Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

Katjia

New Member
  • Posts

    1
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Katjia

  1. I missed the Sunday evening performance due to the blizzard. Since my tickets were in the orchestra, this was a considerable loss. Despite the massive snow storm and the 40 mph winds on Sunday evening, ABT has taken the Draconian position that there are no exchanges of any type. I have been a subscriber at BAM for a long time, and after a huge snowstorm they allowed all ticketholders to exchange their tickets into another performance. (BAM's website clearly indicates that the no exchange policy is ABT's policy, not BAM's policy.) At the MET Opera approximately 6 years ago, they allowed ticketholders to exchange into certain unpopular, undersold operas if they had to miss a performance because of a huge snowstorm that year. After a huge snowstorm in February 2010, the New York City ballet allowed ticketholders to mail in their tickets with a list of three dates for spring 2010 rep performances, and they permitted an exchange into one of the dates if available. In sum, ABT is the only organization which has acted, in my opinion, in a completely unreasonable manner on this issue. I think they will find that their customer service (or lack thereof) will hurt them in the long run. It's shortsighted. They could have easily permitted people who could not attend because of the blizzard to send in their tickets to ABT and provide a list of 3 dates for an exchange into a spring performance at the MET. Additionally, given the huge number of unsold seats at the Nutcracker, they could have allowed a standby line for ticketholders on other performance dates. Instead, they chose the most inflexible route. Of course, I know they have no obligation to provide assistance. I wish to add my own to the message sent by abatt. I did not attend the performance of the nutcracker at the BAM on December 27 2010 due to the snow storm. I contacted ABT with the hope that the tickets may be either refunded or exchanged. I was told that a large number of people shared my situation and that I should write to ABT as this was a special circumstance, despite the policy of no refund, no exchange. I did so. In reply,I was given a choice of performances in the spring with the proviso that the 5 tickets be used for one performance. As the dates were not suitable to me, I asked for a rain check for December 2011, when the family traditionally gets together in NY for an extended holiday. Since then, I wrote to ABT again and I received 2 calls from a James Timm at the end of his office hours, around 5PM, and did not leave his call back number. I called the general number and was told that he was in charge of the Nutcracker tickets and to leave him a message. I did so on many occasions and he never returned my calls. I also send him email messages which are being rejected by the system. I do not know what the big problem is with ABT and the reason for the absolute absence of a patrons-theatre relations office, which I find absurd in the contest of a performing arts institution. If ABT is unable to consider my and many other similar cases, we the patrons should be informed unequivocably, transparently and without further delay. Judging from some of the comments below, it seems to me that seats remain empty, enough of them to be noticed at each and every performance. It seems to me that ABT prefers to retain the money spent by people on unused tickets as "donations" (one of the choices I was given for the unused tickets)rather than fill the seats. If this is the case, please tell me what the meaning of the theatre is. The unbending rigidity of corporate rules, the lack of consideration toward the public, which is the raison d'etre of a theatre, and the high cost of tickets are perhaps some of the reasons the performing arts have lost public support. Let us not always blame the cultural changes for once.
×
×
  • Create New...