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Service charges a little high?

mr_goodbomb
Joined: December 03, 2009 at 10:13 PM UTC
Posts: 12
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 08:39 PM UTC #
gaaaaaaaaah wrote:
You've yet to mention who you're wanting to see.  Perhaps that would change the entire argument.


What difference does that make? A show is a show. But as if it'll make any different in the agruement, it's City and Colour, which sold out last year, I believe.


vansmack wrote:
So you didn't buy the tickets right?


I did not, not did any of my friends who planned to go with me for my birthday, and for no other reason than the excess charges.



Doctor wrote:
Point #1:  for every occasional person who is actually deterred from buying a ticket because of a service fee, there are probably 10 other people who'll buy that ticket.


Isn't that a bit tasteless on a business standpoint, though? That's to say that, no matter how we treat customers, they'll still come. Eventually, that will shift. Customers only take so much shit.


Doctor wrote:
Point #2:  Just because you like the 930 is no reason to talk smack about the Black Cat staff.  The ones I've met are all good people.  The Cat's gotten a lot stricter over the years but with the number of kids that come out, combined with the increasingly fussy neighborhood that's no doubt eager to shut them down and install another high-end furniture boutique, they kinda have to be.


I've only been to the Black Cat once, and had no encounters with the staff. I haven't contributed to any of that discussion and dunno who started it, or why. My concern here is 9:30 and their charges.

The $30 VS $20+$10 is pointless. Any venue that charges a certain amount for online ticketing through a 3rd party isn't going to combine those charges because they aren't THEIR charges, and that added cost isn't going to them. Some percentage might, but most of it goes to the 3rd party ticket service, which they simply scarf down as profit. The key is handling these charges yourself with a simpler ticketing service or finding one that costs less. Or being a very poor business model and doing nothing.
gaaaaaaaaah
Joined: September 14, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1084
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 08:54 PM UTC #
mr_goodbomb wrote:
gaaaaaaaaah wrote:
You've yet to mention who you're wanting to see.  Perhaps that would change the entire argument.


What difference does that make? A show is a show. But as if it'll make any different in the agruement, it's City and Colour, which sold out last year, I believe.

It obviously makes no difference.  Your refusal to say who it was was piquing my curiosity, though.
mr_goodbomb
Joined: December 03, 2009 at 10:13 PM UTC
Posts: 12
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 09:42 PM UTC #
gaaaaaaaaah wrote:
Perhaps that would change the entire argument.


gaaaaaaaaah wrote:
It obviously makes no difference.


I just didn't think it was pertinent. However, it could be said that, if it were another band, I'd just see them at another venue and give that same business to someone else. However, he's not in the area for any other dates and goes out of the country right after.
gaaaaaaaaah
Joined: September 14, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1084
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 10:03 PM UTC #
Sarcasm, dawg.  Of course it's not pertinent.  Other venues would still charge service charges, so that wouldn't be an option either.

They're a part of concerts and ticket buying these days, and that's just how it is.  Right or wrong, they aren't going away any time soon.
MyraEllen
Joined: June 11, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 766
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 10:30 PM UTC #
Doctor wrote:
Point #2:  Just because you like the 930 is no reason to talk smack about the Black Cat staff.   The ones I've met are all good people.   The Cat's gotten a lot stricter over the years but with the number of kids that come out, combined with the increasingly fussy neighborhood that's no doubt eager to shut them down and install another high-end furniture boutique, they kinda have to be.


My point about the BC was in response to someone who said everything that 9:30 does wrong, BC does right.  My point was that the things that BC does wrong, 9:30 does right.  While the BC staff could never parallel the rudeness of staff I've witnessed at other area venues, when compared to the 9:30 club staff, I find them to be obtrusive and pushy, shoving their way through with a flashlight every 10 minutes, never saying excuse me if they're coming from behind and you can't see them anyway.  That's just been my experience.  But I'm sure they're all perfectly nice people…I'm not saying they're horrible people.  I just think 9:30 trains their staff better and/or has better policies…except for the flip flops thing…

But this isn't a BC v. 9:30 debate…I was just providing a counterpoint to someone else's argument.  9:30's fees for online ticketing are ridiculous and I don't pay them unless I know the show will sell out immediately and I'm lucky enough to get a ticket online.  Otherwise, I find the fees not worth the "convenience."  I don't think Seth is losing any money by having people not buy tickets because of the fees.  I'm pretty sure the club still has more sold out shows every year than any other venue in the country.
vansmack
Joined: October 04, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 19725
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 10:51 PM UTC #
mr_goodbomb wrote:
vansmack wrote:
So you didn't buy the tickets right?

I did not, not did any of my friends who planned to go with me for my birthday, and for no other reason than the excess charges.


Good. Then next time, just come to the forum and say "Hey Seth, I didn't buy tickets to a show because the service charges were too high."

You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and they won't take him. 

But if you got your friends to do it too, in harmony maybe, they may think they're both [queer] and they won't change their fee's either.

And if three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people coming to the forum telling Seth about not buying tickets because of the fees and walking out? They may think it's an organization. 

