Theatre Manager Erfahrungen

Biggest bang for the buck

Kommentare: We are a regional theatre with a 900+ seat house, and multiple weeks of sales for multiple productions. We can initiate any promo, seating package or report that we need. If we don't know how to do it, the customer support team will figure it out.

Vorteile:

It's all about what you are used to, and we've used TM for over 15 years. There is nothing we've asked of TM that it cannot do, or that their developers haven't been able to make happen. Theatre software is difficult and complex, and usually not very intuitive. In that sense, this is the same! But once you learn how to do what you need to, there is not a better value out there.

Nachteile:

Anything I've not liked over the years (mobile access, slow load times, etc) has all been corrected in future development. I've not liked that I cannot export, as a file, multiple phone numbers which is a holdover from landline days. But I expect that will be fixed shortly.

Excellent customer support and endless functionality

Kommentare: I have nothing but good things to say. The customer support is excellent, very responsive and open to suggestions.

Vorteile:

TM has massive capability. We are still learning about existing features as well as newer ones more recently developed. TM meets all of our needs for maintaining a large patron database and managing events, ticket sales at the box office and online, devo, fundraising, reporting...

Nachteile:

It can be tricky software to use but once everyone is trained it becomes second nature.

Run Your Theatre With Ease

Kommentare: We've been using Theatre Manager for over 10 years and it is the backbone of our operations. There is other software out there, but not at the price and user features that Theatre Manager has. We highly recommend implementing the software with WebSales if you run a venue or have any box office needs where public ticketing is your main business.

Vorteile:

User features, reporting and the newly redesigned web sales module is terrific. Customer support is also a huge benefit - they are there when we need them with fast response times and friendly smart people.

Nachteile:

Hosting internal hardware and all that goes along with it. I know there is now a cloud hosting option but its too expensive for our organization to consider at this point. The user interface feels long in the tooth as well, daily use is functional but it does not feel like I'm using software designed for 2017. Also, the email "blast" feature has never lived up to what was advertised. WYSIWYG is not a reality when we've tested the feature multiple times throughout the years. We still rely on MadMini for our mass communications and that means maintaining two email lists.

Close to being great

Kommentare: We have been using Theatre Manager since 2001. The software we were using before this was little more than a ms-dos program with no mouse support. Needless to say TM was a BIG upgrade. Over the years TM has hit some major milestones. First on-line sales, followed by pick-your-own seat. Currently TM is working well. The support staff go above and beyond to solve most of our problems. However some issues persist. If you are in a windows 64bit environment like we are, you will have one of the most persistent and annoying bugs to deal with day in and day out, and that is the window resizing. EVERY TIME you sell a ticket you will have to resize the window to see the map, and move the i bar to make the promotions and prices appear. Creating ticket faces is more like coding, there is no "What You See Is What You Get" type interface. Once you have a few hundred of these created, you just reuse them. There are numerous reports, but are limited to lists, rows and columns of information. No Charts or Graphs. However there is a robust export feature, and you can always export and use excel for charting. Arts management does not charge any per ticket or order fees. Just a yearly maintenance agreement. I have looked at more robust solutions, but if they charge a per ticket fee that its not an option for us. Pros
- No Pay Per use fees
- Feature rich
- Good Support
- Pre-built customizable web pages.
- Price is good
- Data is in house
- Built in Volunteer management
- Lots of control over many aspects of tickets sales
- Lots of features for other aspects of venue management
- Project management
- Volunteer management
- Donations
- Passes/ GC's
- Mail Lists Cons
- Many of the more advance features takes a lot of training.
- 64bit windows needs work to improve work flow
- Requires robust computers for good performance Over all I can't see myself using any other software. Features vs price can't be beat. Since this software is still in active development, features and usability is constantly improving. Patients is required for learning the program, but the pay off is there in the end.

