Saturday, November 26, 2005

Katherine Jenkins - Symphony Hall Birmingham

The following is taken from a latter on complaint to the managment of Sympony Hall...

Last night we attended a (very good) concert at Symphony Hall by Katherine Jenkins, which was a birthday treat for my wife.

We had tickets for Level 4, Door 3, Row C seats 28 and 29. We arrived at the correct door at approx 19:20, and waited to be show to our seats. On presenting our tickets to the girl, she did not seem to know how the seats numbered in her area of the auditorium, and spent several minutes trying to local the correct seats, leaving us standing like lemons in the doorway.

She then sought advice from the other usher at that door - it seems that seat 29 was occupied! Having collected all the tickets from the people in row C from 29 to the end, they were unable to sort out the problem - in spite of the fact that there was NO ONE in that row with a ticket for seat 29!!

Having left us standing even longer whilst see when to talk to the box-office - the ushers seemed to think the seat had been double booked!! - the concert had by this time (19:35) started, and we were starting to feel very uncomfortable standing by the pillar - not just because we need to sit down!!

After a few minutes, the male usher than directed us to some spare seats on the back row of that section - causing several people to be disturbed. We at least were able to settle back and start watching the show. At 20:10, the original occupants of out 'new seats' arrived, and we were then asked to move again. We received several nasty comments from the people we disturbed (again) on our way out of the row, and we were highly embarrassed.

We were than taken to some other empty seats on C row (23 and 24 I think), and once again had to disturb several people on our way to them. During the interval we had opportunity to explain the situation to those around us and apologise - but why on earth I should have felt compelled to apologise for a mistake over which we had no control I am not sure!

We then took the opportunity to talk to the usher, who actually wanted us to move back to our 'correct seats' at this point - in spite of the fact that he still had no adequate explanation as to how there were still more people to fit on that section of row than there were seats! I did not really fancy ending up in the middle of an argument with other customers just as the second half was to begin! Fortunately there was another woman there with him by this time (supervisor?) who suggested that it would be better if we stayed were we were for the second half - and if the original occupants of those seats did eventually turn up, *they* would be seated elsewhere.

Fortunately, this situation did not arise and we were able to enjoy the second half of the concert without further embarrassment, and did queue up afterward to meet Katherine and get our program signed.

The entire episode, did however take the polish of what was planned to be a very special evening with my wife on her birthday

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