Oh, the ticket office head scratching

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Schnauzer

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I have shared part of this in a different thread but I figured I'd include my entire recent experience with the ticket office. Through the years, I have been left with many head scratching moments when dealing with the ticket office. Sometimes, the screw ups are good for me (as they were a couple years ago when I attempted to move my 4 seats in the Metrodome and ended up with two sets of 4 tickets - 8 seats - for the price of 4). Before you scold me for 'stealing' those other four tickets, just know that I attempted to call the ticket office on that one and was told I'd be called back, and wasn't. When I called in a SECOND time, I got frustrated enough that I asked to speak with a manager. The answer was 'no'. I was told the managers didn't have time to talk to me but someone would call me back. They didn't. 8 tickets for me. But, of course more often than not I have got the shaft when these things happen.

So, fast forward to the renewal and change request process for the upcoming season tickets. I had four seats together in Section 133 and a single on the other side of the stadium in section 114. I typed up a change request that clearly stated these two numbered requests:

1. if possible, move my 4 seats closer to the middle of the field, to section 135
2. move the single seat as close to my other four (wherever they end up) as possible.

I finally heard back today on the fate of my requests. No on both. Keep this in mind... my brother-in-law called me up a few weeks ago to let me know he just got 4 seats in section 135 (the section I was trying to move to!). He managed to pull this off with no additional gopher points, and as a first time gopher season ticket holder for any sport. It was so blantant, I figured they surely had never seen my move request. My request was probably lost. Well, today's email denial proved that logical thought incorrect.

So, another head scratcher... I couldn't move my four seats to the next section, but my greenhorn bro-in-law could snap them up after a month on the waiting list for new season tickets. But, my second request was to move the single near my other four. That was denied as well. Strangely my denial email said I could call to pick up a different seat since season ticket sales began today. What? Well, I did make the call and I was able to move my single seat to the row IN FRONT OF my other four tickets, even in perfect line. Yay!! Of course, it creates yet another head scratcher how my official request was denied while three single seats were available all within two rows of me in my same section!

Just venting and figured I'd share the "fun". The guy I talked to today was very nice (as has been the case with most of the kids I have talked to in the ticket office). I just wish the office was as organized as their employees are friendly.
 

This is, sadly, par for the course in all of my dealings with them, as well.
 

I don't understand why they don't just do the seat-selection process that we did last spring all over again every year.

Once you pay for your tickets (in April) your seats are held throughout the process (which would happen in May). As was the case last year, the order would be based on Gopher Points. If you fail to log-in and switch your seats, you just get the same seats.

The ticket office could then use the month of June to go through the waiting list.

It is complete insanity to have this much human-to-human interaction in such a transaction in 2010.
 

Goldmember said:
I don't understand why they don't just do the seat-selection process that we did last spring all over again every year.

Once you pay for your tickets (in April) your seats are held throughout the process (which would happen in May). As was the case last year, the order would be based on Gopher Points. If you fail to log-in and switch your seats, you just get the same seats.

The ticket office could then use the month of June to go through the waiting list.

It is complete insanity to have this much human-to-human interaction in such a transaction in 2010.
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Agreed. This isn't the stone age. We should be able to do all of this online. No printing out and mailing in forms. Primitive.
 

You'll be glad you didn't move out of 133. That's where I am this year. It will be awesome, mark my words.
 


I didn't even try to move up this year assuming that the incompetence in the ticket office still existed. I was worried that they'd split our group up, move us to worse seats, etc., so I left well enough alone. Someday, the ticket office will join the world of online seat selection, passwords that last more than a year, and other post 2000 technologies--then I will finally be able to request a seat change.
 

I have 4 tickets. 2 in Section 212 and another 2 as bleacher seats. The 2 "bleacher" seats were purchased in an attempt to get 4 seats together for when my kids get older.

I put in a request for my 2 "bleacher" seats to be upgraded to section 212 in the $100 donation section. I never got any notification from the ticket office as to whether my request was approved. I attempted to call them and they never gave me an answer. Finally I see the notice today that new season tickets are available in section 212. Granted they might be in the $250 donation portion of the section and not the $100 but it's very disappointing that this couldn't be handled more smoothly. I attempted to call today to find out for certain that there are no $100 donation seats available in 212 but I was on hold for over 40 minutes and had to hang up.
 

I requested a new seat in my section next to me that was never used last year. I also gave seat numbers behind me and in front of me just in case I couldn't get one I wanted. I was able to obtain the exact seat I wanted without a hitch.
 

