The Snowed-Out Subscriber and the Premium Upgrade
Riverside Playhouse (1,850 seats) sells a five-show season pass with any-night flexibility. Policy: exchanges up to 24 hours before curtain, $5 fee waived for subscribers, no cash refunds; missed performances may be converted to a tax-deductible donation at face value. A subscriber of 11 years holds four seats. She missed the closing night of Bright Star because a city-issued ice-storm travel advisory closed the highway. She calls three days later with three requests. First, she wants the $440 value applied to two premium seats at a one-night gala concert priced at $250 each. Only six premium seats remain and the gala is nine days out. Second, she sees two $440 charges from her renewal and wants both reversed immediately; one is still pending. Third, she asks to move her accessible seats for the next show from row Q to an aisle. The box office is down one agent and the queue is 18 minutes.
1. How should the box office handle the request to apply the $440 to the gala, and what should the subscriber be told about tax treatment?
Read the worked answer
Start from the written policy: missed performances convert to a donation at face value, not cash, and exchanges are an option before curtain. The gala is outside the season package, so this is not a straight exchange but an upgrade sale using account credit. The ice-storm advisory supports a one-time courtesy exception, but it should be documented as such rather than announced as a new rule.
Offer a $440 account credit applied to two gala seats at $500 total, collecting the $60 difference and waiving the $5 exchange fee. If she prefers the donation route, she receives an acknowledgment for $440 and no gala seats. Do not issue a tax receipt for value applied to tickets; only a payment above fair market value could be treated as a gift, and here the seats are priced at fair market value. Confirm the seat locations in writing, note the exception reason in the account, and tell her the credit must be used for this gala because the inventory is limited.
2. What is the correct response to the two $440 charges, and what should the agent avoid saying?
Read the worked answer
Separate the pending authorization from the posted charge before making any promise. A pending authorization is not a completed charge; it typically drops off within three to five business days depending on the card issuer. The agent should not say both charges will be reversed immediately, because reversing a pending authorization can create a second problem and may not be possible from the box-office system.
If one charge is pending and one is posted, explain the difference, give the authorization date and amount, and advise her to wait three business days before contacting her card issuer. If both have posted, refund one immediately to the original payment method, provide a refund reference number, and confirm the expected posting time. Check the renewal batch for other duplicate authorizations and flag the account. Also note that issuing a refund for a season renewal may affect her pass status if the duplication is not real. Document the call and set a follow-up task for the pending item.
3. How should the accessible-seat move be evaluated, and what alternatives are appropriate if no aisle seat is available?
Read the worked answer
Treat the move as an accessibility request, not a routine exchange. Check the accessible-seat inventory and the actual aisle condition: an aisle seat is only comparable if she can transfer safely or if it is a designated accessible space with a companion seat nearby. Moving from row Q to an aisle could be an improvement, but only if it does not reduce the number of accessible spaces or block egress.
If an aisle accessible seat is available for the same performance, move her and confirm the companion seat. If none is available, do not downgrade her to a non-accessible seat and call it equivalent. Offer the nearest available accessible location, a different performance with comparable seating, or a waitlist with a specific callback date. Explain the trade-off honestly and document the request. If the venue has a seating chart that marks transfer seats, use it rather than relying on row labels. Confirm all changes in writing so the patron has a record.