What’s going on at Ticketmaster?

Global ticket sales company Ticketmaster has hit the headlines again, though not for the right reasons.

From confusion over pre-sales and mishandling of concert tickets to poor communication and questionable surge pricing, the ticket distribution giant has faced a lot of backlash from frustrated concert-goers.

Now, as fans desperately try to get tickets for rock band Coldplay’s latest UK tour, we explore what’s going down with Ticketmaster, and what SMEs can learn from its current problems.

What’s going wrong with Ticketmaster?

As frustrations with Ticketmaster’s services continue, these are the main problems UK customers have faced with the company lately.

Confusion over pre-sales for Coldplay tickets

Coldplay fans were left confused after the Ticketmaster website didn’t appear to show any details for the concert pre-sale tickets. 

Pre-sale tickets were due to go up for sale at 9 AM this morning, with general tickets released at 10 AM tomorrow. However, customers were left confused after the page only showed details for the general sale tickets.

Fans who pre-ordered the band’s latest album, Moon Music, were automatically entered into the presale. From there, they should have received an email with an early access code for the pre-sale tickets. 

It was confirmed by Ticketmaster that the page will update with pre-sale details at 9 AM on the dot. It also stated that due to high demand, not everyone who has an access code is guaranteed a pre-sale ticket.

Mishandling Oasis ticket sales

The return of the famous Gallagher brothers caused an uproar of hype among fans. But Ticketmaster’s handling of concert tickets was anything but a morning glory.

The rock band announced their reunion tour in September, which would take place in the UK and Ireland next year.

Fans ran to secure tickets once they were live on Ticketmaster, but what followed was a torrent of website issues and financial dilemmas that led to the band hitting out at the company and an investigation in the works.

Fans were left waiting hours to get hold of tickets, only to find that prices had increased from £135 to over £350 because of Ticketmaster’s “dynamic ticket pricing model”, which raises the cost of tickets due to high demand.

Oasis claimed they weren’t aware of this model being used, and announced two additional dates, which would only be available to those who were unsuccessful in the initial Ticketmaster sale.

Meanwhile, consumer group Which? said that Ticketmaster should refund customers who paid extortionate prices, while The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into its dynamic pricing.

What can SMEs take away from this?

In business – as in life – things go wrong, the unexpected happens, whether that’s a global pandemic or an overloaded booking system. The key to keeping customers happy is in the handling – and making sure you have a contingency plan in place.  Here’s what small businesses can do to manage those unforeseen circumstances and keep customers onboard.

Be transparent about pricing

The problem with Ticketmaster’s pricing model is that people weren’t aware of it, and so were shocked to see tickets prices surging. Dynamic pricing is often used to change the price of products and services to reflect changing market conditions and can be beneficial for both businesses and customers. For example, to better manage their inventory, such as raising prices when stocks are low, or putting them down when there’s an excessive amount.

However, it’s important to be communicate your pricing strategy to your customers so they can make the judgement call on whether what they are purchasing is worth it. Otherwise – like Ticketmaster – expects complaints and bad press.

Maintain good customer service

Customer service is crucial in any business and plays a significant role in making or breaking your reputation. According to Ticketmaster’s Trustpilot reviews, most customers are dissatisfied with being unable to contact anyone from customer support, unhelpful customer representatives and slow responses.

Empathy, communication skills and product knowledge are all fundamentals of good customer service and it’s important to keep these in mind when dealing with any enquiries or complaints. Maintaining strong customer service not only boosts your reputation but also helps retain repeat customers and increases your competitive advantage.

Knowledge bases are also beneficial for providing customers with any relevant information and directing them to the right place, in turn cutting down wait times and giving customers 24/7 access even outside business hours.

Create a business continuity plan

Sudden disruptions in your business operations can be extremely stressful. That’s why having a business continuity plan is essential for navigating any unforeseen circumstances.

Ticketmaster might not have been able to predict the deluge of demand for Oasis tickets which overloaded its systems, but a good BCP with contingency for back-up tech infastructure, a clear crisis comms plan and easily accessible knowledge centre would have gone a long way in preventing disappointed customers and reputational damage.