Justina and Patrick from Down Under want to watch Fried Rice Paradise when it opens in September. So they tried to get their good friend Irene here to book tickets online with their DBS credit card.
But the Sistic system wouldn't allow it. Neither would it let Irene book them on the phone with their credit card.
However, it WILL let her book them with her credit card on one condition --Sistic wants Justina and Patrick to show them Irene's credit card when they pick up the tickets at the Esplanade.
Relating her experience to the couple, Irene said: "The nice lady on the phone had to consult a supervisor who said I could give you a letter of authorisation
to show the gang at the Esplanade when you pick up the ticket, to which I said I wasn't mailing no letter to nobody.
"After some botheration, they agreed that I could email you and them and that you could then print out the email (THIS IS IT!) and present it as authorisation.
"As a management analyst would conclude, this extra botheration just quadrupled the cost of a Sistic transaction from 5 minutes to at least 20 minutes. Further, if this meant putting on hold and putting off others trying to buy tickets, that cost to Sistic was just magnified further. All this in efficient Singapore!"
Surely, there must be an easier way for our overseas guests to book tickets for shows at the Esplanade. Otherwise, how to be a centre for the arts???
2 comments:
i don't see anything wrong with them requiring you to show your credit card when you collect the tickets. i guess its to prevent credit card fraud.
This is the die, die follow the book mindset that is so pervasive here. Not only that, most if not all websites are designed for the user (read: commissioning company's staff) rather than for the consumer.
Sistic should have a system whereby you can print out a receipt with which they can go and claim their tickets - but I guess no one thought of that?
Post a Comment