How To Get The Most Out Of Your Box Office

A venue is most definitely the sum of its parts - marketing, techies, the guys holding the purse strings. But like any well oiled machine, there is the linchpin - the central nervous system of the venue: The box office. While there are a myriad of processes that go into the running of a venue, we’re going to look at the keystone - your box office and how to get the most out of it.

Develop a Clear, Tight Sales Process

Box offices come in many flavours. From temporary festival pop-up entry sales, to single person/point sales, right through to multi- site/multi personnel sales points. Whatever the box office type, consistency is the key. By developing a sales process which is efficient and easy for individuals and teams to follow, you allow you and your team time to deal with customers effectively. This translates to fewer lost sales or forgotten steps (e.g., entering a source code or asking if customer’s would like to receive email news updates), fewer mistakes and overall happier customers.

Involve your Team Early and Often

Often it is easy to compartmentalise - marketing does marketing, box office handles box office etc, especially when it is busy. However, when you get your team involved in other areas, for example, proofing brochures or show descriptions or providing customer feedback, this gives your team a great opportunity to give and get inspiration. Plus, working in this way makes your team members feel more involved, and provides them with knowledge about shows which can be passed on to customers. In addition to this type of cross-functional work, consider getting your team together once a month, to go over any issues they are experiencing. This gives you a chance to communicate with the team about any upgrades/changes have been made, and show how these changes can positively impact their day-to-day work.

Don’t Give your Staff a Butter Knife

Imagine asking a chef to cut a carrot with a butter knife. Could she do it? Probably, but not only is it inefficient, it makes the chefs job that much harder, especially during a busy dinner service. Apply the same thinking to your box office staff. A screen that is too small, can work, but creates extra work for your staff as they have to move tabs around or scroll. Traditional phones work fine for phone sales, but headsets are far more efficient for data entry, note taking etc. A little investment, can lead to long term results in terms of efficiency and an overall happier team.

A Happy Customer is a Repeat Customer

This might be a no brainer, but it bears repeating - customer service is critical. It is especially critical that your box office staff is customer centric and customer service focused. After all, a happy customer is a repeat customer. For example, why not have your staff suggest local restaurants to visit when coming to see the show? Maybe family friendly places, for families booking tickets. Give your staff the freedom to go the extra mile for customers. Let them come up with ideas on how to deliver a great customer experience.

Communicate in a Variety of Ways

Communication is a necessary part of a successful box office. When you have a busy schedule, and are unable to speak to all of your team, there are user and show communication tools (e.g., user notices, settings/instruction) available. We encourage you and your team to use these to help boost and support your team communication.