A few disgruntled and belligerent participants are almost a certainty at any event˳ Unfortunately for the staff in the office they are usually the first people who will come in contact with this person˳ Through this initial contact, the office staff is in the direct line of fire to receive a sample of the disgruntled personality˳
This encounter at the event office is normally initiated by the contestants’ point of view that someone has messed up what they wanted˳ The potential error in their opinion, needs to be fixed before all else˳ Especially someone else’s all else! What is perceived as an error is an inconvenience for sure, however, this is not the end of the world and as a rule can be rectified especially when cooler heads prevail˳
A first-rate event secretary will do everything in their power to right any potential problem the participant thinks they have˳ It is a fact that the majority of errors occur because the participant has done one of the following:
1˳ Not read all of the entry package and rules˳
2˳ Relied on someone else to submit their requests˳
3˳ Failed to fill all of the required forms out that were in the entry package˳
4˳ Were remiss in providing the required payment˳
5˳ Missed a deadline˳
6˳ Made an assumption that the event entries were being handled as they had been in previous years˳
7˳ Made an honest mistake in submitting the forms˳
If the participant used an online entry or registration system, their submitted information should be as the person made them˳ A receipt of the transaction would be provided after payment is submitted˳ Taking this document to the event secretary/registrar will speed up the clarification of any discrepancies thus reducing time wastage for both the secretary and participant˳
Remember, as a participant, it is your responsibility to review the information you submitted through this online entry system or any other system being used˳ If you, the entrant has made the error, there should be no expectations to receive preferential treatment in making additions or changes˳ If changes are allowed they need to be done within the parameters outlined in the event entry package˳
Should a potential error occur it is helpful to keep raised voices in check˳ Expending energy to voice thoughts only adds fuel to the already volatile situation leading to a most common result of no result˳
As an event secretary/registrar, it is your job to stay professional during any conversation with any participant˳ You will be perceived as the authority on all that happens at the event that pertains to entries and registration˳ You are the one they will turn to time and time again for answers to any of their problems big or small˳
Participants, you need to pay attention to the fine print˳ Read your registration packages thoroughly and fill the forms in with care˳ If you have an issue with how something has been looked after in finalizing your entry, try to keep in mind that the secretaries and registrars are only human just like you˳ And like you, they too, like to be treated with respect˳
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?Disgruntled-Participants&id=6458844
