Making the most of cyberspace

Here’s a cool idea from the one of the guys who gave us boxoffice.bm: online movie rentals. Nice to see that Bermuda isn’t always stuck in the electronic dark ages when it comes to useful online services.

Now if only we could buy movie tickets online too, as the rest of the civilized world has been doing for the last six hundred years. I thought boxoffice.bm was experimenting with this, but when I checked earlier this afternoon I couldn't see any evidence of it.

Given the poor availability and high price of PC games here, some kind of game-rental service or game-sharing club would be nice too. If I had the time I'd start one myself, but as I don't, feel free to steal my idea...

» It seems that you can book some cinema tickets online at boxoffice.bm, albeit only for movies showing at Liberty and Neptune. I'm not sure why they weren't showing up earlier.

Comments

[david on 11.12.05 at 18:17]

Hardly an original idea I've been a member of www.screenselect.co.uk for 2 years so well done bermuda! Well recommended as well, and if you install this ditty you're good to go

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/dvd_rippers/dvd_decrypter.cfm

[RedOnion on 11.12.05 at 19:04]

I would be very impressed and supportive of these two sites if I could access them, but since all I get on both sites is "Cannot find server" it's hard not to say ... "here's another half assed attempt". Do they shut down on the weekend like most other enterprises in Bermuda? Not impressed!

I really would love to 'buy Bermuda' .. but stuff has to work here first.

[Denis on 11.12.05 at 19:30]

Sadly, my former employer Axiom Services launched a similar service last summer for online reservations of movie rentals.

We also attempted to pitch the theaters on allowing us to reserve set seats yet did not gain much ground on the issue.

You'd be surprised what is bookable online on this island, just not promoted well enough nor supported by government.

Restaurants,
Golf,
Activities,
Events

They've been available for a few years now

[RedOnion on 11.12.05 at 21:08]

Perhaps I need to clarify my last post. I am not pessimistic about the idea. Just that sometimes I get pissed off when a great idea is negated by such things as their website being unavailable. Mediocre support is something we seem to accept in Bermuda, new ventures wouldn't last five minutes in the US with a non-working website, but we seem to accept such things as being normal in Bermuda. Maybe that's another topic.

[Christine on 11.12.05 at 21:12]

Eh bie ve Bermujans relax bout tings like dat. Its dee vay uv life don! Eez me up captain!

[peterj on 11.12.05 at 21:32]

bermuda box office ........ innovative and adding value eh?

.......anyone checked out the commission they add on for movie tickets. we booked for 5 of us to go to the movies in dockyard a few weeks back. commission charged ........... 20%

the woman at the box office in dockyard couldnt beleive it. said we must be mad..i tend to agree!

i sent a note 5 times to bbo for a comment on what justified this excessive charge and no response to date !

comments anyone from bbo gratefully received.

PS - have been making the most 'noise' i can about this since it happened to find out what others think and will continue to 'bad press' bbo until someone from there gives me a reply at least to my e mail!

pj

[Steve Watts on 11.12.05 at 22:42]

Hi Limey,
Thanks for the compliments.
Just thought I'd say a few words to the usual negative crowd.
To PeterJ - You didn't have to buy. We don't keep our fees secret. How are your restaurant manners?
To RedOnion - Change your ISP. It's not our site that's down. If you didn't get to your destination it could be the taxi didn't turn up.

The positive feedback that we have received is very encouraging and we will be attempting to increase the functionality of the site.

Thanks Christine, David, Dennis and Limey.

P.S. Have a look now, we do have movies. Only Liberty and Neptune.

[exclab on 11.12.05 at 23:34]

Steve Watts is a good honest man and very funny when he feels like it.

[ben@boxoffice.bm on 11.12.05 at 23:44]

hey peter.....

what about the $+6 popcorn and drink???

come-on!!!

[Sal Monilla on 12.12.05 at 04:42]

nice

[RedOnion on 12.12.05 at 08:46]

Steve, perhaps you missed in my post regarding what a good idea it was to come up with online booking. In your rush to find negativity you overlooked the point that your site was unavailable for a while. More than likely a problem with your ISP as I was able to access dozens of other .bm sites other than yours at that particular time.

Good ideas are one thing, customer service is another, and judging from your comments to myself and peterj, anyone who has a question or issue is to be derided by you as in your post above. How about taking the high road and actually adressing their concerns?

[Full Fullish on 12.12.05 at 10:39]

Steve,
I'm a bit late, but excellent. I'm all for having things online. And so what if it's only been done, at least it IS being done. Man you can please anyone. They complain when they don't have something then they bitch about it when they do get it....I know I'll be making good use of this site!

To all the dissenters - You know, if you have an idea about something that's missing from Bermuda, instead of complaining about it, why not put your idea into motion?

[Nicolette on 12.12.05 at 13:41]

I sent an email to boxoffice.bm because I wanted a review of a play they were selling tickets to and noone ever replied. Had I received an answer, they may have had some business. Perhaps they were too busy with this new venture, whatever - just as with politicians - if you're going to publish an email address it would be nice if someone manned it - or at least didn't ignore potential customers.

When living in the US I used netflix for the entire time - it was great but here it's going to depend on the Bermuda postal service.

[loki on 12.12.05 at 14:49]

"When living in the US I used netflix for the entire time - it was great but here it's going to depend on the Bermuda postal service."

AKA The Only Postal Service In The World That Doesn't Deliver When It Rains.......

[silencedogood on 12.12.05 at 15:01]

As opposed to our postal system that only delivers when it snows...;)

[Kev on 12.12.05 at 15:20]

It's a good idea albeit a poorly executed one.. People will bitch about anything .. and you definately can't please everyone .. but I don't think I would lower myself into a war of words or online sludgefest with my customers ..

