N.Z.B.C. concert bookings

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33034, 29 September 1972, Page 8

N.Z.B.C. concert bookings

Sir, —After a wait of two hours and a half bv subscribers to book for the orchestra last week, then an apology by Mr Robertson through your paper for the delay, now for the public bookings a repeat of the first muddle. I arrived at 9.10 a.m. to book; no sign showing where to queue, so inquired from a staff member, and was told to stand between the queues formed in front of the Rugby and wrestling notices. At 9.40 I overheard a remark that the queue in front of the wrestling notice was the

orchestra queue. Imagine my feelings to find, after all that waiting, that I had to go to the end of that queue. The public supporters of entertainment deserve more consideration than the D.I.C. have ever given. Late opening of the booking counter is poor service; short staff another. The infuriated public hopes for better service at the Town Hall booking office. —Yours, etc., DISGUSTED. September 25, 1972. [Mr J. A. McCombie, secretary of the D.1.C., Ltd, replies: “We appreciate your correspondents’ concern at the waiting period when making their bookings. That morning was particularly busy, with one member of the staff being fully occupied just answering the telephone. We can assure ‘Disgusted’ that the booking office did open on time, but we did not receive the plans for the orchestra bookings until 9.50 (20 minutes after we had opened) and naturally this caused some delay. We do apologise that a separate notice indicating the National Orchestra queue was not on show, but our staff

have assured us that no customers were asked to return to the end of a queue because they were in the wrong queue. We cannot accept the correspondent’s suggestion of poor service, as the comments from both the public and entrepreneurs have indicated that our service is one of the best offered by booking offices in New Zealand and Australia.”]