ponyhockey23 wrote:So I had the unique pleasure of dealing with a guy in the ticket office today. I recently graduated and moved to Florida. I thought it would be fun to try to come back to Dallas and go to the Boulevard. I was inquiring about tickets for the game and I was told that for that single game it would be $85. I thought that it was a little steep. When I asked if there was a discount for alumni because I knew SMU had been struggling with getting people in the stands I was told that this year SMU is doing just fine with alumni support and that if I cannot afford an $85 dollar ticket to a game I should just try again next year. I thought that the school and the ticket department would try to help out one of their own. I am absolutely disgusted with the way the situation was handled. The ticket representative was very rude and made me feel that because I cannot afford the tickets because I am a recent graduate, I should essentially not bother supporting the Ponies. Is this how most interactions go with our ticket office? At this point, I want to tell the whole athletic department to go screw themselves.
Does anyone have any suggestions to finding tickets or where to take my complaints?
Don't let anyone discourage you from supporting the team. If you're on a tight budget and can only attend one game then I'd suggest foregoing the A&M game (no way you're getting a cheap ticket for that one) and attend one of our 6 other home games.
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security
ponyhockey23 wrote:I am slightly more than a fair weather fan. In my four years at SMU, I only missed the games that were over Thanksgiving Break due to family obligations in New York. I was planning on buying season tickets before I found out that I would be moving to Florida. I am still even planning on going to the UCF game because I feel as if I should support SMU when they are playing close. This whole entire dealing is disappointing. I am living right now on a tight budget and I really do not want to be spending that much on tickets that I will not be using. I was even planning on coming out for a few more away games, but like I said, I do not want to have to deal with a ticketing department who is going to be nasty to me.
I was even considering getting a three game plan and coming back out, but I do not want to help the guy who I was dealing with before.
PonyPlayer4 wrote:It's amazing and ridiculous the number of people that feel like they shouldn't have to pay for the goods and services they are provided. What were you looking for coming on here, someone to give you a discounted ticket?
No one should be treated in that manner for asking a question. He should be reported to the ticket manager because that was very bad customer service.
"We will play man to man and we will pick you up at the airport." - Larry Brown
I don't believe he is saying he should be given a discount, but it never hurts to ask, and there is no excuse for the way in which he was treated. It's at times like this that I realize that if I wasn't a die hard SMU fan, I'd probably hate us too.
If he's complaining about the customer service, I would agree with him.
If the discount bothered him, I don't.
I have to admit I'm surprised by the customer service. The ticket office has always been great to work with and very professional in my experience. Always constant.
Junior wrote:If he's complaining about the customer service, I would agree with him.
If the discount bothered him, I don't.
I have to admit I'm surprised by the customer service. The ticket office has always been great to work with and very professional in my experience. Always constant.
I imagine this is just some spoiled [deleted] who didn't get the answers he wanted. The problem was most likely the customer, not customer service. I will eat a chicken sandwich and waffle fries to support our ticket office.
"I was inquiring about tickets for the game and I was told that for that single game it would be $85. I thought that it was a little steep. When I asked if there was a discount for alumni because I knew SMU had been struggling with getting people in the stands I was told that this year SMU is doing just fine with alumni support and that if I cannot afford an $85 dollar ticket to a game I should just try again next year."
I think it was extremely naive to call and ask for discounted tickets to the biggest game in the history of Ford Stadium, but I think both parties made condescending statements in their conversation but the ticket office employee should have taken the high road.
I think the struggling for fans comment probably made the employee want to laugh out loud since we are talking about a game we are adding bleachers for and will be sold out, not some spare C-USA game. Instead of laughing, he basically said wait until you can afford it, when he should of just said I'm so sorry but there isn't anything I can do for you and explain the demand for the game.
there is absolutely nothing wrong with what the employee said, he just kindly said we are not having any trouble selling out this game so we aren't giving out any discounts.
I am sympathetic to the lightness of a recent grad's wallet because that was me up until last December while going through a Master's program. Let me suggest two options:
1) I am part of a group of alumni super-fans called Red And Blue Army, who (mostly) sit in section 110. We have a group ticketmaster account that I've asked members to donate their tickets to if they can't go to a game for any reason. I'll post free ticket opportunities on our Facebook page and on Twitter (links below) during the week of the game. Follow us on these sites, let me know who you are and I'll try very hard to get you a ticket for the A&M game. No guarantees though.
2) If you purchase season tickets in section 110, I will chip in $48 to make your part of the purchase a cool $50, $10 per game. My only condition with this is that you donate any tickets you won't be using back to the RBA ticketmaster account so we can give them to members who want extras and fans (like you).
Last edited by SMUer on Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The guys who work in the ticket office. The ticket sales office is made up of outside employees that Orsini outsourced. I don't know them at all, and can't speak to their customer service. Obviously none of the rest of us heard the original exchange between the PonyFan and the ticket sales people, but nobody ever should be treated badly for asking a question.
fivemon wrote:there is absolutely nothing wrong with what the employee said, he just kindly said we are not having any trouble selling out this game so we aren't giving out any discounts.
That's not all he said. And it is the "and if you can't afford $85 for a ticket" comment I find objectionable.
As a department, we are commmitted to quality customer service. This is the first complaint I've seen like this, but we will address it. Feel free to contact me directly with your comments and concerns.
I would not want to make a judgment about the caller or the customer service rep without having heard the conversation or at least both sides of the story. Hopefully the poster will call the SID and follow through.
PonyPlayer4 wrote:It's amazing and ridiculous the number of people that feel like they shouldn't have to pay for the goods and services they are provided. What were you looking for coming on here, someone to give you a discounted ticket?
No one should be treated in that manner for asking a question. He should be reported to the ticket manager because that was very bad customer service.
fivemon wrote:there is absolutely nothing wrong with what the employee said, he just kindly said we are not having any trouble selling out this game so we aren't giving out any discounts.
That's not all he said. And it is the "and if you can't afford $85 for a ticket" comment I find objectionable.
