Hi Tessitura Friends,
At the MCA we recently received some feedback from a group of artists with disabilities that they would like us to extend the window for holding tickets in our online shopping cart from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. The specific feedback was:
"The 10 minute timer on the ticketing pages does not give many disabled folks enough time to complete their session. Nonvisual folks report that 30 mins is usually needed to complete any ticketing purchase. That's one example, and many people need more time. Are you able to adjust your timer?"
While we are inline with the ADA with our current 10 minute timer, we always prefer to align our physical and digital spaces with what the disability community suggests. As TNEW users we are able to ask Tessitura administration to make a global change to our ticketing timer. Our concern is for high profile events that sell out quickly, where seats held in a cart would cause mixed messaging about sold out status, and also that because of Covid many of our events have reduced capacities. We are curious to know how other organizations are using their cart window timers in ways that are accommodating to the disability community while also working smoothly for events with small capacities/fast selling programs. Can you please let us know?
Thanks for you help and Happy New Year!
Matti,
This is an issue that we have discussed as we examine our ticketing experience and work to make it more equitable for all users. I am going to check with our TO Mgr to see if we have the same time limit on the cart and how we plan to deal with the need for increased time. It will be an issue that I will bring to our own DEAI Committee for discussion.
I will update this as I get more information.
Marlene Freid
Audience Services and Volunteer Engagement Manager
Robert & Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
U. C. Davis
Tessitura DEAI Community Advisory Committee member
Thank you, Marlene!
At the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, we are using 30 min timer on our online shopping cart. We don't generally have events that we feel are a quick sell-out, but when we do, we do a tiered approach to ticket access for campus affiliates prior to release to general public and there is a limit to the # they can purchase. So, we would be open to making a shorter cart time limit as the exception to the general rule if it was deemed necessary for controlling "sold out" status to the purchasers. And keep the longer time of 30 minutes as the norm to make the purchasing experience as equitable as possible for our patrons various needs. I hope this helps and you are able to make purchasing a pleasant experience for all!
Marlene
Thanks, that's super helpful!