Tickets.com
PRE-PUBLICATION DRAFT
STAGE DIRECTIONS
COPYRIGHT 2000
AUTHOR: Patrick Finelli, Ph.D.
CATEGORY: Computers Online
TITLE: Tickets.com
Are you ready to go online with your ticketing inventory? If your box office is only open during limited hours or patrons have difficulty getting through on busy telephone lines, the flexibility and convenience of Tickets.com might be the solution. Tickets.com is not a ticket service, essentially it connects your in-house ticketing system to the world’s largest ticketing network using the Internet. Tickets.com provides a portal on the Internet for your box office. The company touts itself as a form of banking network for entertainment tickets; a Web-based ticketing alternative where customers can take advantage of live Internet ticketing on your website, the Tickets’com website or at a ticket outlet.
This innovative product expands the reach of your box office window. You can maintain complete control of your ticket inventory with a program such as TicketMaker for Windows PCs, yet have the ability to exploit the full potential of ticket sales on the Internet for your theatre. You maintain control of your ticket inventory, you keep the marketing data and get the full face value of your tickets.
The promotional literature suggests that Tickets.com will increase your sales with no increased expense; it states "there are no charges to you other than the fees charged by the banks to process the credit card transaction." This is somewhat confusing in that the flier goes on to say that there is a "convenience fee" attached to the price of each ticket based upon the market price of the ticket and type of event. We recommend that you contact the sales office for the exact fee structure. Often credit card transactions on the web have hidden fees, batch fees, service charges or "convenience" charges. You want to have a secure transaction, but you also want to control costs as much as possible.
Anyone doing business on the Web must insist on the secure settlement of transactions. You should always make sure your credit card transactions take place under a secure certificate. All information through Tickets.com is transmitted using SSL (secure socket layer), an accepted standard for secure transmission of data on the Internet. Your customers also expect the timely delivery of tickets. Since your own box office normally fills the orders made on the Web, you can fulfill the sales at a convenient time with the option of mailing the tickets to your customers or holding them at Will Call.
Tickets.Com processes and authorizes all sales on the Internet. The ticket buyer receives instantaneous confirmation of the sale. Settlement is usually provided on a weekly basis. Funds from sales occurring during Monday to Sunday sales period will made available the following Thursday.
Your in-house program ordinarily provides a means to issue tickets and control seat inventory while handling accounting, reports and tracking of patrons. You continue to sell tickets directly from your box office, but you’ll be able to add ticket outlets, call centers and websites through Tickets.com. It can provide round-the-clock promotion for your events while opening up new markets for your tickets. It will automate ticketing, inventory control and service functions while capturing the valuable patron purchase history you need to build and retain your audience base. Tickets.com also offers in-house software licensing products for patron management including Advantix SQL, Prologue, PASS, and TicketMaker.
Although the national average for online ticket sales is estimated to be less than one percent of sales, the American Repertory Theatre reportedly is working well above this average, running between 5 and 7% of sales. The higher sales percentages are associated with more contemporary presentations, which draw younger audiences accustomed to the Internet as a communications and commerce medium.
Theatres aren’t the only ones using Tickets.com. Large sports organizations, professional baseball teams and major venues like Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome connect to the Tickets.com Network. The Box Office Manager at the Emerson Majestic Theatre in Boston says "ticket buyers receive first-class service from the box office without even speaking to a live representative." Other Front-of-House managers have expressed satisfaction with customer service, installation and upgrades. As with most Windows-based programs, there is a short learning curve because of the familiar drop-down command lists. Many business office staff are pleased about the accounting reports available and the advantage of not having to print extra tickets that are sometimes thrown away unused.
Can Tickets.com help you sell more tickets? The company firmly believes in this approach. The promise is that they will aggressively promote its website and that new partnerships with other sites will draw traffic. Will this increase the sales in your area? When I logged on to the website, the start page featured Sports, Entertainment and Travel (Image tix3.jpg). The Entertainment link led to The Scarlet Pimpernel in Hartford Connecticut (Image tix1.jpg; tix2.jpg). The company is also working with local and regional promoters to establish outlet networks and regional call centers that will promote your events and sell your tickets. It could be a valuable source for customers to find and purchase your tickets, providing wide exposure. Tickets.com provides the expertise and software solutions to connect your ticketing operations to the Internet for 24-hour business whether you have an in-house system or utilize a ticketing services alternative.
All you need is a dedicated business level connection from your in-house ticketing system to the Internet. There is no charge for connection or subscription fees. An exclusive contract is not required. Once you are connected the ticket inventory is available for sale at your web site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Customers who go to your web site will be able to buy tickets to your events in real time using the tickets.com selling screens and never realize they have left your site.
What are the advantages of a partnership with Tickets.com? One benefit is that you don’t have to create your own Internet commerce solution, although that is always a possibility if you have the resources. Internet users are likely to find it the easiest way to purchase tickets. Another plus is that it could help your non-profit to create an affordable full-time ticketing operation along with up-to-date electronic marketing data on customers. The bottom line is that the Internet allows the customer to select and purchase tickets directly from the venue’s ticket office online, in real-time around the clock even when your physical box office window is closed. It brings the venue box office directly to the customer. Tickets.com is poised to become a major player in the global market for tickets. Your theatre and your theatre’s audience could reap some major benefits in the ease and flexibility of purchasing tickets using Ticket.com’s system.
Selected venues:
Ruth Eckerd Hall , Clearwater , FL
Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
Alabama Theater
Laguna Playhouse, CA
Van Wezel Hall, Sarasota, FL
City Center in New York City
Emerson Majestic Theatre, Boston
What you need to connect:
You need a dedicated business level connection from your in-house ticketing system to the Internet. The Tickets.com customer support representative will provide the details.
Contact information:
Tickets.com
P.O. Box 504
DeWitt, NY 13214
Phone: (315)-466-4020
Fax: (315)-466-4015
Web: www.tickets.com
Sales Phone: (800) 397-3400
Email: sales@tickets.com
© Copyright 2000 by Patrick M. Finelli. All rights reserved. These pages are protected by United States and international copyright laws. Copying or distribution by any means is strictly prohibited.