As I enjoyed the New York Philharmonic’s production of Tosca this past Tuesday, I received a solicitation call. From the New York Philharmonic.
My phone was thankfully on silent, so I didn’t notice the missed a call until the first intermission. When I got home, I looked up the strange number: (212) 875-0583. To my shock, here’s what I found:
The Philharmonic called again on Thursday. Here’s approximately how the conversation went.
New York Philharmonic: I’m calling to invite Mr. and Mrs. Greenberg-Berger to subscribe to our 2008-2009 season.
Me: Do you realize that you called on Tuesday when I was at the Philharmonic?
NYP: Really? Oh no. But your phone wasn’t on, right?
Me: No, it wasn’t. Because that would have been inconsiderate.
Concerts usually start at 7:30 or 8:00, but the Philharmonic makes solicitation calls until 8:30. Apparently, they don’t check purchase histories to make sure that their marks aren’t already in the audience. Nor do they care if people have repeatedly, expressly, asked not to be called.
This wasn’t even the Friends of the New York Philharmonic, with whom I’ve previously expressed my displeasure and frustration, but the Philharmonic itself.
I understand why the Philharmonic is a vicious fundraiser: renovating Avery Fischer Hall won’t be cheap, and the youngins just aren’t flocking to hear the orchestra’s stunning performances. I empathize. Really, I do. But please, again, I beg of you—stop calling me! Especially if I’m already there!
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LOL — the word “philharmonic” triggers class warfare on Consumerist!
Hey, all you, reverse snobs, go to China and join the Cultural Revolution. Oh wait — too late for that.
@NumberFiveIsAlive: I loled
In all seriousness this seems like a nonissue. The same annoying crap happens when you donate to a charity. Or give blood. Or give money to hobos.
Let’s get to the real issue here:
New York Philharmonic: I’m calling to invite Mr. and Mrs. Greenberg-Berger to subscribe to our 2008-2009 season.
With that careless slip, single Consumerist chicks everywhere are crushed at the thought that (sigh) there’s already a “Mrs. Greenberg-Berger.”
Just because someone goes to a philharmonic doesnt make them Mr. Moneybags.
AS a matter of fact the local Chicago Concert Hall ( Ravinia) has free concerts all the time. Its arts foundation, so they can afford to provide the arts without resorting to telemarketing.
I challenge anyone to see an orchestra perform live. You might be shocked out of your commerical-music shell .
I suggest the OP send a letter to the Friends group, especially since, according to their own website, tickets only cover half the cost of the operating expenses.
They do not want to antagonize their donors. I know they were originally calling to get him to purchase a subscription, but that’s often the way they entice members to give a little more. If the call center isn’t aware of performance dates, it could definitely generate ill will.
And for those of you who think this is a rich guy only issue, it’s not. It’s more of a Grown Up issue. Just because you can’t afford to donate to a cultural organization (or alumna association) right now does not mean it shouldn’t be something you should just ignore.
Friends of the Philharmonic
Avery Fisher Hall
10 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023-6970
Telephone: (212) 875-5381
Fax: (212) 875-5716
E-mail: friends@nyphil.org
Now if the OP was homeless and waiting on line at the soup kitchen and the Philharmonic called for donations, THAT would be funny!
Even funnier if she had that diamond-encrusted phone NumberFiveIsAlive mentioned.
@misterchinaski: Uh, no, maybe they should just keep a list of PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS and not call the ticket-buyers/members DURING THOSE.
I bet they could even get a list of performances from the conductor. SOMEONE must have one, SOMEWHERE.
This is more a “haha” situation than an actual complaint against a corporation.
@Televiper:
Is it really that much more trivial than some of the other things people get wound up about on here? If it happened to me my reaction probably would have been: “bloody typical!!”
@Noiddog: Did you read the part in the story where his phone was on silent mode?
@Dobernala: Oh you’re right! My internet connection could feed and clothe a child perpetually.
@Dakine: You do realize the focus of the blog you’re reading?
