September 11, 2007
Ticket-selling process for Elton John defies logic
The recent debacle with the Elton John concert only serves to once again illustrate the absolute and total disconnect between the administration of the University of Montana and the citizens of Missoula.
The idea to change from a simple, well-established ticket-selling process to a complicated and ill-conceived process defies logic. A first-come, first-serve process ensures there is a chance that tickets will be purchased by local supporters of the University rather than out-of-state ticket scalpers. To require people to take two days off work and/or school to stand for hours in line for tickets that weren’t available was a slap in the face. Only UM administration would believe this is a fair and equitable process. There is an old axiom in business, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Thanks to UM, out-of-state ticket scalpers now have the opportunity to sell two $134 tickets for $995. Thanks, UM, for supporting the community that has supported you. I’m sure UM’s business supporters in the community, such as Wordens and other GrizTix outlets, really enjoyed this debacle, also. In the future, why not just run all UM tickets through TicketMaster and ensure no one from here can attend UM events? Maybe in the future someone can pay $1,000 for a pair of scalped tickets to the Bobcat-Griz games – or maybe the seats will be empty like they were not that many years ago.
Only UM administrators would believe this was acceptable and that they do not owe an apology to the people who stood in line or to the GrizTix outlets. Perhaps George and his minions would benefit from working the ticket lines at Wordens to learn something about providing excellent customer service – a concept that seems to constantly elude them.
Mary Muse, in her lame excuse to us, said the best way to get tickets in the future is to “stand in line and on-line.” Guess what, Mary – we don’t intend to do either in the future.
Charlie Brown
Missoula
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