I feel there’s something between us. Oh wait. It’s a wall.

A lot of customers I talk to are scared to buy tickets at box offices.

I wonder why . . .

Could it be the bullet proof glass and the creepy sounding microphones?

Broadway used to be a cash and hard-ticket business.  Barriers of bullet proof glass were necessary to protect potential smash-and-grabs.

But is this customer-service obstacle necessary in 2009, when the majority of tickets are purchased with credit cards, when we have e-tickets, when box offices don’t have to rack-and-stack as many performances in advance because the tickets can be printed as needed, and so on?

Yes, there are times when thousands and thousands of dollars worth of inventory are held behind those walls.

However, I’ve been to banks that don’t have the barriers box offices have. What about Walmarts?  Apple stores?  Jewlery stores?  God knows Tiffany’s keeps their valuable items behind glass, but you still get to talk to the seller face to face.  In fact, Tiffany’s is smart enough to know that their sales depend on that face time.

Surely there are plenty of other security measures we could put into place in the 21st century that could have the same, if not more of a protective effect as our ancient methods that undeniably have a detrimental effect on our consumers’ purchasing experience.

I’m all about safety.

I just want to make sure my customers feel safe as well.

And when I can create a closer bond between my customers and my sellers, there is a much better chance that my customers will come back.

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Podcasting

Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.

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