Ever since I heard that Mirvish Productions was bringing Chaim Topol to Toronto in December for a stage production reprising his much-loved role as Tevye the Russian milkman in the movie Fiddler on the Roof, I HAD to have tickets!

I must have been one of the first people to scoop up those tickets - 6 of them for my extended family. O.K., $625 for great seats at this show was maybe a tad extravagant, but the play was billed as Chaim Topol's "farewell tour" - and I rationalized that it would make a great Christmas gift for the family. After all, some people spend that kind of money on rock concerts and sporting events. Well, I chose Topol!

So imagine my extreme dismay, when Toronto's Mirvish Productions announced this past Wednesday that Topol would not be appearing in Toronto since he'd injured his shoulder. I certainly did feel bad for this wonderful actor. Perhaps the play's energetic dance numbers - executed effortlessly by a younger Topol in 1967 during the play's debut in London, were too much for the 74-year-old Israeli actor. But Topol had to have had a lot of moxie to have been signed by Mirvish for this run.

In any case, since Topol wasn't going to be in Toronto for the play, I didn't want to be either. I immediately called Mirvish for a refund. That's when TicketKing informed me that no refunds were available. I couldn't believe it!

I explained to the TicketKing agent that I'd only bought tickets to this show because it was billed as a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to see "Topol in Fiddler on the Roof." Topol's name was actually on my tickets. Since Topol wasn't appearing, they should refund my money. Still, the agent insisted, no refund. I then started to get very frustrated realizing, "That's $600 down the drain!".

Finally, the agent told me to contact a woman in the Mirvish customer service department who would consider refunds on a "case by case basis".

I was given an email address. That's it. They refused or were unable to give me a phone number or the name of the supervisor in charge. Talk about stonewalling a customer! So I have no idea if my email got read. There wasn't an auto-responder thanking me for my email and assuring me that the person in question will be in touch within 24 hrs. That would have helped.

I can only assume that rather than have some customer service protocols in place to advert a public relations fiasco, Mirvish is prepared to leave a loyal customer feeling frustrated and ripped off. The idea of evaluating refund requests in this situation on a "case by case" basis smacks of unfairness at best and favoritism at worst!

An article in today's Buffalo News covered the story because Topol was to perform there as well. In my opinion, Buffalo's Shea Performing Arts Center, handled the public relations fall-out from disappointed ticket-holders well and with integrity: 

"Shea's refund policy mirrors the tradition in the theater world: When a star's name appears in the title of the show or is listed above the title, ticket-holders are entitled to refunds."

By contrast, this morning Mirvish sent an "E-Stage" email newsletter to their loyal subscribers which I received. The newsletter headline was, "Farewell Topol, Welcome Harvey". A portion of the newsletter makes this breezy statement when referring to Topol's injury:

"That's sad news for those looking forward to his performance, but as the man says, every cloud has a silver lining; Fiddler's producers confirmed Wednesday night that he will be replaced in the tour, starting in Toronto, by the Tony-award winning actor (and playwright) Harvey Fierstein."

No mention of refunds in that newsletter. It looked like a rather weak attempt to put a PR spin on the issue and cajole disappointed subscribers into not demanding refunds. But replacing Topol in Toronto with Harvey Fierstein, another fine actor, really doesn't remedy the situation since Topol was the big draw for the show in the first place. The less charitable of theatre-goers might call this a "bait and switch" -- even though, in fairness, Mirvish could not have known Topol would be indisposed. 

What matters now is how Mirvish responds. They surely have insurance to cover any losses due to Topol's absence. So the real question is how much do they value customer loyalty and are they willing to go beyond paying "lip service" to this concept by doing the right thing?

It certainly doesn't make Mirvish look good that as of November 13th portions of their website still marketed the Fiddler on the Roof production as starring Topol. It certainly doesn't take two days to make the corrections on their site -  many other ticket purchasers could have gotten taken in thinking they'd be seeing the actor they remember with so much fondness even after Mirvish knew Topol was not going to be there. Sure, I'm willing to give Mirvish the benefit of the doubt, but the cynic in me wonders if this was a ploy to inflate "non-refundable" ticket sales for a show that would never be as successful without Topol.

Customer Loyalty Is A Precious Commodity

The world of theatre is not so far removed from the manufacturing realm. When your customers complain the product you said you'd provide isn't what you promised upon delivery, what do you do?

Do you, like Mirvish, say "no refunds, too bad."

Do you stone-wall, refuse to let them directly contact "those in charge" and say each complaint will be treated on a "case by case basis"? That attitude smacks of unfairness at best and favouritism at worst.

In the age of social media, the money Mirvish or any other supplier could keep by insisting that customers pay up -- even if the products delivered aren't what was promised  -- just isn't worth the long-term cost. People are now empowered to disseminate very damaging press about these companies to their social networks - and this can go viral.

The revenue Mirvish, or indeed, any other company saves in the short term by sticking to their no refund policy is a veritable "drop in the bucket" compared to the long-term damage to their reputation and the lost future revenue when angry customers walk away.

In today's competitive business environment, your loyal customers - and their repeat business is a precious commodity. They don't have to do business with any supplier that doesn't treat them fairly.

I, too, have many other choices when it comes to where I spend my hard-earned entertainment dollars. The ball's in Mirvish's court. I'm still waiting for a response to my email. I sincerely hope they do the right thing.

What do you think? How do you handle customer complaints? Do you have any advice for Mirvish or fellow manufacturers? Your comments and questions are welcome.

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Photo Credit: Mirvish Productions