And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day coming here telling Seth that they didn't buy tickets because fo the service charges and walking out?  And friends they may thinks it's a movement.

And that's what it is, the "Seth I Didn't Buy Tickets Because the Service Charges Were Too High Movement."

You could have saved yourself a lot of grief and frustration.  Arguing will get you nowhere.  Organizing, well, now you're on to something….
Driveway
Joined: September 27, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 619
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 10:52 PM UTC #
At the end of the day, Seth & the concert industry don't care at all about our opinions.  They will only care when the money stops coming in.
jaguar
Joined: October 28, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 3869
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 11:07 PM UTC #
mr_goodbomb wrote:
gaaaaaaaaah wrote:
You've yet to mention who you're wanting to see.  Perhaps that would change the entire argument.


What difference does that make? A show is a show. But as if it'll make any different in the agruement, it's City and Colour, which sold out last year, I believe.


Please excuse my ignorance. Is this one band called City And Colour or two bands, one band being City and the other Colour? If one band, I'll pretty much stay on the sidelines of this since I know not a thing about them. If it's two, I don't know a thing about City but definitely count me in your corner for Colour, whom I'd love to see. Somehow, I suspect my luck will fail again and it's just one band called City And Colour.

gaaaaaaaaah wrote:
Sarcasm, dawg.  Of course it's not pertinent.  Other venues would still charge service charges, so that wouldn't be an option either.

They're a part of concerts and ticket buying these days, and that's just how it is.  Right or wrong, they aren't going away any time soon.


This arguement is slightly flawed only for the fact that not all entities charge (or gauge) to the same degrees.

It's the same old story, those who have developed a strong business prescence will max out their costs as far as they can take them regardless of how it affects the consumer. The exception being that they will back down a bit only once their own bottom line is hit. Obviously, not a lot of that happening now in the DC area with a lot of government jobs still holding out.

I've also noticed that the biggest bitchers of those who bitch about the fees are often those who seem to have more money than the rest. To them, it's nothing to throw an extra $20 or so at something while everyone else tries to save face and quietly backs off and out of more and more shows. Again, those who have, will often gladly buy those tickets that the others decide they must forfeit because it's just not in their tighter and tighter budgets. The merchants don't care, nor do they necessarily know, who is actually buying all those tickets, as a ticket sale is a ticket sale regardless of who it was sold to. Bottom line: Nothing will change this until bigger numbers choose not to buy via big fees agencies.

For what it's worth, I don't put much stake in whether the total cost is shown up front or at the end only because, once the transaction is complete, it will still cost me exactly the same. I already know what a scam some of these agencies are running so if I must have a ticket and need to use their service, I expect to get screwed in the process. Shame is, I now see less and less shows because of them and many of these shows were not shows that have sold out… so everyone lost out on a piece of the action.
gaaaaaaaaah
Joined: September 14, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1084
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 11:12 PM UTC #
Oh yeah, I know they don't all charge as much.  But, for the most part, they all charge something.
Seth Hurwitz
Joined: October 02, 1999 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1014
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 11:13 PM UTC #
I would define transparency as when the charges are separated

if the ticket was just one price, and you couldn't see the breakdown, that would not be transparent, in my opinion

as far as taking it steps further, and then explaining who makes what out of those different parts of the ticket…I'm sorry, but that's just nobody's business, any more than if you laid out what everyone made at a store you bought something at

listen, when I answer with my "if you don't like it, don't go" type responses…this does not mean we don't appreciate everyone's business…in fact, it's just the opposite…we appreciate our customers that pay a lot of money to see shows, and try and provide them with the best experience possible

but, by all means, bring on the discussions!
jaguar
Joined: October 28, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 3869
Re: Service charges a little high? December 08, 2009 at 11:15 PM UTC #
vansmack wrote:
mr_goodbomb wrote:
vansmack wrote:
So you didn't buy the tickets right?

I did not, not did any of my friends who planned to go with me for my birthday, and for no other reason than the excess charges.


Good. Then next time, just come to the forum and say "Hey Seth, I didn't buy tickets to a show because the service charges were too high."

You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and they won't take him. 

But if you got your friends to do it too, in harmony maybe, they may think they're both [queer] and they won't change their fee's either.

And if three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people coming to the forum telling Seth about not buying tickets because of the fees and walking out? They may think it's an organization. 

And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day coming here telling Seth that they didn't buy tickets because fo the service charges and walking out?  And friends they may thinks it's a movement.

And that's what it is, the "Seth I Didn't Buy Tickets Because the Service Charges Were Too High Movement."

You could have saved yourself a lot of grief and frustration.  Arguing will get you nowhere.  Organizing, well, now you're on to something….


Alice's Restaurant replaces Food Food.  
mr_goodbomb
Joined: December 03, 2009 at 10:13 PM UTC
Posts: 12
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 12:36 AM UTC #
gaaaaaaaaah wrote:
Sarcasm, dawg.  Of course it's not pertinent.  Other venues would still charge service charges, so that wouldn't be an option either.

They're a part of concerts and ticket buying these days, and that's just how it is.  Right or wrong, they aren't going away any time soon.


