The Pillars of Customer Service for Corporate Events

So often we talk about the content and format of events, but I haven't seen much talk about customer service at events. At the end of the day, our attendees are the most vital component of our events, and it's important that we take the time to listen to their concerns, provide them with info and generally offer great service. So - what are the keys to great success?

BE AVAILABLE
This is one of the more important aspects of great customer service. Make it easy for your clients and attendees to reach you. Don't hide your phone number or email address on the website. Don't direct everyone through standard contact forms. Make your contact info Front and center of your website, your emails, and any other ways that you want people to connect with you. Make sure that you have a very big visual presence on site at an event and always challenge yourself by imagining you are an attendee and figuring out how you would want to connect with the brand.

RESPOND
Make sure you have staff ready and available to answer any questions before, during and after the event. When people reach out with any kind of inquiry, it's important that you respond them them in a timely manner. If you don't have the staff available to have someone on call all the time, set up alerts so that you are notified when inquiries come in. Quick responses make for great experiences.

BE TRANSPARENT
When problems arise, and they always do, be transparent with your customer and let them know what the challenges are. Let them know why something is happening and what you have in your control to do to fix it. If there's something that you have no control over, be transparent. Don't set deadlines that you can't meet and don't promise things that you can't deliver on. If things go wrong, your attendees will appreciate your transparency and will learn to trust your brand when you're honest with them. Everything doesn't have to be perfect, but great communication makes the difference between a horrible customer service experience and a great one.

MAKE IT RIGHT
In the end, it's important that you do whatever you can to make it right for your attendees. This means going above and beyond to do whatever you can to fix their problems and even take an extra step to offer them something extra. People will remember that you took the time to answer their questions and did whatever you could to make it right. Even if you feel like the problem was not your fault or out of your control, your efforts will not go unnoticed. 

For more insights, read A 5-Step Plan for Dealing with Event Gripes.

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