in is HUGE on customer service. I treat every customer the same whether they are buying a rush ticket, a cheap balcony ticket, or a $200 VIP Wicked ticket. It is too bad some people on this thread have been treated so poorly. No customer should EVER be made to feel that way.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 7:47pm

^^^ 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!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 8:08pm

All the stuff you mentioned is completely irrelevant in a customer-service based position with no commission. A good manager will spot a bad attitude and correct the situation. It is NOT the customer's fault if a box office employee hates their job. If someone is doing the job just to "pay the bills", then they should be doing the job as if they want to keep it, not lose it.

There to impress management because they have shifted a few premium tickets today?

It doesn't work that way.

stuck in that little box room for another 12 hours and another tedious day, with the dumb public asking more silly questions?

Answering questions is part of the job.

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?

Doesn't matter. Nobody is a "dick" for asking questions when they don't know the answers already.

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!

Not every tourist is rich or deserves to be scammed because someone is jealous. Working box office is part of working in the tourist industry, so treat tourists as you would want to be treated if you were on vacation. And again, answering a question that may seem obvious is part of the job.

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?

So what? If they are being mean, let your manager handle it. There will always be people wealthier than you and it's no surprise that you are selling expensive tickets, so it's no surprise if someone buys them. Cheap tickets or expensive tickets, it doesn't matter what they buy.

When is the next ball game!

Hope you're not planning to buy tickets to a game from someone with the same attitude. Otherwise, it's probably whenever you turn on your TV.

COULD HAVE
WOULD HAVE
SHOULD HAVE

Updated On: 4/30/12 at 08:08 PM

[ticenewyorkcity]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 8:47pm

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.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/30/12 at 8:48pm

Huh?

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:52am

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

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:56am

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

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight...

Don't even get me started on the West End box office jerkos.

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 2:20pm

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?

[hermajesty]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 2:25pm

So what's the ...'Have a nice day.' all about then? BS?
'customer is always right' is an unwritten law [in the UK] but sure as hell should be practiced. I am sure that if any of the nay sayers on here owned a business, they'd sure keep to that unwritten law, otherwise they'd go out of business.
Treat customers how you would treat members of your family.
And if you still don't get it, we all know the customer isn't always right but that's what a good service worker knows and treats them as though they are always right..

Updated On: 5/1/12 at 02:25 PM