[peter j on 12.12.05 at 23:27]

box office people - nice verbal sparring but 'no' u dont offer good value compared to other 'ticket' sites elsewhere and 'yes' ...i am still waiting to hear from u why u charge 10% on theatre tickets and charged me 20% commission on movie tickets. cant quite work out what the rationale is.........?

.....still waiting.

more expensive IT web work for movie shows eh ? dont think so.

so popcorn is expensive so that makes it ok for u to rip off the customer yes?

10% theatre vs 20% on movie toickets........????. whats the reason?

oh and by the way - it was a kids movie, the latest aardman animations thing and i had to pay 20% extra on 6 kids tickets.

pj

[observor on 13.12.05 at 09:43]

peter j

No one forced you to use their website so stop complaining about the service charge. In the future don't buy tickets online.

[ben@boxoffice.bm on 13.12.05 at 09:45]

pj

yes sparring is fun, but her's a real response to your query.

We have tried to make this site as cheap as possible for the customers, and part of that is being reasonable in our own business plans. I run three different companies, and this one is far from ever making a profit or paying us for any of our time. The voume of sales is growing, but it's no where near the point that we are making any money ourselves, and probably wont be for some time.

To answer specifically, theatre tickets are flat charged at $2, and most other sales are 10%, and this always depends on the vendor that we are dealing with. Most tickets,concert tickets aside, have not relied on comissions at a retail level to be sold, so these events are not willing to pay us a percentage from gross, and not willing to mark up the ticket price to cover the cost. This will change as our membership grows, and eventually the vendor wil be required to build ticketing cost into the price.

Online commerce is growing slowly ...but growing, and we hope that this growth will help us get to the volume that will allow us to lower costs to our customers.

regards

Ben Fairn
Managing Director
boxoffice.bm ltd

[loki on 13.12.05 at 09:51]

Peter J,

You also have to bear in mind that it costs boxoffice.bm just as much to process a $6 movie ticket than a $40 theatre ticket. So, on the theatre ticket, they are charging a flat $2 commission, whereas they are only charging $1.20 comission on the movie ticket. Yes, it's a higher percentage of the face price on the ticket, but they are actually charging a lower fee on the movie ticket, when it costs just as much for them to process.

[Chris Broadhurst on 13.12.05 at 09:57]

I've bought many concert tickets on Ticketmaster. There is always a 'convenience charge'. The Bermuda Box office charges aren't that bad.

Go to Ticketmaster and check it out if you don't believe me.

[Nicolette on 13.12.05 at 10:35]

Hello there Ben

May I suggest that you check the email box for info@boxoffice.bm and reply to it as speedily as you are replying to comments on this site and then you may find an upswing in customer numbers which will, as you claim, enable a reduction in fees! I am quite used to paying more for certain conveniences but I expect a certain service level in addition to the convenience. All the best for the future.

[ben@boxoffice.bm on 14.12.05 at 02:47]

Nicolette

I do. we all get the info @boxoffice.bm. and we respond to it as quickly as we can.

If we missed your mail, please send it to ben@boxoffice.bm address.

thanks

[somethin' else on 14.12.05 at 06:30]

BoxOffice.bm is a great idea. It's a service, and what services out there are free? Don't want to pay a comission fee.. or someone else to do something for you, then.. do it yourself. Yeesh. Is it really that hard?

However.... I will say this. The BoxOffice web site could use a spruce up. It's not as clear or helpful as it could be. In fact, it looks and feels like something that has been patched together by a number of different sources and smudged over to try and look uniform. That in itself would discourage me from using the site. If the web site is that messy.. what else is? I mean for example, why can't I see the terms and conditions of my purchase before clicking 'buy now'? Nicolette is right - there SHOULD be reviews of the production, or at least an overview of it, a picture and maybe some actor/producer credits and more information about the venue and surrounding area (for tourists) available. Those are just a few things I have managed to notice in the three minutes I have spent skimming through the site. I would be happy to give you a full breakdown of my thoughts to your e-mail address, but i'm sure you have access to one of the most innovative and brightest teams on the island... as far as marketing goes, anyway!

And Steve Watts - that's not very good business practice. It comes across as bitter, and unappreciative of the customer. Next time just clearly explain what the cost covers, and if the customer doesn't understand.. you just explain that it's necessary for the survival of the service.. and you are doing all you can to bring the cost down, but there's a whole chain of events which need to take place first. (Of course, it'll require a lot more thought than that.. but still.. something more pleasant along those lines I am sure would make the customer feel a bit better about it all)

Good luck, you both are great guys.. and together I am confident you can make this work.

[ben@boxoffice.bm on 14.12.05 at 08:44]

somethin'else

sent you an email, and it bounced.

[Martin on 14.12.05 at 11:38]

Steve...

Hopefully you are still reading this blog.

I signed up to your site on Sunday 11th. Tried to oder a DVD and it did not work. You have my account details and $10 a month going out to you.

I have emailed you twice - but so far you have not replied.

[Andrew on 14.12.05 at 12:32]

Martin,

Kindly note that you have to select a plan first prior to ordering. Also note that no funds are processed until your first DVD is shipped to you.

I hope this information helps you.

[somethin' else on 14.12.05 at 15:04]

Ben-
I'll send you my contacts later tonight. Look forward to hearing what you wanted to say.

somethin' else

[Martin on 15.12.05 at 09:36]

Andrew.....

Thanks - have had telephone conversation since, and matter has now been sorted.

[Andrew on 16.12.05 at 02:31]

Martin,

Good, I'm glad.

I've recently had conversations with Steve about ways to improve user functions on the site. They will be implemented very soon.