At Roundabout, Audience Services Representatives provide customer service to audience members over the phone and via email, handling ticket subscriptions and single ticket purchases, seat selection, refunds, and any other patron needs that arise. "I consider it the front line of the theatre because we're the introduction of the patrons to Roundabout Theatre. We’re the first step in ensuring that their theatre-going experience is worthwhile, and hopefully engaging them in more returns to the theatre." Nathaniel Johnson, one of Roundabout’s Audience Service Representatives, said.

A Typical Workday

Audience Services Representatives have predictable schedules, and a second shift runs later than typical business hours to accommodate patron needs. At Roundabout, representatives are available from 10am–8pm most days. “The first thing that we always do when I clock in is go to a team meeting,” Johnson said. “We're always updated by our management team as far as any changes or alerts that are going to be happening so that we're able to better handle the customer needs. And from there on we actually just go into handling calls.”

Skills Needed

Audience Services Representatives need to be able to provide compassionate customer service. “It's always important to keep that in mind that this could be you on the other end when handling a customer, even though they may actually be giving a little bit of angst or anger when they're calling. So, how would you want that experience to be handled? And so that deals with a great bit of compassion that you do have to have for the customer,” Johnson said.

Audience Services Representatives need to have problem-solving skills as well as strong written and verbal communication skills. “You really have to be able to articulate the policies the theatre has set to accommodate the customer,” Johnson said. One common issue they address for patrons is ticket refunds in case of emergency or travel problems. “With everything going on with canceled flights it’s affecting customers who are traveling from out of town to see the show. So we are able to set up modes of communication where we can actually assist that customer at the time by letting our management team know, and then from there we can actually see as far as if we would be able to either offer them the refund or to reschedule them for a different time when they're able to come.”

Audience Services Representatives also use Tessitura, a customer relationship management system, or CRM. Tessitura was created specifically for arts and cultural organizations, and allows Roundabout to manage its ticketing, fundraising, education, and other programs all in one place. “Tessitura is a great tool. And knowledge of Tessitura adds to your value as a customer service representative. Quite a few theatres are using it now,” Johnson said.

Career Path

In addition to specializing in customer service, many Audience Services Representatives have parallel careers in other elements of theatre. Johnson is a playwright, and cites colleagues who are actors and critics. All are united by their appreciation for the art form as well as a commitment to building productive working relationships with each other and with customers. “There is a cohesiveness that the team behind Audience Services has to have in order to be effective. With the team representatives I work with now, everyone looks out for each other. We have an open communication with each other that strengthens who we are and makes us a better representation of who Roundabout is as a whole,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we're presenting that to the customers as they call in and experience a welcoming spirit from us.”

Published on September 21, 2023.