Where Too Much Service is Not Enough

If you have not seen the documentary FYRE, you must. Seriously, a must see for anyone in the events world.

As the event started to implode and fall apart, I realised I had stopped breathing and was panting and when a senior Events Producer with decades of experience, explained how he gargled mouthwash and prepared to go down to the docks and “take one for the team” I actually understood.

So, I started looking back at the times I had gone above and beyond the call of service, or beyond the brief for our clients to ensure they were kept happy.

There has always been the usual nonsense, “I only want red M&M’s in my dressing room”, “we require 47 white hand towels”(for a 5 piece band…really?) and riders that are just stupid. But I’m talking things we did, that were not always palatable, or fun, but we did them to keep it all happening.

The names have been changed to protect the not so innocent…

There was the time I was called to a meeting and told to organise “after activity, activities”. Strippers and hookers?! This included a site visit, that at the time was excruciating, but in hindsight was hilarious. Me sitting in a strip club on a VIP Stage with bollards and drinks and having to tell every girl that came by “sorry I was working” – they all came to try.

Let’s not forget the client who required that every Friday night they were in town, we had to host them at a Sydney brothel. I enquired if I was required to partake. I was thankfully told no, but I was required to take them there and be there in case they required anything (what they required is another whole story).

It was Saturday night and guests were arriving in 30 minutes. The host for this private event came to me in sheer panic. She hadn’t showered or started getting ready. She handed me her screaming newborn baby and yelled, “change the nappy and put her to sleep” and disappeared. Luckily, I have kids. I changed the really dirty nappy and then started to pace the hall with a child who did not want to go to sleep.

Every time I put the baby down, she woke and screamed. We still laugh about me welcoming guests and directing my staff with a small baby slung over my arm.

Three days into the conference, the boys had been going very hard, both during the conference and after dark. Its 6am and I get a text from my client due at breakfast with the management team in 30 minutes. “Face melted, glasses broken, Help!!!” I call and get no pick up. I go to the shop in the hotel and buy 1 x energy drink, 1 x coffee & guarana shot and super glue and head up to the room. The door is opened and I jump in surprise. This is not my client! Wow! It is my client. Push him inside, deliver caffeine and guarana shot and into shower. Glue glasses together and grab clothes, out of shower, dress, chug energy drink and manhandle down to breakfast. Forty minutes later, client finishes breakfast and management team meeting and comes out smiling. Last seen heading to the bar.

There are so many more. The client who requested we manscape together, a definite NO! The client who insisted we go to church together, the one who insisted we only eat burgers for the 3 days we were on a site visit (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and the list continues…

So yes, there are a few things I have done in the name of work and taking one for the team, that have either been downright strange or completely off the radar as far as servicing the client goes.

So, remember folks, service is an elastic line, but you set the boundaries….or do you?