I roll my eyes at myself when I write about manicures, facials, etc. on this blog, so I can only imagine how you all react. That said, there’s no use pretending I’m something I’m not, so, onward…<\/p>\n
I got a facial at a lovely little shop called Ling<\/a> on the Upper West Side a couple weeks back. Turns out, the place was a hotbed (hot…compress?) of good marketing ideas. At one point during the facial, the woman Wendy asked how I’d heard about Ling. “New York Magazine<\/i>“, I said. A listing in New York Magazine<\/i>? “No, a friend-of-a-friend works there and she recommended Ling personally.” OK, you get 10% off of this facial and all products. We have a referral program.<\/p>\n It occurred to me that, while venues often ask where I heard about them when I purchase tickets, none have ever offered a referral program like this. Case in point, I bought tickets at Symphony Space<\/a> for the ‘Keigwin Kabaret’ at a friend’s suggestion last week. It was the first time I’d ever been to the venue, and I’m actually going back tonight – for separate reasons, but for all they know I’ve become a regular supporter based on that first ticket purchase! My friend Megan should be given…something…for ostensibly getting me hooked. Obviously, referrals are a bit intangible, but it would be interesting to think about some kind of credit system for patrons who consistently bring in fresh bodies. 10 people write “Amanda Ameer” under how they heard about various performances and I then get a discount at the gift shop; 20 people credit me and I get a free ticket, so on, so forth. <\/p>\n When I was paying for my facial, minus 10%, Wendy said I would need another one in two months, and did I want to schedule that? I rarely plan things like this in advance, but then she mentioned I would get 20% off if I scheduled it now. “What?” I asked. “How is that good for you?” She explained that keeping customers coming back to them rather than losing us to one of the other thousand spas in the city was worth more than whatever that 20% would be in dollars. So if you need me on May 24th, I’ll be at Ling. <\/p>\n Presumably we are all 100% behind the artistic product we put into this world, so logic would dictate that the time patrons would be most willing to buy additional tickets would be directly following a performance they’ve just enjoyed. With that in mind, why aren’t box offices open after 8pm? They close when the performance starts, so love your experience or not, you’re not buying another ticket after the show unless you go home to your computer. And even when box offices do stay open – and I’ve personally never seen one – where are the incentives to purchase more tickets or a even a subscription at that time? <\/p>\n Since I go to classical performances for work a lot, I’m probably not going to subscribe to Carnegie, the NY Philharmonic, etc.. But I do buy single theater tickets all the time, and no one has ever asked me to subscribe or buy more tickets at a performance. Unlike every theater critic in town, I completely loved Roundabout Theatre<\/a>‘s recent Hedda Gabler<\/i>, and faced with list of what Roundabout has coming up (Waiting for Godot<\/i>, yes, The Philanthropist<\/i>, yes, Distraction<\/i>, yes, Bye Bye Birdie, <\/i>yes please!), a discount, and an open box office, I would have subscribed to a New York theater for the first time on the spot. Why not get me while I’m there and Hedda-inspired? By the time the brochure comes or I get an e mail, I’m gone: it’s too expensive, it’s hard to plan ahead, etc.. But right after that Hedda Gabler<\/i>? They owned me. Venues could offer 20% off first-time subscriptions for those who purchase during or directly after a performance, and 10% off any future single ticket. Isn’t guaranteeing we’ll come back worth more than, say $100, of lost income? <\/p>\n Another friend-of-a-friend had me trying scary heat yoga at Bikram Yoga Harlem<\/a> at 6:45am all of last week. The studio charges $20 for students’ first week of unlimited classes with mats and towels included, the idea being that you’ll really see the effects of the practice after a week (not just one class), but that they don’t expect you to keep paying class-by-class or purchasing “gear” until\/unless you’ve really tried it. In my sweat-drenched haze, I found myself wondering about a $20 pass for orchestras; maybe the first week of the every season? Or for big presenters like The Kennedy Center or Lincoln Center. “Come to as many performances as you possibly can, and then decide whether or not you want to subscribe.” That way, like the Bikram studio, orchestras and presenters will be selling a lifestyle change, not just a one-time experience. “It’s fun to go to performances on a regular basis, but we don’t expect you to realize that by buying single ticket after single ticket.” Maybe it can’t be $20 ($30? $50?), and there would be restrictions – patrons would have to live in New York City (because tourists could be here for a week and never intend to subscribe) and certain performances might be off limits – but I think it’s worth a shot. [This is along the lines of a previous post, about all-you-can eat buffets<\/a>.] <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I roll my eyes at myself when I write about manicures, facials, etc. on this blog, so I can only imagine how you all react. 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