Box office customer comments

[Martin]

In an on-going bid to keep people's spirits up in these strange and uncertain times the UK “Whats on Stage” website thought to return to one of their favourite subjects to spread cheer – the best questions and oddest comments from audience members to box office staff. These are some of their favourite regulars. You'd be amazed how often they are asked!

And let us state it right now – all of these are true!

• What time does the 8 o'clock show start?

• Can I have seats facing the stage please?

• Sorry we only have singles left madam.
OK – do you have two of them together?

• What time is the matinee?
2.30.
Is that 2.30pm?

• I'm sorry but we only have restricted view tickets left.
What does that mean?
It means that you won't be able to see everything.
Oh, at what point will we have to leave?

• I had a tall person in front of me – I couldn't see a thing. You should arrange your audience in height order…

• When Miss Saigon was playing in the West End, a customer asked one of the front of house;
What time roughly does the roof open to allow the helicopter to fly in? I'd like to stand outside and watch…

• Query at the Novello Theatre where Mamma Mia! plays;
Is Meryl Streep on tonight?

• Question for the Queen's (now the Sondheim) Theatre box office one time;
Customer: Do you have any tickets for The Lion King?
Box Office: No madam, this is Les Misérables?
Customer: Oh – don't all the theatres show all the shows?

• To the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park;
Is the theatre air-conditioned?

• Box office staff: Hi sir – did you buy your ticket from an agent?
Customer: No, he was definitely white

[Libby]

Strange that I only just now saw this post, but now that I have, I found it very entertaining, having worked with customers for over 12 years. There was once a customer who expressed concerned about going outside the building to look at the plants because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to get back in... the doors were wide open! I suppose she was afraid we would shut them? LOL

[Andrew]

Nov 25, 2020 23:26:35 GMT Libby said:

Strange that I only just now saw this post, but now that I have, I found it very entertaining, having worked with customers for over 12 years. There was once a customer who expressed concerned about going outside the building to look at the plants because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to get back in... the doors were wide open! I suppose she was afraid we would shut them? LOL

Hi Libby,

I only hope the plants outside were not triffids!!!

Have you read the novel, entitled: “The Day of The Triffids” by: John Wyndham? 😂

Andrew

[Libby]

No, I can't say that I have. I suppose I should have said "flowers", but I'm a gardener with a degree in horticulture. A flower is just one part of the plant, and some plants, even small ones, are not even grown for their flowers, but for their attractive foliage or privacy screening. I can't stand it when people say, "is it a flower or is it a plant?" Or, "is it a weed, or is it a plant?" News flash, all plants are just... plants! LOL

[Joe]

Oh, and mail-order customers!  I loved when customers would mail in their order forms for shoes along with cardboard tracings of their feet! And also those that included a length of string to explain their waist size! 

[Andrew]

Nov 27, 2020 2:24:27 GMT Joe said:

Oh, and mail-order customers!  I loved when customers would mail in their order forms for shoes along with cardboard tracings of their feet! And also those that included a length of string to explain their waist size! 

Hi Joe,

I have heard about gathering customer profile information. Providing their shoe sizes and waist measurements certainly helps to build a more accurate picture!

😂🤣😂

Andrew

[Libby]

People liked to get the people in the paint department to match the color of something seen in a picture on their phone. Colors don't always look the same in a cell phone photo as they do in person. And when their paint was made, sometimes people would say they need to go outside and see the color in "normal" light. LOL Our store supposedly didn't accept returns of mixed paint, but would normally accept them anyway and sell them for a pretty big discount. The main reason for the policy is that people would be sneaky... they would have the paint mixed, and decide they didn't like it, and return it. Then come back later and buy them at the discount. Sometimes the paint clerks would be sneaky themselves, and paint the top of the can a really ugly color to fool them (discounted paint always had their lids painted the color of the paint inside).