Like many organizations, we're jumping straight to the deep end of mobile tickets for when we re-open. While the TNEW functionality is itself pretty easy and a much appreciated technical leap forward, I find myself staring down how to do the messaging around it for our patrons. Most specifically, I want to get something in front of them as they purchase that provides clear indication of when to expect to access the mobile tickets, ie reassure that nothing is broken when they don't immediately have their bar codes if ordering at all in advance.
My primary obstacle is that I can't use most of the various content spots on the check out or confirmation pages because it's only 6 events that have tickets--everything else currently planned is virtual or schools (no distribution of any tickets)--and I don't want to create other confusion by referencing what doesn't apply. I thought I was going to be saved by the LTR_DYN_EMAIL system table, but because people may order multiple events within an order, I'm just getting repeated versions of the message.
Therefore, I think I'm now leaning towards abandoning having this message within the purchase path--and letting the confirmation email do the entire lift at the time of order, since we do have edit access to the ASPX file. What I would like is to insert code that dynamically presents additional text if the delivery method includes Mobile, or is whatever ID. The problem here is that, while I can sneak into the aspx file and edit the text of it, we don't have anyone on staff who writes in the relevant coding languages anymore. Given that something like this might be widely helpful, perhaps there is someone seeing this who might pop open the code, jot down the right combination of <, %s, and }s, and share it to the community. Might that be you? Might you be so kind?
Placement wise, I picture something like the HABO text in this screenshot--just a simple, short sentence accompanying the Delivery Method.
On behalf of myself and anyone else trying to figure out how to make it all work with no new resources, thank you.
Jamie
PS. This is definitely only the tiniest aspect of supporting mobile tickets. The majority of our messaging will be in pre-show emails or similar, but I want a little info included during the order.
PSS. If there's some aspect of this concept that is an absolutely terrible idea, please do also chime in to save me from myself and avoid taking others down alongside. I think "inherently wrong" was the term in a recent forum post?
As to repeated messages, if the messages are identical, then TNEW will roll them up and only place them once. If you have performance-specific information in each, consider breaking that out into a separate message (i.e. one for the mobile tickets, which is identical to the mobile tickets message on each performance, and one with performance specific information).
Be very wary about mixed carts with different delivery options. If delivery method restrictions conflict, then the whole system fails and all delivery methods available on the MOS are displayed. We're having to think about this now that we're mixing streaming and live events. We're currently only offering Streaming and Print-at-Home (no mail, no will call) so it will be easier for us: we will make Print-at-Home the option for the live shows, and Streaming and Print-at-Home available for the Streaming show. Then we're going to create a special "Streaming" ticket design so that mixed orders will print, but the streaming event "tickets" will just be instructions. Then we'll make Streaming be the default, so that will be preferred if the order is only Streaming events. Unfortunately, the last part won't work if we add in something else, like Mail, where we desperately want to prioritized Print-at-Home where possible.
A note about Mobile Tickets: we started with them this year and have since abandoned them and gone back to Print-at-Home. Here's why:
We like mobile tickets in theory, and we're leaving the functionality on in TNEW itself (i.e. in the Upcoming Events page), but will have to wait and reassess when improvements are made to at least support client delivery.
All great to think about, thank you.
Although I'm now firmly getting ahead of myself (as opposed to just mostly), my current expectation is that we do not do mobile tickets by email at all because there are just too many of those small things that add up to giant headaches.
And presumably, we're selling streaming through the L2 form so we can't mix carts across types of events--but that's a conversation that almost hasn't even started, so a very significant tip.
I also didn't realize the roll up concept, though I think I subconsciously hoped for it and that's why I tested it out. But I used placeholder language to do my quick test and that undermined my success.