Boyertown, PA - (June 2008) After going live with a new Galaxy revenue management and admission control system, Seattle Aquarium reports significantly faster transaction times and increased revenue due to faster processing.
With the opening of a major new exhibit and a new entry way for the aquarium, it was clear that it was time to upgrade to a new ticketing system. Because of the age of the previous system, credit card processing was sluggish. “The system we were using was an old version and the hardware was old too, so it started to wear out. Replacement of parts was expensive and some were no longer available,“ said Sue Donohue-Smith, Guest and Volunteer Services Manager at the aquarium.
Transaction times with the older system, which took an average of 45 seconds to process, translated into long lines and lost revenue. “Sixty percent of our guests pay by credit card, so there was always a line, and guests had to wait to enter.”
With Donohue-Smith driving the process, a case study was done by the Guest Experience Manager. Cost comparisons with a number of ticketing providers were conducted to justify the investment in a new ticketing and revenue management system. Working with their membership society and the City of Seattle, a decision was made to go with Gateway based on the cost-value analysis. Galaxy had the features they wanted for an investment figure everyone could agree upon.
Shortly after the new ticketing system installation was complete, it became apparent that Seattle Aquarium would be able to handle a higher volume of guests. Credit card processing speeds had improved significantly with the new Galaxy system in place.
“Galaxy’s credit card processing was excellent, with speed of authorization at less than three seconds per transaction” said Donohue-Smith.
Lost revenue amounts not only to an immediate loss due to a lower volume of throughput. When guests become frustrated at long lines, they’re more likely to not return. This amounts to a loss of future revenue.
Seattle Aquarium was glad to be able to maximize their revenue potential by getting guests in the door more quickly with the new system. "Lines are short and guests are through more quickly than I could have imagined, even knowing the expected time savings. We don't experience the authorization bottleneck anymore. Processing credit cards with Galaxy will eliminate long lines and reduce the number of frustrated customers in the future,“ said Donohue-Smith.
In addition to looking for faster transaction times, the Seattle Aquarium also required a ticketing system that provided integration with their accounting system as well as with Raiser’s Edge. Donohue-Smith also identified other features of Galaxy that helped the aquarium make the decision to go with Gateway. “Order Entry is great for registering self-guided visits and birthday parties. We are working to rid ourselves of our current system for managing group visits, and Galaxy offers everything we need to do that.
“The ability to create custom tickets is wonderful, and the reporting for cashiers at the end of shift is very useful to management. We can also see ‘live’ how our attendance is doing throughout the day,” she said.
With the new ticketing system in place, Seattle Aquarium’s attendance increased 35% the first year. “I attribute a lot of this to the fact that we can get people in the door quicker,” said Donohue-Smith. “We also cut our hours back one to two hours per day when we reopened. Galaxy has paid for itself already, no question,” she said.
About Seattle Aquarium:
Providing a hands-on marine experience and preservation education in the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Aquarium offers exhibits and programs designed to help people discover the marine life of the Puget Sound area.
About Gateway Ticketing Systems, Inc.:
Gateway Ticketing Systems, Inc. is the world leader in high-speed, access control, admission control, and ticketing software for the attraction, amusement, and intercity bus transportation industries. Located in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, Gateway Ticketing Systems provides sales, service, and support for point of sale and ticketing systems throughout North America and worldwide.
For more information on Gateway Ticketing Systems, visit www.gatewayticketing.com or call +1 (610) 987-4000.
Raiser's Edge is a registered trademark of Blackbaud, Inc. Gateway Ticketing Systems, Inc. is in no way affiliated with this product or company.
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