In this blog, ticketing company TheTicketSellers offers Access some tips from 20 years in the industry.

 

So, it seems 1998 was a significant year in many ways – Google was created, the first Apple iMac came out, the Euro single currency was agreed, and TheTicketSellers started in business!

Over the last 20 years, we’ve worked hard to ensure that each and every year the company has grown, and the service has progressed in line with technology trends to be the best independent ticketing agency we can – and we’re super proud of where we are today. We’ve seen the change from paper tickets, to e-tickets to mobile tickets and now the prospect of a cashless future. We adapt with each new wave of technology thanks to our great in-house developers, and a constant focus on progress.

From the very beginning, we wanted to create a business that was built on key fundamental principles – great customer service, loyalty, trust – if you get the fundamentals right, you have the foundations to grow. Then you need to listen: we work closely with event organisers and listen to the ambitions, challenges and pinch points of their events to develop tools that are tailored to their needs. We help to streamline their operations and hence give them back time and space to grow creatively, while we look after a lot of the operational side of things.

Whilst every business is different, over the last 20 years we’ve shaped our business on key principles and lessons, here’s what we’ve learnt along the way…

 

  1. Know your client and their customers

Your ticket agent is often the frontline service for events who don’t advertise a phone number for questions and enquiries. We make sure that we understand the tone and ethos of every event we work with so that FAQs are collated internally which then helps our service team answer customer queries accurately.

 

  1. Test and learn – review performance and improve

Whilst it’s true that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – we think there’s always room for improvement and that is the only way to stay ahead.

Give customers and clients different ways to reach you, be available out of hours at busy times, have meetings and debriefs to understand what has gone well and what needs fine tuning. Not only will your service constantly evolve but it’s also a great way to roadmap any future technical developments and make sure each time it goes as smoothly as possible.

 

  1. Constantly innovate

Once you understand what clients and customers need, then set yourself the task of not only solving problems but providing features before they’re even requested. We’ve introduced new services based on feedback to improve our offering such as multiple payment options, fraud prevention systems that guarantee payment for tickets and embedded sustainability tools that further enhance our client’s events.

 

  1. Be brave

Playing safe is an attractive option but being bold is what sets you apart. Over the last 20 years we’ve continued to push ourselves as a business to grow, making decisions that have been challenging and taught us invaluable lessons along the way. Taking on big projects, updating infrastructure, delivering under pressure on site, investing in new hardware – these have all been pivotal moments in our business journey and more often than not, a leap of faith pays off.

 

  1. Team Spirit 

Being able to deliver your service with passion and enthusiasm isn’t something you can fake and requires a ridiculously dedicated and motivated team also prepared to go the extra mile. We are so lucky to have a team that really cares about clients, customers and events – and it comes through from tickets going on sale to delivery on site.

This year, we’ve earmarked a whopping £500,000 to invest in UK festivals and events looking for a new ticketing partner. If you run a ticketed event of any size and have not worked with us before, now is the time to get in touch!

 

TheTicketSellers is looking forward to the next 20 years and what it may bring!