@NumberFiveIsAlive: With the number of asshats that comment there’s no way to tell… Perhaps and anti-inflammatory disclaimer next time.
bet the issue will eventually lead to:
1. he bought the phone at WAL-MART
2. GEORGE BUSH was the telemarketer
Why did you give NY Philharmonic your mobile phone number? Perhaps it’s better for you to give them only the number through which you manage your many philanthropic activities, n’est pas?
@NumberFiveIsAlive: I thought your post was funny, indeed. I read it in a Homer Simpson dancing-around-wagging-his-hands voice for added faux-mockery humor.
@Dakine: I hope you’re young, because what you wrote is among the stupidest comments I’ve read on the Consumerist since I started posting for it. If you’re young, at least you can claim naivete. (“My parents didn’t like classical music and/or the performing arts so I don’t either!”) I hate that you confuse live music with elitism, and that you’ve apparently bought into the idea that non-pop-culture culture is inherently exclusionary. In reality, it’s the opposite—you’re exclusionary. Symphonies would love to have you come listen to them play and they find cheap-ass ways to offer tickets all the time all over the country. Clearly the problem here is you can’t appreciate the music, which is sad. But it’s sad for you, not for the OP.
@houston2882: George [Dubya] Bush wasn’t the telemarketer, but he was on the line.
shoulda known to call during the intermission….duh
um…. I love tosca!
After reading this and the stroller post, it’s easy to see the Consumerist readers hate anybody who makes more than 35k a year and are probably posting ideas on the internet how those people owe them money a-la “windfall profit taxes” and the like.
Have I mentioned that we are long overdue for a huge execution of consumerist commenters?
I guess I’m the only one got a chuckle out of the front office calling an existing patron…in the middle of a performance.
Isn’t that named after Phil the bum?
“He gave a lot of money to the New York Harmonic.”
“You mean the Philharmonic.”
“Yeah, NOW.”
t’s tgh fr m t fnd sympthy fr th trls nd trbltns f th dly lf f rch ppl wth tm ∓ mny t brn.
h n… y gt phn cll whl y wr t th symphny? Wht n trg! Wht’s nxt, ncmng ml msgs whl y njy yr Crstl n th prvt ycht? Myb y shld gv yr blckbrry t yr prsnl ssstnt drng th nxt prfrmnc.
ww, ths rlly snt nws t ll..
T P, Y shld bth lglly chng yr srnm t “Grnbrgr”. vrybdy wns. Y sv tn f tm whn wrtng chqs r fllng t frms. Y’r wlcm.
nn-stry. b-h.
@Mmbltymm: t’s nt bt blttlng nyn, bt t tm whn th Rd Crss s flt brk, gs s t rcrd hgh, nmplymnt s lp-frggng, th rl stt mrkt s brnng t f cntrl, frclsrs r ncrsng xpnntlly, sldrs r bng klld whl w spk, tc…. t’s bt f slp n th fc t mst ppl whn smn strts btchng bt gttng phn cll drng th symphny, whl th phn ws slncd nd h nvr vn knw bt t ntl ltr.
Hr’s thght: Try nt tkng yr cll phn t th symphny n th frst plc.
d plgz f blttld nyns dp ss. cn ndrstnd hw psttng mssd tlmrktr cll cn b. Prbbly sm pst-trmtc thrpy s n rdr.
As a caller for a non-profit performing arts organization—not the Philharmonic—there’s probably a few reasons why this slipped through.
I’m guessing the OP is not a subscriber to the Philharmonic, so the number may have come from a lead list from another arts organization, or even from a previous performance. It’s very unlikely that their calling system is tied with their ticketing system, so it was simply chance that the number came up while the poster was at a performance.
Even if the information was available that the poster was attending the performance, human error could also have had it happen. I’ve called numbers for people who attend our performances on the night they attend—and we call from individual lead sheets, but fortunately only before showtime. None have picked up in four years, except the rare person who exchanged.
In summary: computer error or human error. At least you were courteous enough to have your phone on silent.