Putting on a music festival sounds a lot easier in theory than it is in practice. You have to deal with the logistics, book the bands, make sure the venue's set up properly, provide security, and a whole host of other tasks.
In addition, you have to support people buying tickets. The larger the event, the more queries you're likely to receive. It can prove challenging to deal with a barrage of questions coming from fans. However, if you don't, you risk losing their support.
You run the risk of reputational damage if you don't provide professional assistance in a timely manner. With today's cancel culture, all you need is one disgruntled ticket holder's complaint to go viral. It won't be long before your music festival gets a lot of hate and bands cancel.
It's no wonder, then, that some event planners turn to outsourcing to pick up the slack. Let's go through the pros and cons of this step.
The Advantages of Outsourcing Support
When you outsource support, you’re hiring professionals who know how to improve customer satisfaction. You can choose to have someone answer phones, check social media, and answer emails.
Scalability
You might get lucky and not get a single query about registration or other support issues. However, you're more likely to get a surge of inquiries. It's difficult to gauge at the outset how many people you need.
Partnering with an outsourcing company gives you access to a ready supply of trained consultants. This means you can scale up operations quickly in the event that you need to. You can also, if necessary, beef up your support as the event draws closer.
24/7 Support
Most outsourcing providers today offer round-the-clock support. If you're expecting fans from across the country or the event runs for a few days, this can be important. If you have fans coming from different parts of the country or different time zones, a 24/7 help desk is essential.
While this level of support is pricey, you can mitigate the cost by sharing a team.
Specialized Expertise
If you can work with a company that has support in this area particularly, you have an advantage. Even if you can't, you're dealing with a team of highly trained professionals. They can work with even the most fractious customers and deliver a pleasant experience.
Multilingual Support
If your festival will attract attendees from different regions, you might want to consider providing multilingual support. You may not be able to source agents with this skill in your local talent pool, which is where outsourcing comes in handy.
Many providers today offer this service as a value-add.
Focus on Event Management
You and your team have enough on your plate as it is. The last thing you need is to constantly be interrupted by calls or emails. Much of the time, the queries you receive are repetitive and may seem silly to you. This only adds to the frustration.
If you have help, you can check the small details and can focus on making this the best possible music festival. You'll get to complete the tasks you need to do without interruption.
Cost-Efficiency
You can hire an in-house team to deal with customer support. However, for a once-off event this'll prove prohibitively expensive. It's not only that you have to find the right people for the job; you also have to train and equip them. Due to the nature of the work, it'll be hard to attract the best talent.
Hiring an outsourced team is cost-effective because you don't have the overhead of running or training the team. In addition, most of these companies operate in regions where the cost of living is low. They can, therefore, offer much more competitive rates than you could get locally.
Technology and Tools
The costs of running a festival add up very quickly. If you also have to invest in technologies and tools for customer support, you're adding additional costs.
Partnering with an outsourcer will usually allow you access to highly sophisticated CRM software that:
- Streamlines support operations
- Tracks attendee interactions
- Provide real-time insight into attendee preferences
- Monitors trends and consumer sentiments related to the festival online
Things to Consider When Outsourcing Support
That sounds great, doesn't it? Before you sign on the dotted line, you need to keep in mind that there are some things you'll need to consider.
Quality Control
When you hand over support, you hand over control. You can make suggestions, but your team's day-to-day operations are out of your hands. The company you partner with will hire, train, and equip your consultants. They'll also be in charge of basic quality control.
Reputable providers will allow you to listen in on calls and monitor various statistics. However, you need to carefully choose who you're going to work with.
Data Security
Your customers are trusting you with very personal information. Include credit card details, names, and addresses. You need to make sure that the provider you choose takes data security and privacy seriously. They must comply with the regulations in their home country as well as theirs.
Communication
You'll need to keep the lines of communication open so that you can iron out any problems in the early stages. You have a responsibility to answer any queries your provider poses in a timely fashion.
Cultural Sensitivity
If your event attracts attendees from diverse backgrounds, you need to ensure that the provider has the cultural sensitivity necessary. They must know how to deal with customers from various regions and backgrounds.
Conclusion
If you're setting up a music festival, it makes sense to get support when you need it. If you can find the right outsourcing partner, it'll make your life a lot easier. You can focus on the event planning rather than trying to put out fires with customers.
However, the success of the endeavor depends on the skill of your chosen part. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to start planning ahead and carefully vet any candidates.
