Would you be willing to share your missed performance policies with me? Our subscription shows run for about 4 weeks. Our standard exchange policy allows the patron to exchange up to the day of the performance for a nominal fee but we do not exchange tickets once the performance has passed. However everyday we are receiving calls from patrons who missed their show for one reason or another asking us to exchange their tickets after the fact. (The reasons range from death in the family to vacation so it isn't really a matter of making an exception for extraordinary circumstances.) It is becoming a significant issue for us so we are at the point to see what the industry standard is for handling these types of exchanges. Do you allow patrons who miss their show to exchange their tickets after the fact? If so, do you have any fees or restrictions? I would appreciate your feedback on this issue.
Thanks in advance,
Elizabeth Carlock
Hi Elizabeth:
Here are our policies:
Subscribers may exchange up to 24hrs prior to curtain with no fee. If they call day of show we will except the ticket back as a donation only.
Missed show: We charge $20 per ticket for anyone who has missed a show providing we have avails.
Single ticket buyers are allowed to exchange for $5 per ticket up to 24hrs prior to curtain.
If there was an emergency or we have a long term subscriber who calls day of show we will in certain circumstances issue a house credit that expires at the end of our season.
Hope this helps!
Michelle
Hello, here is the exchange / missed performance policy that we use:
If a ticket has been purchased through the Public Theater (web, phone, in person) we will allow them to exchange their ticket for another performance of the same production, if there are seats available. We should be charging an exchange fee if they are not a member or partner. Yes, that means that we will allow student tickets to be exchanged for a fee (unless they are members.) We request that exchanges be made at least 48 hours before their currently scheduled performance but exceptions can be made with manager approval.
If a full price ticket has been purchased through Today Tix then they must contact Today Tix for a refund or exchange. We cannot do those here at the Public. Our records must match what Today Tix has for financial reasons so we cannot/ should not make any changes to an order from Today Tix. The same goes for tickets purchased through TDI/ Broadway.com or TDF. At this point in time, those are the only 3rd party sellers that we have an actual relationship with. Stub Hub and sites like those have no relationship to the Public Theater and we are therefore unable to do anything with tickets that were resold though those sites.
Today Tix Lottery tickets cannot be exchanged.
If someone has given The Public Theater money for a ticket we will allow them to past date if they miss their performance. This includes Today Tix Lottery tickets, Full price Today Tix sales, TDF and TDI/ Broadway.com. This does not include Stub Hub or other 3rd party resellers.
As a reminder, here is our official Past-Date Policy language:
“If you are unable to use your tickets, you may be able to use them for a subsequent performance of the same show. Call us on the day you wish to attend. If we have space available, we will issue a complimentary pass against your paid ticket. If you want to come to a matinee, you may call the day before to make arrangements.”
Hi Elizabeth,
We offer fee-free exchanges for our subscribers among performances of the same production. Single ticket exchanges are available subject to availability, and are subject to a $10 per ticket exchange fee. Technically, our written policies are that tickets may be exchanged up until the 4:00pm before the performance, but we will work to exchange subscriber tickets even up to curtain time.
We accept donated tickets back up until curtain.
Subscribers are also offered free standby tickets to a performance of the same production if they miss their performance.
Otherwise, extenuating circumstances can sometimes create other post-performance exchange opportunities for single ticket holders.
Hello Elizabeth,
We allow exchanges up to 24 hours before curtain, free for subscribers and members, and at a $7 per ticket fee for non-subscribers and members. The Ogunquit Playhouse is a non-profit, so we stress the importance of folks looking at their emailed receipt to be sure they booked the day/time/seating they wanted. If people call after their show because they were on vacation or forgot, we will exchange for subscribers and members based on availability (but expect them to pay any change in ticket price) but firmly remind them that their lack of planning does not constitute an emergency for us. We also remind them that, had they let us know in advance, we would've had the opportunity to sell their unused seats, which is not possible now (so they essentially cost us, a non-profit, money). Obviously we say this gently, but we feel it's important to hold them accountable, while being as accommodating as possible. We have found we get "repeat offenders" who always forget or expect special dispensations, but for those people we utilize the "customer service alert" constituency code and corresponding "customer service note" under the Research tab on their constituency file. If we see several notes here of the same vein, we will have management speak to the constituent and remind them that this is not how we perform exchanges - that is why we have our 24 hour policy...
Having said this - my understanding is that, on Broadway, it is a "use it or lose it" scenario - folks are not reimbursed OR allowed to exchange if they miss their Broadway show. Good luck!
~MoGavz