Box Office Best Practices that Make Customers Feet at Home

BOX OFFICE BEST PRACTICES

HANNAH MEINKEN & DAVID OLSON | AUGUST 2016

AGENDA

IMPROVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

ADDRESS BOX OFFICE EFFECIENCY

CREATE REPEAT CUSTOMERS

COMMERCIAL BREAK

https://youtu.be/PxP23pwjCE0

4

Box Office as Information Center

Daily Activities – Transactions, requests,

concerns

Patterns of Business – Slower or faster onsales – Memberships and

conversion to subscriber

Reporting & Analysis – ATTENTION: don’t run a

report unless you actually use the data

EVERYTHING IS CENTRALIZED THROUGH THE BOX OFFICE

UNDERSTANDING THE TOTAL PATRON EXPERIENCE

6

Before the event

Discover the events

Purchase tickets

Arrange to bring others to event

HOW DO THEY…

7

During the event

Arrive and enter event(s)

Find and interact with box office staff and volunteers

Get questions answered at Intermission?

HOW DO THEY…

8

After the event

Experience following the event(s)

Engagement post event(s)

Reason to come back

Motivation to spread the word

HOW DO THEY…

WHAT’S MISSING?

10

Operations may be

your challenge,

but they shouldn’t be

your patrons’ challenge.

Rules to live by…

COMMON PATRON PAIN POINTS

12

Confusion Clunky experience while buying

No message/confirmation or FAQs

Sub-par patron support – No clear way for patrons to get help if

there’s an issue

Trouble identifying staff and volunteers – Especially when there’s not a

physical box office

13

Struggling to find the event or the link to purchase online

Waiting on the phone

Waiting In physical lines, outside the venue or in the lobby

Impatience

14

No e-mail confirmation

Refunds – No outlined policy

Disorganized Box Office

Distracted staff and volunteers

Lack of Confidence

BEYOND THE BOX OFFICE

16

Expand Your Reach

Sell tickets in locations aligned with the audience you want to reach – In the moment sales – Discount rates create buying

excitement

17

Use Email to Alert Patrons Before and After Event

Special change in event

Logistics – Parking, road work,

construction, etc.

Synopsis of event

Special offers from other vendors

18

Make People Feel Special

Set alerts for VIP and other special guest

Cross donor and attendee list for every event and make contact in person

19

Engage +1sConnect with ticket buyer to help with outreach to their guests

Turn a +1 into a repeat customer

Offer deals tofirst time attendees

20

Acknowledge First Time and Season Attendees

Curtain speech

Sign in table in lobby

Greeting at box office

Patron notes

Leave a note in their seat

OPERATIONS: HEALTH CHECK

22

Onsales

Box Office Hours

Marketing of future shows

Incentive to participate

Price optimization

Promos

Timing and Dynamic Sales

23

Be Prepared: The Checklist

Create equipment list

Organize all POS scanning devices, cables, charging stations, etc.

Test and update all software

Know all passwords

Charge all devices

Secure backup devices

Flashlights

Prepare staff schedule and assignments

Flashlights…really!

24

Be Prepared: Test Equipment and Processes

Printers

Scanners

Wifi

Devices

Logging in and out

Talk to us if you want to do a test purchase

25

Takeaways Box Office is the heart and brain of an event

Patron experience should be evaluated from all angles

Documented processes, preparation, and backup plans are essential

We’re here to help!

THANKS!HANNAH MEINKEN & DAVID OLSON

Box Office Best Practices