If they're going to stick to this prehistoric "fill out this form" system for upgrades - one lesson I learned was to make a copy and keep it handy. I called last week to get status and the gal said my form requests all stated "chairback non-donation seats". I for one know that's not true because I have bench seats and just looked to move down within the same section for one of my options (I'm in row 30 upstairs). Gal on phone got defensive - it was awkward. I was told to call this week for any openings - and did - only to wait on hold for 30 mintues - twice throughout the day. People have to to work. I'm cancelling my efforts to move this year because its stupid to try to do anything without "donating". That's all they want anyway - she said the group that got ST's last week (your section 135 guy) were all golden gopher fund members who didn't have STs last year, and got an offer. So literally I could have NOT purchased STs last year - given them $100 donation, and I would have been set up for life this year. Nice system.
 



This stone age system they have is a hinderance. Right now, demand for season tickets is high, but if it cools, they byzantine nature of the system is going to make people less willing to get tickets.

Here's what they should do: sit down, and decide how the system should work. Write it down as a set of requirements. Then get some of those computer students to write it up. It doesn't sound as if it ought to be complicated. Right now everone has to talk to the people even for mundane matters.
 

Confirmed with the ticket office that nothing is available for section 212...despite the email this morning saying there was. Oh well. Always next year I guess.
 

I too had a disconcerting exchange with the ticket office this morning. To make a long story short, I'm staying with what I had last season.
 

Sounds like the worst ticket inventory system around. Couldn't they hire some summer interns from the CS or MIS departments and build something a little more user-friendly and manageable? That's the type of thing I would have loved to work on over the summer in college

If the ticket office workers are lazy, then no system will work. If it's just that the information is haphazard, that can easily be fixed and on the cheap.
 



CP Gopher said:
I too had a disconcerting exchange with the ticket office this morning. To make a long story short, I'm staying with what I had last season.
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I had great luck this year with seat changes. Last year I had two in 139 and 2 in 233. We asked to get our four as close together as possible in 139 and we have 4 seats withing 5 rows of each other. Also my basketball season tickets were improved to have better seating in the lower section with no extra donation. I was very pleased with the way the ticket office handled my requests.
 

skoalvikings said:
I didn't even try to move up this year assuming that the incompetence in the ticket office still existed. I was worried that they'd split our group up, move us to worse seats, etc., so I left well enough alone. Someday, the ticket office will join the world of online seat selection, passwords that last more than a year, and other post 2000 technologies--then I will finally be able to request a seat change.
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I had a lovely experience. I have 4 tickets and directly behind me is my friend with 4 tickets. We sent in a request for better seats if we could get closer to the field, but wanted to stay together. They moverd my friend's 4 seats over two sections (Se. 233) down three rows, but left mine in place. We called to find out what happened.

Oops, they didn't see page two on our request and said we wanted to stay together. Oh sorry, and the seats they had before had been sold already. But, wait, we could stay together if we moved back 4 rows there were 8 seats together.:mad:

We talked to the manager and he is going to see if they person who bought the 4 seats we used to have would be willing to move to that section where my friend got moved to. We'll see if that works.

By the way, in case you are on this site and just got 4 seats in section 231; maybe you can help fellow Gopher fans out and switch your seats:clap:
 


Whaw whaw whaw...

What a bunch of whiners. "Gee they didn't call me back." "Somebody else got the seats that I wanted." " I gave them the seat number I wanted and everything."...
The vast majority of people have no trouble with the U of MN ticket office.
 

My seats were one in front of the other last season so I put in a request to get them side to side anywhere in the non-donation area. When I saw the e-mail I called right away at 9 am this morning and found out they had plenty of seats that were next to each other in the same row. Then I asked why I wasn't contacted and they apologized and said I should of been called on Friday but wasn't. I not only was able to get seats next to each other, but 4 next to each other closer to the field in 232, I was satisfied by the way it turned out.
 

It sounds like a lot of people were able to upgrade and/or get new seats. Is there even a waiting list? What was the season ticket renewal rate? I'm kinda shocked by the number of people who seem to have dropped season tickets. What's up with that?
 

GhostofBronko said:
It sounds like a lot of people were able to upgrade and/or get new seats. Is there even a waiting list? What was the season ticket renewal rate? I'm kinda shocked by the number of people who seem to have dropped season tickets. What's up with that?
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There must of been a few who dropped out this year, when I called I got 4 together no problem.
 

Goldmember said:
I don't understand why they don't just do the seat-selection process that we did last spring all over again every year.
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There is one reason and one reason only: that would cost them money.
 

GhostofBronko said:
It sounds like a lot of people were able to upgrade and/or get new seats. Is there even a waiting list? What was the season ticket renewal rate? I'm kinda shocked by the number of people who seem to have dropped season tickets. What's up with that?
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93%
 

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