Thread: Holding tickets at the door

The newspaper decided to print a press release about my show this morning -- which is wonderful! but the show is this weekend, and they included info about buying advance tickets & my phone number. I can't take credit cards over the phone, and some people aren't able to pay online (or don't want to)

So, I'm thinking of telling phone orderers that I'll hold their requested tickets at the door, at the advance price, until -- what time? Doors open at 7, show starts at 7:30.

Should I only hold the tickets until 7pm, then make them available to door-buyers (if any)? Or should I give them until 7:15? Or make them come early, before the doors open, to purchase their held tickets at the advance price?

*I'm only talking about unpaid advance tickets. Paid tickets have no 'expiration' time*

I believe most theatres hold "will call" tickets (basically, what you're describing) until 30 minutes before curtain, then sell them. A lot of small theatres don't allow late seating b/c it's distracting to the audience and players.

If I was expecting to sell out (therefore, need to release the seats to other buyers), I would hold the tickets until 10 minutes before the show, then release them. If I wasn't sure, I would hold them until show time. Belly dance shows are a little different from most theatre shows b/c we often don't run on time, so if you started 5-10 minutes late to collect payment for those last stragglers, no one would probably mind...

Since your doors open at 7:00, you need to give people a little time to get there and get through the line. I suggest holding "will call" tickets until 7:20. If possible, it's good to have 3 separate lines: 1) People who already have their tickets and can go right in, 2) "Will call" people" so you can take them ahead of the masses (thereby letting you determine at 7:20 how many seats you have remaining for walkins without wondering how many more will-calls are still in the walk-in line), and 3) Walk-ins.

If there's no one standing waiting for the will-call line, the person handling that can call over the next person from the walk-in line to accept their payment, sort of the way airline agents doing baggage checkin for first class will call over the next in line from the coach line if there aren't any first class passengers waiting.

Originally Posted by aazura

I believe most theatres hold "will call" tickets (basically, what you're describing) until 30 minutes before curtain, then sell them. A lot of small theatres don't allow late seating b/c it's distracting to the audience and players.

If I was expecting to sell out (therefore, need to release the seats to other buyers), I would hold the tickets until 10 minutes before the show, then release them. If I wasn't sure, I would hold them until show time. Belly dance shows are a little different from most theatre shows b/c we often don't run on time, so if you started 5-10 minutes late to collect payment for those last stragglers, no one would probably mind...

Thanks!

My show's a little different from most bellydance shows, because it is in a theater and most of the audience aren't BDers, so they expect things to start on time.

Last year I did sell out, so I think I'll promise to hold them until the doors open, longer if I don't need them for other ticket buyers at the door, of course.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Since your doors open at 7:00, you need to give people a little time to get there and get through the line. I suggest holding "will call" tickets until 7:20. If possible, it's good to have 3 separate lines: 1) People who already have their tickets and can go right in, 2) "Will call" people" so you can take them ahead of the masses (thereby letting you determine at 7:20 how many seats you have remaining for walkins without wondering how many more will-calls are still in the walk-in line), and 3) Walk-ins.

If there's no one standing waiting for the will-call line, the person handling that can call over the next person from the walk-in line to accept their payment, sort of the way airline agents doing baggage checkin for first class will call over the next in line from the coach line if there aren't any first class passengers waiting.

OK, makes sense. But it's the actual theater doors that open at 7, we'll be there at the ticket table (in the hallway/lobby) earlier. So if people want to get their tickets at the advance price but pay that night, I think I can ask them to be there early.

I'm thinking that there's not a high level of commitment from someone who just saw it in the paper and made a quick phone call, didn't pay for anything or plan ahead. I suspect I'll get a high percentage of no-shows from this group.

Three lines -- well, two lines at the ticket table, plus a ticket taker at each theater door -- makes a lot of sense.

What would I do without the collective to help me make decisions? How do I dress myself every day?

I have had a lot of frustration from people booking tickets (unpaid) then not showing up, so I would personally just say they need to buy tickets at the door at a first-come-first-served basis. You can apologise that the ad says otherwise, but just say "I'm sorry, pre-paid sales have now closed." Then at the door, you can have one queue for prepaid ticket collections, one for ticket sales.

Do you have internet banking? You could let people make a deposit, with their name as a reference, as long as you can view the booking at your end. They'd also need to tell you over the phone about their ticket purchase, so you know to expect the payment. However, there may still be a bit of lead time required to see the transaction at your end.

(PS - I'm still in my pj's - what should I wear today???)

Wear a skirt today, something really girly and cute. And white kitten heels.

Oh, wait, it's winter there, isnt' it? Then a big nubbly sweater and worn jeans. And kitten heels.