In the age of digital tickets and online purchases, it may seem frustrating when you can’t easily call Ticketmaster to ask questions or get support. There are a few key reasons why Ticketmaster phone support is limited compared to its online services.
High Call Volumes
As one of the largest ticket sales and distribution companies, Ticketmaster receives an extremely high volume of calls. They sell tickets for concerts, sports events, theater shows, and more across North America and beyond. Considering how many events they handle ticketing for, the call volume is massive.
With such high call volumes, it’s not feasible for Ticketmaster to offer reliable phone support. They state that they receive over 400,000 calls on the day tickets go on sale for major events. Even with call centers, that volume of calls would mean extremely long wait times for customers to get through.
Shift to Digital Sales
In recent years, Ticketmaster has focused heavily on digital ticket sales through its website and mobile apps. Customers are now able to purchase tickets online, through the Ticketmaster site or official event pages, rather than over the phone. In 2021, 95% of Ticketmaster’s ticketing revenue came from digital sales.
Since the majority of tickets are now sold online, it makes sense for Ticketmaster to direct support needs to their website as well. Phone support doesn’t align with their primarily digital business model.
Cost Savings
Providing phone support requires significant investments in call centers and staffing them with customer service representatives. With hundreds of thousands of calls coming in daily, supporting those calls via phone would be extremely costly.
The rise of digital self-service options has allowed Ticketmaster to scale back phone support in favor of lower cost digital channels. Website self-help and chat bots can provide support to customers at much lower costs compared to call centers.
Limited Phone Hours
While Ticketmaster does not offer 24/7 phone support, they do have phone numbers available with limited hours. Phone support hours are typically 9am-5pm local venue time on show days. The numbers can be found on the Ticketmaster website associated with specific events.
These limited phone hours help Ticketmaster provide some phone accessibility while still controlling costs and volumes. But for customers, the limited hours mean you may not be able to call when an issue arises, especially with shows in the evenings.
Encouraging Online Account Usage
Ticketmaster focuses heavily on digital ticket management through online accounts. Customers are encouraged to set up a Ticketmaster account to manage tickets in one place and enable convenient access from anywhere.
By directing support needs to the website and account tools, Ticketmaster helps drive adoption of these accounts. Limited phone access prods customers to get set up online to best manage their tickets.
Self-Help Resources
Though you can’t always call Ticketmaster directly, they do provide self-help resources online for many common issues. Their Help section includes FAQs, how-to articles, troubleshooting steps, and options to contact support through email or chat.
These self-help resources allow customers to resolve many problems on their own. Phone calls are less necessary with detailed online help guides. Ticketmaster’s aim is to provide enough resources that customers can find answers without needing to talk to an agent.
When Is Phone Support Available?
While phone support is limited, there are certain cases where you may be able to call Ticketmaster for assistance:
- Ticketing issues for specific events – The limited event-based phone numbers are available on show dates.
- Groups sales – For group tickets, dedicated phone numbers are provided.
- Disabled services – For ADA ticket sales and accommodations, phone assistance is available.
- Season ticket accounts – Season ticket holders can call dedicated season ticket numbers.
- VIP services – Certain VIP ticket packages include access to VIP phone assistance.
So for routine ticket purchases, phone support is difficult to access. But for specialized ticket needs or high-tier purchases, phone numbers are still provided in limited circumstances.
Contacting By Phone for Other Needs
If you need to contact Ticketmaster for reasons unrelated to ticket sales, a few other phone numbers are available:
- Partner venue questions – Venue partners have their own phone numbers listed on their venue pages.
- Advertising inquiries – A phone number is provided for advertising/sponsorship questions.
- Business development – For business partnerships, a phone number is available.
- Investor relations – Investors can call a dedicated investor relations line.
- Media inquiries – For media outlets, a media phone line is available.
So for certain non-customer needs, like venues, advertising, business, investors, and media, phone contacts are provided. But for general customer ticketing issues, phone support remains extremely limited.
Alternatives to Phone Support
With limited phone access, what options exist for getting support from Ticketmaster? Here are some alternatives to calling:
- Online help center – Ticketmaster’s online Help section has many resources for common questions and issues.
- Contact form – You can submit a message to Ticketmaster Customer Service through a contact form.
- Live chat – During limited hours, live chat with a support agent is available on Ticketmaster’s Help site.
- Social media – You can try reaching out on Twitter or Facebook through direct messaging.
- Email – For non-urgent issues, you can email Ticketmaster Customer Service.
- In-person – For some events, Ticketmaster has on-site box offices at venues.
While not as immediate as phone support, these options allow you to get in touch with Ticketmaster for help. The online Help Center should be your first stop for information and troubleshooting.
Key Takeaways
To summarize the key points on accessing Ticketmaster phone support:
- Extremely high call volumes make phone support impractical.
- Digital sales now account for 95% of Ticketmaster’s tickets.
- Online self-service is lower cost than call centers.
- Limited phone hours are available around events.
- Ticketmaster pushes online account usage over phones.
- Help resources provide self-service options.
- Some specialized cases still offer phone numbers.
- Alternatives exist like online help, live chat, email.
So while you can’t always pick up the phone and call Ticketmaster directly, they aim to provide resources to help without needing to talk to an agent. With digital ticketing dominant and call volumes extreme, limited phone access pushes customers to utilize Ticketmaster’s online ticketing management instead.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s lack of general customer phone support stems from their strategic focus on digital ticketing and cost savings. With tickets now predominantly sold online, phone support just isn’t practical or aligned with their business. They aim to handle customer needs through website help resources, live chat, messaging, and email instead.
The next time you can’t find a way to call Ticketmaster, check their Help site for assistance. You can also reach out by email, chat, or social media. And for major events, limited local venue phone numbers are still available. So while extensive phone access isn’t an option, you still have alternatives to get support.