Factors to Think About When Selecting Box Office Software

In recent times , ticketing software has become increasingly sophisticated, with many more companies selling software systems, with more options , more features and more cost options . So for an organisation looking at adopting an online ticketing solution , it has become much tougher to select the ideal system .

For most organisations, some of the most important factors are the cost of the system, ease of installation, setup and use, any additional hardware and the provision of good customer service. Of course every organisation will also have its own specific needs on top of these fundamental factors , so you should firstly draw up a listing of requirements you believe crucial, and then evaluate the various box office ticketing software systems on these criteria. But let’s take a look at some of the most common points to consider .

Cost of the System

Generally speaking , there are two alternatives – either procure the software outright, or sign a licensing or usage agreement with a company providing a fully hosted service. In the former the software is purchased outright and you install it on your system. If however you are intending to sell tickets online, you would probably be required to sign up for an additional service, because selling tickets over the internet requires a dedicated server available 24/7 to conduct the ticket selection and credit card payment . On the other hand , with a fully hosted system, the ticketing software company maintains all the software so the ticket selection and payment processing is carried out on the software provider’s servers. The venue operator is normally given a password and log in to access the system , normally via a web interface.

The principal benefit of purchasing ticket sales software outright of course is that it is an once only charge , even though there may be extra costs for upgrades or maintenance contracts. But for fully featured ticketing systems, the cost of purchasing software outright can be very high, and for most medium to smaller organisations who still require a sophisticated system , the alternative model of a hosted system may be a more attractive alternative. In this case, the ticketing software company will typically charge for the service on a per ticket basis on the value of all tickets sold through the system.

Ease of installation and setting up

Any new software system will require a learning phase, so ideally the system should have a menu structure which is similar to a typical Windows or Mac interface or menu system to make it easier for all operators. It also needs to be uncomplicated to install and configure . A lot of systems these days make use of a web interface which makes it possible for an administrator anyplace in the world to access and operate the system . Ideally, on-site training should not be required, as it should generally be viable to coach operators of the system via interactive instruction via internet or instructional videos.

Features & options

Most modern ticketing software will incorporate a host of various features, many of which may never be used by the typical organization . Ideally it is best if you have the ability to turn off unrequired features, in order to simplify the system for users. And it at a later stage you have need for such features, then you should have the ability to turn the features back on.

Hardware requirements

Assuming you have a comparatively modern computer system and up-to-date operating system , normally no software or hardware upgrades should be required to operate ticketing software. However if the system is Web-based, you will need a high speed Web connection. Really the only other necessary item is a means of printing tickets. Whilst thermal ticket printers such as those from Boca Systems are certainly the most convenient option since they can print single tickets as required , such printers tend to be fairly expensive and may be outside the budget of small organisations who may sell only a few thousand tickets per year or less. Luckily however, many ticketing software systems will allow tickets to be printed by means of a standard inkjet or laser printer.

Bar-code scanners may also be required for venue operators who are selling general admission tickets and have permitted PDF ticket printing, as this is the only viable method to ensure that tickets are genuine .

Reports

You should be able to access a wide range of financial, admission, transaction and customer related reports on demand which should be either immediately viewable on screen or printed for later analysis. You should have the ability to quickly look up any sold ticket , to determine who bought the ticket, the ticket seller , the date of sale and the purchase price paid as a minimum requirement .

Customer Database

You should have the opportunity to categorise your patrons, to enter billing or residential addresses, to easily eradicate or merge duplicate entries, to check the transaction history of any patron and to mail out standard letters, send out emails or print address labels for your customers directly from the database.

Customer service and support

With any ticketing software system, you should always expect rapid and helpful support and customer service. Whilst 24/7 support may be difficult for many ticketing providers, any service really should not be restricted to e-mailed customer support tickets but you should be able to talk to experienced support personnel. You should also expect detailed instruction manuals to be furnished and ideally online support manuals with searchable capability .

Comparing ticketing systems

The best way to compare box office software is to get hold of a demonstration version of the software program. Ideally the software should be a full operational version with maybe a small number of features disabled . You should be able to undertake a number of test administrative features to understand how the basic setting up and ticket selling process works. If you are unable to acquire a demo , then at the very minimum you ought to be able to access screen images of the principle functions. It would be unwise to sign up for any system on a long-term basis unless you have the ability to cancel the agreement if you find that the system doesn’t fully meet your needs or doesn’t live up to its advertised claims or your expectations. It is also beneficial to check out other organisations who are using the system you are considering by going to Internet sites that use the system and make a test purchase without actually purchasing the ticket. Then you can get a good idea of the ticket purchasing procedure from a customer’s viewpoint.

Choosing a new ticketing system can seem like a rather overwhelming assignment , but if you limit your appraisal to the basic requirements mentioned above along with any specific requirements , it will with any luck make the task somewhat easier.