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Technology is great, but when it comes to customer service, there’s nothing like face-to-face contact — a chance for buyer and seller to interact in a meeting of both eyes and minds.
Last Thursday (Nov. 26), Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizers (VANOC) opened the Whistler Main Ticket Centre (MTC), about a week after opening a similar facility near Vancouver’s Robson Square.
Until that point, those purchasing tickets for 2010 Olympic and Paralympic events interacted with VANOC officials either via the organization’s website, www.vancouver2010.com, or on the phone. But as the Games creep ever closer, VANOC officials also felt it was important to have the person-to-person contact that only a ticket or will-call window can provide, said Caley Denton, VANOC vice-president of ticketing and consumer marketing.
For the same reasons, VANOC will have ticket booths and will-call windows at each venue during the Games. If any tickets are available at Games time, they’ll be available at the venues.
“There’s a lot of information that’s going to be shared in that arena, and you get feedback that way,” Denton said. “Even though we mainly serve tickets, if we get a lot of questions about, say, transportation, then we can pass those along to the appropriate people. There’s no substitute for that face-to-face contact.”
Both MTCs have been busy since they opened, Denton said. During several strolls by the Whistler MTC this week, customers were mostly two or three deep behind each of the four windows, but there were also short periods when no customers were present.
One of the four Whistler windows is much lower than the others, making it accessible to wheelchair users.
“It’s been steadily busy with lots of people picking up their tickets, so we’ve been pleased,” Denton said.
While he said tickets to some individual days are sold out, tickets for at least some events at all three Whistler competition venues are still available for sale at the Whistler MTC. Tickets sold during the Oct. 24-25 “Locals” sale will have “No Olympic bus network access” printed on them; however, those tickets will still provide access to local transit on the day of the event, officials said.
Those living in the Sea to Sky corridor must present government-issued identification showing a local residence, or proof of accommodation in the corridor, to purchase tickets at the Whistler MTC.
Tickets to high-demand events for the Paralympic Games next March, including the opening ceremony and sledge hockey and alpine skiing events, are also available at both main ticket centres.
The Whistler MTC is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are also available for purchase by phone at 1-800-TICKETS (842-3587), or if you prefer the warm, fuzzy feel of the Internet, you can find out more at www.vancouver2010.com
