Servers merger makes buying tickets by phone faster, easier

Ticket-buying by phone should be faster and easier by the end of the month, now that the city’s Department of Enterprise Services and Ticket Plus have consolidated their computerized ticket-processing servers.

"I would say that the (waiting) time will be cut from five minutes to one," said Manuel Sanchez, Ticket Plus CEO. "All calls will be handled locally, expediting consumer power."

"They’ve been trying to consolidate their systems for some time now," said promoter Tom Moffatt. "The new system will be a great improvement and a lot better for the consumer. ... This new partnership will eliminate breakdowns of the past."

Previously, phone sales were processed on two different networks — those of Ticket Plus and the Blaisdell Center, which triggered occasional delays in processing credit card transactions.

The Blaisdell’s network is being uploaded into the Ticket Plus system, which will result in faster transactions and less need to redial the systems’ numbers, said Sanchez.

"Our customers will receive faster, more efficient service," said Barry Fukunaga, director of the Department of Enterprise Services, which oversees the city’s Blaisdell and Waikiki Shell venues.

Sanchez said the first big event to benefit from the new system will be a series of "Sesame Street" shows at Blaisdell Arena in April. Tickets for the series will go on sale in early March.

"The new system will affect all venues, including Aloha Stadium and the University of Hawai‘i," said Sanchez.

Those who order tickets through Ticket Plus outlets, such as Foodland stores and Tempo Music, also should enjoy faster service since all calls will be handled through a single service.

"This will eliminate allocation problems at some outlets in the past," Moffatt said.

Sanchez said that 10 operators routinely staff the ticket desk; when a high-profile act is scheduled, such as an Elton John concert, the staff is increased to about 30 operators.

"On a high-volume show, the wait could be two minutes, but not much longer," Sanchez said.

The change isn’t costing the city anything. Current handling charges per ticket will remain the same, ranging from $1-$4.25, with top fees applying to a high-end show with a $65 ticket price.

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