Other venues, however, won't charge THIS HIGH OF FEES. That's the whole point. Service charges are fucking obnoxious, but you're right, everyone charges them. However, they don't charge you for EACH ticket, AND the parking, AND the overall transaction. This case is just a worst case scenario.
elj
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5970
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 12:38 AM UTC #
What other ticketing agencies are you referring to? Other than etix, I know of no major (and calling etix a major is a stretch) ticketing agency that doesn't charge per ticket with a boilerplate per transaction fee. Ticketfly does, tickets.com does, ticketmaster does, livenation does, and all at extremely comparable rates, if not higher in many cases. That's like 95% of the tickets sold in the country right there.

And you don't pay for parking thru 930 Club's ticketing company unless you want to buy a spot in the parking lot.
mr_goodbomb
Joined: December 03, 2009 at 10:13 PM UTC
Posts: 12
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 12:44 AM UTC #
vansmack wrote:You could have saved yourself a lot of grief and frustration.  Arguing will get you nowhere.  Organizing, well, now you're on to something….


This is organizing. I'm posting in a public place and making it well-known. I just haven't got my friends to do it because, well, they don't care enough to make an account and say anything. I can assure you, however, that there are several people who wished to attend who will not be doing so now because of those fees.

The only person I argued with was Julian, and I quickly realized that he's just a troll looking for attention.


Jaguar wrote:
Somehow, I suspect my luck will fail again and it's just one band called City And Colour.


One band called City and Colour.


Also, I think in unstable times, no one should be throwing away $17 for nothing, which is exactly what avoidable fees like this are. They don't go to the artist, they don't go to the venue, and they don't provide the customer with anything tangible.


Seth wrote:
I would define transparency as when the charges are separated

if the ticket was just one price, and you couldn't see the breakdown, that would not be transparent, in my opinion

as far as taking it steps further, and then explaining who makes what out of those different parts of the ticket…I'm sorry, but that's just nobody's business, any more than if you laid out what everyone made at a store you bought something at

listen, when I answer with my "if you don't like it, don't go" type responses…this does not mean we don't appreciate everyone's business…in fact, it's just the opposite…we appreciate our customers that pay a lot of money to see shows, and try and provide them with the best experience possible

but, by all means, bring on the discussions!


If you're not making anything extra off the service charges, why are you so unconcerned about how your customers feel about them?

If you are, then why not just make it one price?

Either way, those customers will stop paying "a lot of money to see shows" when you treat them like dogshit, bud. I'll be sure to treat your venue as such the next time I'm there. Thanks.
elj
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5970
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 12:45 AM UTC #
mr_goodbomb wrote:
Either way, those customers will stop paying "a lot of money to see shows" when you treat them like dogshit, bud. I'll be sure to treat your venue as such the next time I'm there. Thanks.
elj
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5970
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 12:47 AM UTC #
mr_goodbomb wrote:
The only person I argued with was Julian, and I quickly realized that he's just a troll looking for attention.
I'm a respected, long-time member of this community. You're a guy who shows up childishly bitching and rehashing the same topic for the 500th time and threatening to treat the people who run this messageboard's venue "as shit," and I'm the troll? OK there guy.
kosmo
Joined: September 23, 1999 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 16329
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 12:55 AM UTC #
Instead of being so hell bent on organizing, why don't you ask a surcharge free question in the FAQ forum as to how tickets are selling.  This way you can decided as to whether or not you can wait until the day of the show to get tickets at the boxoffice.

http://www.930.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0

But if you really want to organize, why not buy a bunch of tickets at once that way there is only one processing fee and not several.

Buying parking in advance is not mandatory, if the lot is full there is on street parking. 

So continuing to complain and stay at home the night of the show grumbling or take a risk the show isn't going to sellout in advance.  or pay the fees
mr_goodbomb
Joined: December 03, 2009 at 10:13 PM UTC
Posts: 12
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 01:15 AM UTC #
Julian, wrote:
I'm a respected, long-time member of this community.


MyraEllen wrote:
Oh, and p.s. mr_goodbomb - just ignore Julian.  At least that's what the rest of us do….
vansmack
Joined: October 04, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 19725
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 01:27 AM UTC #
mr_goodbomb wrote:
This is organizing. I'm posting in a public place and making it well-known. I just haven't got my friends to do it because, well, they don't care enough to make an account and say anything. I can assure you, however, that there are several people who wished to attend who will not be doing so now because of those fees.


No sir, this is ranting, not organizing, and it's been done hastily to make yourself feel better.  Channel that energy away from a pissing contest with Julian and into converting your friends into being part of your organizing and have them recruit more and see what you accomplish.
kosmo
Joined: September 23, 1999 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 16329
Re: Service charges a little high? December 09, 2009 at 01:29 AM UTC #
Let's talk service charges shall we….

In NYC the tickets are $20 in advance + service charges or $25 day of the show…


US $20.00 x 2
Price Details
Convenience Charge
US $4.70 x 2

There maybe a another charge on top of this…

In Florida

Ticket Price
US $20.00 x 2
Price Details
Convenience Charge
US $6.25 x 2

There are two other shows at LiveNation venues so expect similar if not higher fees…
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