Buying tickets online is popular way to go

quot;>Senior Customer Service Representative Kathleen Hatt, left, and Alison Berry, Manager of Ticketing and Customer Service, are ready to assist patrons at the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office,  located in Marvel Theatre until Sept. 22, when the remodeled offices open in the Williams Center.

As part of an effort to improve customer service, the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office has introduced the option of purchasing tickets online for events at Rockefeller Arts Center – and the option has proved popular with patrons.

The Ticket Office began selling tickets online in December (click here for the e-sales site), with tickets to all spring 2008 events at Rockefeller Arts Center being made available online. The online option allows patrons to select their own seats in real time with no user or “convenience” fees.

Alison Barry, manager of ticketing and customer service, said an analysis of sales for spring events showed that close to 15 percent of all sales were coming from the Internet. “Our biggest online seller to this point was the Ralph Nader event, where a whopping 53 percent of sales came from those ordering online,” Barry said.

The integration of online sales into Ticket Office operations has gone well, according to Barry. “We’re very pleased with the progress of our online ticketing site,” she said. “Many patrons have commented on how easy and convenient ticket ordering has become.”

Online ticket sales were made possible by the launch of a new computerized ticketing system in fall 2007. The system, known as “TyTix,” is a networked array that allows for the sale of computerized tickets at multiple locations across campus. It is one of the most cost-effective and robust systems in the “mid-range” market.

The $40,000 investment in hardware and software was provided by the campus administration. Efforts to enhance the ticket-buying process are ongoing, according to Barry. The SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office will have a new location this season.

The office is temporarily located in the lobby of Marvel Theatre while the Williams Center completed an extensive renovation. However, by Sept. 22, renovations should be complete on its new permanent location on the main floor of the Williams Center, directly across from its previous location.

The new Ticket Office is much more spacious, and will do away with the glass window separating patrons from the customer service representatives. In addition to going online, you may call the Ticket Office 716-673-3501 (1-866-441-4928), or visit in-person, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.