Vorteile:

No Pay Per use fees - Feature rich - Good Support - Pre-built customizable web pages. - Price is good - Data is in house - Built in Volunteer management - Lots of control over many aspects of tickets sales - Lots of features for other aspects of venue management - Project management - Volunteer management - Donations - Passes/ GC's - Mail Lists

Nachteile:

- Many of the more advance features takes a lot of training. - 64bit windows needs work to improve work flow - Requires robust computers for good performance

A ticketing system for theaters of all sizes

Kommentare: We have been using TM since 2002. It was a big investment for us at that time. However, it was also one of the most affordable options and immediately improved our functionality . The TM team is great at assessing your needs and giving you what you need and not over selling you. We eventually grew and TM was able to grow with us. The system allows for one stop shopping for ticketing, funds development, facilities management and volunteer coordination. I have yet to find a function from other high priced box office systems that TM cannot provide.
TM support is friendly, knowledgable and helpful. Typically, they respond within the hour and can get you fixed up promptly. One drawback is night and weekend support is not part of the standard support package. That being said, I have only needed support a handful of times on weekends since 2002.
One of the best features of TM is the ability to sell tickets online via your website without a third party. This eliminates high ticketing fees to outside vendors. Any fees charged stays with the venue. This is a great way to fund your ticketing system investment.
Training for employees is relatively easy. A few hours of training will allow a person to process basic ticket orders. Additional functions such as donations, season subscriptions and gift certificate sales might take additional time. Typically they are learned on the job.
Some specialized functions needed to sell package tickets or other non typical functions online will require a plug in. Plug ins are paid for separately and scheduled in advance through IT.
Another great feature is the ability to provide box office services to other organizations within your community or in different spaces. TM allows for multiple venues and seating configurations and pricing options. This can also provide additional revenue streams to your organization.
Artsman is a small and well run company. You have direct access to all levels of management and ownership. They are very sensitive to your needs and feedback and often respond in very positive ways. I have made comments or suggestions that eventually make their way into a future updates. I highly recommend this company and product.

Vorteile:

This software allows us to operate without outside vendors. All functions are controlled internally. The software allows for online ticketing with a very professional appearance. It eliminates the need for other related software i.e. funds development and volunteer coordination.

Affordable & User-Friendly

Kommentare: For the price, you cannot beat Theatre Manager. I have used it at two different organizations, and it has served our needs nicely. The support team is responsive and helpful. Like most software, you get out of it what you put in. If your staff are willing to learn the system and get excited about all the ways it can help, then it's wonderful! If you have a staff who don't like to learn new things and aren't inquisitive about "I wonder how I find this information or use this to help me do x, y, and z", then you will not be getting your money's worth. It can do almost everything you need a CRM database to do, but you have to be willing to put the training and time in to take full advantage of its features. It's intuitive for those who are tech-savvy and see the value of multi-dimensional data (I fall into that group), but may not be valued by those who aren't quick to adapt to new technology (some of my colleagues fall into this group). I highly recommend this product for organizations that are interested in data and using technology to help them do their work better and more efficiently. Even if you use it only to sell tickets (though it does SO MUCH MORE), it is likely a step up from any third party vendors you are currently using (it definitely was for us).

Vorteile:

It's more intuitive than other similar software that I've used.

Nachteile:

Updating the web sales pages is less intuitive for the average person and requires html editing knowledge.

Love my TM!

Kommentare: I think Theater Manager is amazing because it's fully integrated and makes it easy to track everything. The only software that combines all four basic functions...ticketing, classes, donors and volunteers. I also love a lot of the new things they're implementing. The feature to allow patrons to set up their own payment plan online for certain classes is amazing...and was even easier than I thought it would be . The tech service is great too...they're all so fun to talk to on the phone and usually resolve the problem quickly and easily.

Vorteile:

Everything. It integrates events, classes, donors and volunteers all in one place. Works well most of the time. Bugs happen, but they get fixed. When I see things that need attention, they're always quick to respond and implement changes as needed.

Nachteile:

Reports are a bit overwhelming. Wish there was some sort of cheat sheet...that tells you, "If you're looking to find out this...this report will help..."

Very Responsive and Customer Friendly Company

Kommentare: The responsiveness of the team at Arts Management Systems is top notch. From the sales rep, tech support and even the founder - my questions are answered quickly leading to a high level of customer satisfaction. The Theatre Manager software is user friendly, with quick online help links for additional details. The box office, development and overall CRM functionality has greatly streamlined our organization's operations allowing us to devote more time to programming and promotion.

