Bloody ticket office phone system

[Giraffe]

Ticket Office Delays
Posted on: Tue 13 Nov 2007

The club would like to apologise for this difficulty, which has been caused by the volume of demand for both matches.
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This is a f***ing joke. THey make long time members of staff redundant and then can't cope with two minor cup games in a week. Who is running this shower

 

[Yorkie]

This is a f***ing joke. THey make long time members of staff redundant and then can't cope with two minor cup games in a week. Who is running this shower

An ex Millwall managing director.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Ticket Office Delays
Posted on: Tue 13 Nov 2007

The club is aware that Gold members are experiencing delays when contacting the Ticketline to reserve their tickets for the upcoming Johnstone's Paints Trophy and FA Cup matches with Cheltenham.

The club would like to apologise for this difficulty, which has been caused by the volume of demand for both matches.

PLEASE say you made that up

 

[BensGrandad]

I called in at lunchtime today for my cup replay tickets. There were three people working flat out answering phones and serving people.

Probably the same 3 that I posted about yesterday. You could not expect any more from them.

 

[e77]

I called in at lunchtime today for my cup replay tickets. There were three people working flat out answering phones and serving people.

I went in a bit later and it was much the same. Still very polite to me considering I was getting tickets for three different games (both Cheltenham matches and Orient away) over three membership schemes/season tickets!

 

[e77]

The problem is this sort of rush only happens two or three times a year so it probably isn't worth employing full time people who will be sitting idle 11 months a year.

On the outside looking in I can only suggest the following:

1. Get some temps in.
2. Multi skill other staff to cover busy times.

 

[saltash seagull]

I called in at lunchtime today for my cup replay tickets. There were three people working flat out answering phones and serving people.

it's not the staff thats the problem it's the system

in this day and age you should be able to by tickets for any game on the internet home or away

hope you will be able to when we get to falmer

i know the club say now we have a yes they can look at totally revamping the system but they need to do something asap

 

[Brovion]

Ha ha ha thats hilarious i,e high volumes

The club are so second rate its unrealits either you want to sell tickets or you don't end of,obviously they don't and no wonder crowds are crap.

I don't usually agree with you but that is spot on. 'Two-bob' and 'Mickey Mouse' are two other descriptions that spring to mind.

This is NOT a criticism of the staff who are obviously working flat out but is aimed at the commercial management side of the club.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Specifically in relation to the astonishing telephone system:

I called to try to buy a ticket on the phone. Pressed "2" and was promptly cut off. I called again, and to see if it would help, I pressed "1" and went through a couple more options, and then was cut off.

No "Lines are busy", no "Leave your number", nothing. Just cut off.

Even the meanest business can invest in a system better than this. The Albion should be exploiting these cup games to really engage the floating supporters. Do everything they can to make them feel needed and to engage them more fully with the club. Use the buzz to lock these "rarely" people in to make them "occasionals" or even "regulars". But no - missed opportunity.

It makes me weep really because I love the club and have done for 30 years. I want Brighton to succeed.

So I called the main office number to tell them what I thought. I did get through and was told the following:

"We have six phone lines. We answer them as fast as we can. If you are the seventh caller, there are not enough lines so you will not be put in the queue, you will be cut off". The lady was charming but I could not believe what I was hearing.

There are plenty of (local or UK-based) companies who can offer services to help support the sales staff in these circumstances. When the lines are full or when the waiting time is too long, just trip the call into a call centre. These companies don't need to be on standby every day - they're just needed in circumstances like this. And all the staff at the Call Centre need to do is take down a number and say something like "Isn't it brilliant. Brighton are storming along in the cup and everyone wants a ticket. We'd love you to be at the game but everyone is manning the phones. can I take down your number and we'll make it a priority to call you back to get your payment details".

It's really not hard.

Major opportunity lost here. great shame.

 

[Mendoza]

I know that yesterday that one of the ticketoffice staff had enough of all the complaints and the system and handed in their notice yesterday

 

[The Wookiee]

Specifically in relation to the astonishing telephone system:

I called to try to buy a ticket on the phone. Pressed "2" and was promptly cut off. I called again, and to see if it would help, I pressed "1" and went through a couple more options, and then was cut off.

No "Lines are busy", no "Leave your number", nothing. Just cut off.

Even the meanest business can invest in a system better than this. The Albion should be exploiting these cup games to really engage the floating supporters. Do everything they can to make them feel needed and to engage them more fully with the club. Use the buzz to lock these "rarely" people in to make them "occasionals" or even "regulars". But no - missed opportunity.

It makes me weep really because I love the club and have done for 30 years. I want Brighton to succeed.

So I called the main office number to tell them what I thought. I did get through and was told the following:

"We have six phone lines. We answer them as fast as we can. If you are the seventh caller, there are not enough lines so you will not be put in the queue, you will be cut off". The lady was charming but I could not believe what I was hearing.

There are plenty of (local or UK-based) companies who can offer services to help support the sales staff in these circumstances. When the lines are full or when the waiting time is too long, just trip the call into a call centre. These companies don't need to be on standby every day - they're just needed in circumstances like this. And all the staff at the Call Centre need to do is take down a number and say something like "Isn't it brilliant. Brighton are storming along in the cup and everyone wants a ticket. We'd love you to be at the game but everyone is manning the phones. can I take down your number and we'll make it a priority to call you back to get your payment details".

It's really not hard.

Major opportunity lost here. great shame.

Just out of interest, do the staff who answer the phones try to sell the caller other forthcoming match tickets or advise of any forthcoming promotions etc or do they just take the money for the ticket you have asked for and thats it ?

 

[Titanic]

I sent them an email at 7pm last night - they phoned at 10:30 - 5 tickets from my son and 4 mates are paid for and ready to be collected by a good samaritan who offered to help (so the kids involved could use their travel vouchers).

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for a great service in difficult circumstances from the Ticket Office and for the offered help from a friendly NSCer to collect the tickets.

 

[Storer68]

the ticketing situation has not been as bad as this since we returned to Brighton in 1999. and then the club were bending over backwards to get people into Withdean. Now they seem to be doing their best to keep thgem out.

The club have made it so difficult to buy a ticket for a game that getting tickets for SHOULD BE A DODDLE that they have lost my custom.

Shall be sat ahome beside the nice warm fire, listing to HAwsey and co tell me how sparse the crowd and how cold it is.

...and I'm a three year STH Gold member (paid £1200 online in about 30 seconds - so why can't we buy a ti ket for a tin pot game like tonight's on line?) whom I think is supposed to be guarenteed a free ticket

 

[HH Brighton]

the ticketing situation has not been as bad as this since we returned to Brighton in 1999. and then the club were bending over backwards to get people into Withdean. Now they seem to be doing their best to keep thgem out.

The club have made it so difficult to buy a ticket for a game that getting tickets for SHOULD BE A DODDLE that they have lost my custom.

Shall be sat ahome beside the nice warm fire, listing to HAwsey and co tell me how sparse the crowd and how cold it is.

...and I'm a three year STH Gold member (paid £1200 online in about 30 seconds - so why can't we buy a ti ket for a tin pot game like tonight's on line?) whom I think is supposed to be guarenteed a free ticket

Spot on, how on earth these can't be bought on line is beyond me, same as Orient, we're just losing so many supporters at the moment !!