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What does a Ticket Seller do?
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
A ticket seller is a person who is responsible for selling tickets for concerts, recitals, movies, plays, lectures, and other events that require payment for entry. Depending on the size of the venue and the number of people who are attending a given event, a ticket seller may be responsible for selling tickets and admitting ticket holders to the event. Very large venues usually have a second group of staff members who check or collect tickets and admit ticket holders into the venue. A ticket seller may also be responsible for holding tickets for people who have paid in advance. These are usually called "will call tickets".
In some cases, a ticket seller will sell tickets far in advance of an event. Concerts for very popular musicians or musical groups sometimes sell out weeks in advance. The same is true for certain types of sporting events. Sometimes the company that is overseeing the event puts a cap on the number of tickets that a single person can purchase at one time. In these cases, a ticket seller will have to enforce the rules set forth by his employer.
In addition to selling tickets for an event, a ticket seller may also sell tickets for a raffle or a silent auction. These sort of events are often used as fundraisers for non-profit organizations, charities, and community organizations. A ticket seller who is selling raffle tickets must keep track of the numbers or codes on each of the ticket that he sells. These numbers or codes are used later when a raffle winner is chosen. Whether a ticket seller is selling admission to a movie theater of a concert venue or selling tickets for a silent auction, he is likely to be asked to manage and account for a significant volume of cash sales.
Yet another kind of tickets that a seller might be responsible for are tickets for rides at carnivals and entry tickets for amusement parks. In these cases, the seller might be responsible for selling a number of kinds of tickets, including day-passes that allow customers to ride all of the rides for one full day. A ticket seller might also be responsible for selling tickets to groups such as school groups, summer camp groups, and families. These tickets are often priced at a rate that allows each member of the group to pay less than they would as individuals.
Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
Learn more...
Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
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![A gift basket that can be won with raffle tickets.]()
By: archana bhartiaA gift basket that can be won with raffle tickets. -
![An amusement park ticket seller might be required to sell a variety of tickets.]()
By: Sherry LeBlanc-HayesAn amusement park ticket seller might be required to sell a variety of tickets. -
![Ticket sellers at large sports arenas will work at the arena's box office or will call area.]()
By: iTobiTicket sellers at large sports arenas will work at the arena's box office or will call area.
Discussion Comments
I have been a part of several big raffles and I can tell you from experience that a successful raffle is all about being proactive and going out and selling as many tickets as possible.
This is especially true if you have a valuable prize like a trip or a car. They only way to make your money back and also raise money for the organization is to sell a ton of raffle tickets. You have to advertise, recruit a network of volunteer sellers and really get the word out about how great your raffle will be.
I was a ticket seller for a local theater company and it was the most boring job I have ever had. I got more reading done at that job than I managed to do in high school and college combined.
But there were a few perks. I got to see a lot of the shows for free and the job could not have been easier. It was also a good introduction to the business of a theater company. At the time I thought I might want to work in the theater but some of the things I saw during my time as a ticket seller convinced me otherwise. I think I made the right choice.
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