Twilio > Case Studies > Streamlining Ticket Transactions: eBay's Automation Journey with Twilio

Streamlining Ticket Transactions: eBay's Automation Journey with Twilio

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Procurement

Use Cases

Machine to Machine Payments

About The Customer

eBay is a renowned online shopping platform where both consumers and businesses can buy and sell goods. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in San Jose, CA, eBay operates in 30 countries and serves over 1000 cities worldwide. One of its companies, StubHub, is the world's largest ticket marketplace, enabling fans to buy and sell tickets to tens of thousands of sports, concert, theater, and other live entertainment events. Every month, StubHub lists 10 million live events, making it a significant player in the live events industry.

The Challenge

StubHub, an eBay company and the world's largest ticket marketplace, was facing a significant challenge in streamlining transactions between ticket buyers and sellers. The process required a final confirmation of ticket availability from the sellers, which often resulted in delays. In cases where sellers were unable to confirm ticket availability, StubHub had to resort to manually calling sellers for transactions to proceed. This was a cumbersome and tedious process, as described by John Whelan, Director of Customer Service at StubHub. The challenge was to ensure seamless customer transactions and the ability to close the sale before the tickets expired. The manual process of calling sellers was laborious and inefficient, especially for sellers who were away from an internet connection.

The Solution

To address this challenge, StubHub turned to Twilio, a cloud communications platform. Instead of manually calling sellers to check if tickets were still available for sale, StubHub implemented an automated solution that calls sellers to inform them of a pending sale. This solution allowed sellers who were away from an internet connection to quickly and easily know that a sale was pending. By simply pressing a key, they could confirm that the tickets were still available. This solution not only streamlined the process but also significantly reduced the time taken to confirm ticket availability. The use of Twilio's Programmable SMS for lead alerts and order confirmations further enhanced the efficiency of the process.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Twilio's automated solution significantly improved StubHub's operational efficiency. The process of confirming ticket availability was streamlined, reducing the time taken for transactions to complete. This also improved the customer experience, as buyers no longer had to wait for manual confirmation from sellers. The solution also made it easier for sellers, especially those away from an internet connection, to confirm ticket availability quickly and easily. Overall, the solution enhanced the timeliness and positivity of the exchange between ticket buyers and sellers.

Quantitative Benefit