Over the weekend I was a volunteer ticket-taker at a theater. Mostly we were there to make sure patrons had the right date and time and direct them to the left or right entrance based on their reserved seat number.
A woman came in with her three kids and showed me the tickets on her phone. Now, the clientele at this theater tend to be pretty put together - kids are in their Sunday/Xmas best and whatnot. This woman was completely disheveled and had pretty crazy energy swirling about her. The kids looked like they had just rolled out of bed and thrown on their one holiday outfit, which was probably not purchased new at a nice store, if you catch my drift.
So she shows me the tickets - the date was right, the time was right… but the venue was on the other side of the county. She went to the wrong place. Apparently this was a known problem where the other place’s website was directing customers to us. But no one told me this when I showed up to volunteer.
I explained to her that she was at the wrong venue and showed her on the map where she was supposed to be. But there was basically no way to get there before their performance would start. She basically grabbed the kids and ran out before I could think of a better solution. For the record, the obvious solution was to direct her to one of the actual company employees, who (I found out later) probably would have just given her tickets since she was already there and that particular show hadn’t sold out.
I feel terrible. Judging by appearances, the tickets were probably a significant splurge so she could do one nice thing for the kids this season and while I wasn’t responsible for the initial error my inability to think quickly in the moment meant no Nutcracker for them, and that’s weighing really heavily on me.
Tl:dr- turned away someone for having wrong tickets and probably ruined the family’s Christmas, when there was a workable solution available
The real FU is on the theater for not briefing volunteers. That 'grabbed the kids and ran' detail tells you everything about her stress level; she didn't wait for solutions.
Yes, I understand they should have mentioned it upfront and it’s not my responsibility to try to solve the problem. Nonetheless, if there’s anyone who seemed like they can never catch a break and desperately needed one, it was her, and that’s what stings, particularly with the spirit of holiday cheer and all
Honestly the way you’re carrying this shows how much you actually cared about the family. Most people would’ve shrugged and moved on, but you’re still thinking about how much they probably needed that little bit of holiday magic. It makes sense that it stings, especially around Christmas when everyone’s emotions are dialed up. You did your best with the info you had, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
Be kind to yourself on this one- very innocent and you didn’t know how she was going to react. The errors were on her end.
Thanks. Appreciate that. Self-kindness isn’t my strong point. Especially when I consider myself extremely adept at solving thorny problems and kinda froze in the moment here
This is such a fair take because nothing about your response was malicious or careless. You couldn’t predict she’d bolt before you even had a chance to redirect her. The whole mistake was already baked in before she reached your door, and she was just too overwhelmed to hear anything else. Being gentle with yourself is the only reasonable way forward here.
“Probably not bought new from a nice place” stop friggin thinking like that. Holy shit.
Right? The underlying judgment and condescension seeps through this whole post, even if OP isn’t consciously aware of it.
I was just trying to paint the picture of a family that did not appear to be swimming in resources, and for whom the $130+ in tickets was likely not an insignificant expense
Yes. You assumed they were poor based on where you assumed they got their clothes. That’s not a good way to think.
My conclusion was based on a number of heuristics and I stand by it 100%
The replies explain why you didn't immediately empathize and try to save their day.
But but why would he then help if they aren’t in their Sunday best? Don’t you know he didn’t right thing by maintaining the order of the theater! /S
100% this
Any way you can find out, by ticket numbers or codes, which tickets, out of the ones with the wrong location on them, checked in that night and which did not? The ones that did not check in, can you find the purchaser and reach out with complimentary tickets for an upcoming show?
I don’t know. I have no connection with that other theater.
Well don't worry. Maybe they weren't meant to be there in some spiritual or metaphysical sense. And you didnt do anything wrong anyway - no one told you about an updated procedure for that evening, so it's your boss' fault, definitely not yours.
The fact that you feel so bad for something that was quite honestly well outside your control speaks volumes about the goodness of your character.
I too agree you should give yourself a hug and a pat. It was a very innocent mistake, which I don’t even really think can be called this, that you even took upon yourself to do better in the future. A lot of folks wouldn’t even go that far. Take solace that you’re prepared to make it right next time.
Thanks. I appreciate the kind words