Reserved seating software offers many advantages. Since we reproduce your venue's seating chart (or ballroom or table layout), your patrons enjoy a bird's eye view of their seat in relation to the stage, the aisle, or even accessible seating. Additionally, our color-coded, interactive seating maps easily differentiate between prices and sections. Patrons love the control of picking their own seats!
More importantly, from the box office perspective, reserved seating software provides theatre managers with a detailed picture of how event sales are shaping up. We use color keys to identify the state of any seat in your venue: pending, purchased, reserved, blocked, and "checked-in." Let's discuss how the intuitive view from our reserved seating charts helps you manage your theater more efficiently.
Blocking seats
While there are many reasons that exist for blocking seats, "social distancing" requires automated ways to help customers feel safe. For example, house seats allow you to set aside seating for actors or special guests. You may want to reward volunteers serving as ushers or greeters with house seats. Of course, you'll need to block some seats on a per-event basis when obstructed views are present. Furthermore, popular shows may need temporary seating that can be blocked and unblocked as needed to provide additional capacity.
Block these seats in advance with our intuitive one-click tool either individually, in rows, or even entire sections. Moreover, you can even block the same seats across multiple performances in a snap. And what is blocked can be unblocked just as quickly. Even better, our color-coded design indicates which seats might be available when your special guests arrive, when volunteers are ready to be seated, or when the house's capacity needs those additional seats.
Blocking seats for social distancing
Like the option above, we also offer the ability to block rows for social distancing purposes. We've created a new automatic social distancing tool for reserved seating events. Choose how many seats are needed for ample social distancing between guests and ThunderTix will automatically block seats around those sold to keep needed separation. The image below shows four seats selected and three seats on each adjacent side blocked with a custom icon for social distance.
Social distancing seating is entirely optional and can be enabled per event. In addition, depending on the distance between seats or the size of each seat, you specify whether you want ThunderTix to automatically block one, two, or three seats around each sold group of seats.
Reserve seats now, collect payment later
The key to a great reserved seating software lies in ease-of-use and functionality that serves your box office. Reserving seats for customers and collecting payment upon arrival gives an example of one task made easy for box office staff.
Optionally create a reservation for your patrons, and we send immediate confirmation via email. If desired, add a link for your patrons to make payment. We even send automated follow-ups and provide you with real-time reporting on unpaid reservations.
Color-coded tiers for pricing at a glance
We use color-coded pricing tiers to display seat prices at a glance. Each seat within a pricing tier shares the same color. That means seats to the far left and right of your theater might match the color of some balcony seating.
Patrons love the intuitive display -- no more hovering over each seat to see individual prices. Now they'll be able to see all available seats at the price that's right for them.
Resell no-shows seats on sold-out performances
Few things make a theater manager happier than a string of sold-out performances. Consequently, you may have a lot of disappointed patrons who miss out on seeing the show. For that reason, consider enforcing rigid arrival times in order to allow more guests in to see a show.
Use our free barcode scanner app for Android or our iOS barcode scanning app to quickly scan tickets for check-in from paper or smartphones as guests arrive. Upon check-in, the software blacks out each seat to indicate their arrival. If you have no-shows by curtain time, thrill those guests who held out hope for a last-minute seat. (Make sure you include a clear late arrival policy in your email confirmations. If it's impossible to reseat late patrons, consider offering a gift card or coupon -- both available through ThunderTix -- to reduce disappointment.)
Clearly marked accessible and companion seating
Our reserved seating software complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. ADA requires that reserved seating be available online for all patrons, and protections must be in place to prevent the accidental purchase of accessible seating by those that do not need it. Above all, we clearly label accessible seats for those that need them.Manage more efficiently with reserved seating software
When building our software for reserved seating venues, we spent a lot of time speaking with our customers to find out how we could help them manage the box office more efficiently. We tried to cover everything from the tiniest goals to the bigger challenges. Things like preventing empty seats between patrons who might otherwise prefer a little wiggle room. Furthermore, we ensured that last year's season ticket holder holds first dibs on reserving the same seats for this year's season pass. Of course, we make it easy for you to purchase the entire run of shows with a click.
As described, our design team's fantastically intuitive seating chart provides assistance for patrons and box office staff alike. This is particularly important for staff to understand at-a-glance exactly what is happening either before or on performance night. Likewise, with easy seat exchanges either within the same performance or to alternative nights, simple refund or void processes, and lots of automation, your staff can spend time on more important tasks like ensuring customer happiness. See our full list of features for box office efficiency.
Free trial with no credit card required
We also make it really easy to get started. Sign up in minutes with no credit card required. We install a demo seating chart to give you the opportunity to test-drive our reserved seating software. If you're looking for the most efficient reserved seating software and box office support, you just found it!Interactive reserved seating charts
We build your venue's space as an interactive seating chart for a one-time setup fee of $0.55 per seat with a minimum cost of $250. Discounts are provided for non-profits. See the complete steps for getting started with seating charts. (For users of our school theater ticketing software along with other not-for-profits, we offer a special discount for reserved seating setup). If you have any questions about your own space, banquet hall, campsite venue, or trade show, please contact us.
Printing Seating Charts - On event night, print seating charts in advance to help streamline walk-up sales and allow you to quickly assign patrons to the remaining available seats.
