I am wondering if any venues have a stand-by ticket policy for sold out performances and how it works for you.
Do you sell comp tickets that aren't claimed?
How do you handle empty seats that have been purchased and not donated for re-sell?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
We have a waiting list we call when tickets for sold-out events become available. However, we don't leave messages - if no one answers, we move on to the next person on the list. We make that clear when we take their name. It works pretty well. FYI - we stop calling names around noon for evening events and the previous day for matinees. We make that clear to waiting list customers as well, so they don't get angry if they end up waiting at the box office before the event and find out that tickets are available.
As for comps not claimed, we treat them like paid tickets and don't give them away. But if it's a sold out event we sell standing room and will seat standees in empty seats just before the start of the event.