Vorteile:

User friendly, dynamic CRM functionality

Nachteile:

The reporting feature with its various parameters has a bit of a learning curve, but once you learn it - reports can be as generic or as detailed as you need.

Theatre Manager Software

Kommentare: A great value for what you get. End users should understand that functionality is limited versus some of the larger players, but you absolutely save money in the long run. Staff is always helpful and interested in hearing how they can make the software better for the institution and the end user. Huge shout out to the new responsive interface.

Vorteile:

Cost effective Friendly staff Mainstreamed experience

Nachteile:

Not as much integration as the other, larger ticketing softwares Difficult to adjust if you have no knowledge in coding

It works

Vorteile:

It was functional and felt like you can always eventually solve the problem.

Nachteile:

It felt complicated and not very intuitive.

Long Time User

Kommentare: I've been using Theatre Manager for over ten years now and it has been a consistently reliable ticketing and venue management solution. The software is one of the best options available at a great value. The support that you get from the Arts Management team is great and I've always appreciated getting someone familiar through the years to help with any questions or issues I've had. Knowing that I will get a timely response from support is a huge relief when managing ticketed events. From selling tickets to managing patron data and donations Theatre Manager excels at all aspects of venue management. If there is something that a user finds they need that is not provided the support team works with the user to accomplish what they want or they help develop and implement what is needed for the software. From the ease of use and the great support team, Theatre Manager is a great option for your ticketing and venue management needs.

Arts Man and Theatre Manager

Kommentare: I have been Box Office Manager at the Eastlink Centre Charlottetown (formerly known as Charlottetown Civic Centre) for the past 9 1/2 years and have found Arts Management to be very accommodating. We also manage the Charlottetown Event Grounds and successfully sold Shania Twain, over 23,000 tickets in 2014 using Theatre Manager. Whether events are small or large we find Arts Man will do everything necessary to ensure smooth onsales. Our venue hosts a QJMHL team the Charlottetown Islanders, NBL team the Island Storm, along with various concerts, dances, festivals such as Jack Frost, Wine Festival, and Shellfish Festival. Anyone thinking of purchasing this system will definitely get the best value for their money and also friendly, reliable personal service.

Amazing Features with just a bit of a learning curve

Kommentare: I have used many ticketing services in my career. Some examples include Easyware Total Info, Vendini, Proclass, Win Tix, Ticketmaster and Archtics. I feel this system has the most to offer in every area that a community arts center like ours needs. It is great to track patrons in classes, volunteering, tickets and marketing. With the extensiveness of the program it is sometimes a challenge for those who are not as familiar with box office systems. The amount of steps are much greater in this system than the last system we used. Sometimes it is hard to get a prompt answer from the help desk. Other system have instant online help (Instant messaging) that helps with a faster answer and quick problem fixes.

Very Powerfull, but web sales needs work

Kommentare: I would recommend this product, but training is a must, and initial set-up costs are high.

Vorteile:

Does almost everything Quick buy modes for at door sales Integrated Credit card system Multi user security Mixed system support for both Mac and PC

Nachteile:

cumbersome web sales module robust computers required for good operation.

We Love Theatre Manager!

Kommentare: The Peninsula Music Festival has been using TM for five years now and we love it more and more each year. With each upgrade we have seen improvements to its use and functionality. As we become more comfortable with the program we are really beginning to see how it can make our lives easier, especially with reports. TM has really assisted us with reports for our annual audit. The initial investment of time and money may seem overwhelming, but it is well worth it. We like to say that we hired another full time staff member that we only had to pay once. Oh, and that customer service is OUTSTANDING!!!!

Versatile, High-Quality Ticketing Software

Kommentare: Our organization has been using Theatre Manager for the past few years and it's been a great experience. Theatre Manager allows for a high degree of control and versatility - we use it for many types of ticketed events with different seating configurations, as well as general admission events and tours. It's a great value for a really comprehensive, easy-to-use ticketing software package.

Vorteile:

Theatre Manager is easy to use and allows for really flexible exporting of data.