Fuente: © Pittsburgh Pirates
http://www.pirateball.com/

MLB: Pirates aim to improve fan experience

Ticket kiosks and hand-held scanners are added to PNC Park to help expedite ticketing process

/noticias.info/ The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced the team will install 10 ticket kiosks and integrate dozens of hand-held ticket scanners at PNC Park in an effort to improve the fan experience by expediting the ticketing process.

The ticket kiosks, much like the kiosks currently found in the airline industry, will allow fans to search for the best available seats from their desired seat category. Fans can then purchase and print their game tickets, without having to stand in line at the ticket window. In addition, fans that purchase tickets via the team's Web site, www.pirates.com, or over the phone can use the kiosks to print their pre-purchased tickets.

The hand-held scanners will replace the old access control system that scanned tickets at the turnstile only. In addition to being easier to use, the new electronic hand-held devices will enable staffers to mobilize more scanners to overcrowded gates on a moments notice, thus cutting down on the time it takes to enter the ballpark.

"Our organization is focused on our new mission in that WE WILL strive for excellence in everything we do, including our fans experience before even entering PNC Park," said Tim Schuldt, Pirates VP of Marketing, Sales and Broadcasting. "We understand that some fans prefer to speak personally to our box office representatives, while others prefer to be empowered to select and purchase tickets on their own using our Web site or now our ticket kiosks. No matter what your preference, the introduction of this new technology will expedite the entire process."

The kiosks will be placed in specific high-traffic locations outside of PNC Park, including: the main box office, the home plate rotunda and the center field gate located on the north side of the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The ticket kiosks will carry a $1 service fee per ticket.

With the new electronic system in place, the team is now experimenting in ways fans can choose to have images of their tickets sent electronically to their cell phones or PDAs, allowing PNC Park greeters to use the new hand-held scanners to scan the ticket's bar code directly off of the mobile device.

The technology, which is being worked on in conjunction with the New York-based company, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, is currently being tested. The technology is scheduled to be phased in later this season, according to Schuldt.

"WE WILL continue to improve the fan experience. In addition to the tickets being sent directly to our fans mobile devices, we are exploring ways to utilize mobile text messaging for programs such as in-game trivia and polling. We feel it will enhance the PNC Park experience by making it even more interactive for our fans," Schuldt added.

This is not the first time the ballclub has turned to technology to improve the way fans buy tickets. The Pirates enabled fans to purchase tickets via its Web site and utilize the Print@Home feature allowing fans to print their tickets using a home computer to avoid lines at the box office.

Last year, the Pirates also introduced "My Pirates Tickets" and "Pirates Replay Window" Web sites, which allow fans to transfer their tickets to friends online, and those fans with seats in certain sections to sell their tickets online. notas_de_prensa_archivo