Does anyone care about service anymore?
It seems like everywhere you go these days, so many people are complaining about the
economy. I think its important to remember that we have had a pretty good "run" for over 10 years now on Broadway. So if there is a slight downward trend in visitors coming to New York City, should those of us in the ticket selling business in New York get nervous? Or should we just settle in that our new reality might be that consumers all over the world are feeling the "pinch". Will consumers stop consuming? Will people that love going to live entertainment events like Broadway, all of a sudden stop going to shows? Hardly unlikely my friends. People just need to find a source they can truly trust to provide great service and fair prices. Have you ever heard of Applause Theatre Service in New York City?
If your like me and are somewhat of a news junkie, you, too, will soon get tired of all the little soundbites on the news showing that retailers are heavily discounting their goods and services. It seems obvious to me that many of these merchants simply "jack up the price" of their goods then put up lots of gigantic SALE SIGNAGE that says things like 50 % off. Some even have the nerve to tell us they'll give 80 % off or how about the BUY ONE GET ONE FREE signs we see so much of lately at our local shopping malls? Does anyone really believe these are "real discounts"?
Let me jump to the chase regarding Broadway ticket prices in New York as I have been in this industry for over 30 years now. Broadway Shows simply do not know how to "price" their shows. For instance, why should a show that has a cast of 15 actors and a medium size orchestra price their seats the same as a show that has a cast of 40 and a very large orchestra? The overhead regarding these shows must be different so why does the smaller show charge the same prices as the larger show? In my mind its simply because Broadway Shows have established a baseline for what they need to average on each ticket sold to make a profit. Still many Broadway Shows that need a hand to fill up their theaters, use the same "mall type" discounts.
In my experience as a small business owner, I am for profit also but if a show has lower overhead than another one, why not pass on the savings to people that might want to buy tickets for the "smaller to produce" show? It just makes sense to me. The smaller show might even stay in business longer. Wouldn't that make sense to you?
Anyway my friends, our little company Applause has access to just about any seat for just about any Broadway Show these days. Applause Theatre Service's savvy knowledge of a Broadway Shows availability coupled with computer access directly to every major ticket source one could think of, are just a few reasons why our little ticket service holds up in "good times and in bad".
We treat people well, offer the best personal ticket selling service second to none in the country (in my expert opinion) and always follow-up to make sure our customers have had a good time. If you simply ask someone that uses our service how they are treated both before and after we provide our service, you will know what I'm speaking of.
It comes down to service. That's service with a capital S-E-R-V-I-C-E. Everywhere you go, you get lots of those "bargain" shoppers" like I mentioned earlier in my blog. We have many customers that like good ticket deals as well. If you are on a budget and are flexible where you can sit, you may want to check out our Broadway Insider's ticket deals. We usually offer some very good seating options and often can save consumers $40-55.00 off our usual retail prices. Yes we make somewhat less than a full price sale but we are sensitive to the needs of theatre-goers today. And many will not go to the theatre if quoted the "extremely high" prices of dozens of ticket companies that have sprung up throughout the country. These guys may have sprung up over the years but as I study my own small little business in this ever changing industry, I clearly see "price gouging" all over the place. This is due to the greed of many I'm sure. If prices would only be rolled back in the way in which we are watching the housing industry start to lower their prices, the Broadway Theatre probably wouldn't be chasing away "future theatre-goers" like they are doing now.
Ask some of your kids in their twenties and maybe a bit older if they would spend upwards of $150 to $400 for a ticket to a Broadway show and even though many have never been introduced to the magical experience of seeing live Broadway Theater, it seems to me that exorbitant prices will keep them from ever really embracing live Broadway theater. So our Applause Broadway ticket experts simply ask a few questions about where our customer might want to sit, offer different seating suggestions and prices along with our knowledge of each and every theatre in New York City. When we have given the customer all the pertinent information they will need and answer every question they have, we either make a sale or not. Either way Applause's ticket experts know that making a purchase for Broadway tickets is not always an easy one.
Whether we make a sale or not, we like to think the person that called us was given "excellent service". Does anyone ever really think consumers require this excellent service I just spoke of? Of course we all know they do but it seems like everybody that has a job to sell something puts much to much emphasis on "making a sale", not on the customer.
When I went to college and took all sorts of retail management classes, great emphasis was placed on the S-E-R-V-I-C-E aspect of selling, not necessarily making the sale. Applause Theatre Service answers lots of questions about lots of ticketing related things. Many times we simply don't wind up making a sale but suggest a restaurant or two. Either way we are in it for the S-E-R-V-I-C-E we provide to everyone that calls Applause Theatre Service in New York.
We feel if we can S-E-R-V-E well, the business will come as well in time. Consumers need to T-R-U-S-T. I love the Broadway ticket business but I don't like the way in which many in our business treat the very consumer prospects that call upon them to provide much needed guidance about Broadway, ticket prices and seating options.
So what I see is the possibility of a somewhat downward trend of people buying Broadway tickets from "high priced" ticket sellers. Although I am concerned in many ways just like the local shopping mall merchants I see with the big DISCOUNT SALE SIGNAGE on the news, at the end of the day, it seems like no one talks about providing great customer service anymore.
If your plans include the possibility of seeing a Broadway Show or two, we hope you'll be able to call on our team at Applause Theatre Service in New York City. There is never any pressure to buy, although we might ask you if you'd like to join our daily growing "mailing list". Simply put, you give us your name and address and every month we send you a little postcard to remind you of the great service you experienced the first time you contacted us.
You may not buy the first time. You may not even buy the second or third time but that's OK. People deserve to have their trust earned by anyone of us in sales, especially in Broadway ticket sales.
Our hope is that whenever you, a friend, a co-worker or relative is thinking abut Broadway Theatre, that you will let us hear from you. We often say we offer the theatre-going public "the best seats for the best shows at the best prices". It all adds up to the B-E-S-T B-R-O-A-D-W-A-Y T-I-C-K-E-T S-E-R-V-I-C-E you'll ever get. Applause Theatre Service that is.
Some of Broadway's most popular shows are Wicked, Jersey Boys, Billy Elliot, Shrek The Musical and over 20 others. See a show, Have some fun, Call Applause today.
Sincerely,
Rich Gladstone
Applause Theatre Service
311 west 43rd street, suite 601
New York, NY 10036
local phone 212-307-7050
toll free 1-800-451-9930
www.applause-tickets.com
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