But the world’s a funny place, and sometimes, even if you’ve done E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G right, things just don’t work out.
Eyjafjallajökull erupts, blizzard-like conditions strike, your star performer fractures their wrist, your venue has flooded. All the planning, hard work and long hours you’ve put in are suddenly meaningless. But, unfortunately, now is not the time for wallowing in self-pity – there are much bigger things at stake – i.e., your reputation! Most patrons are pretty forgiving when unpreventable acts of god occur, but what they won’t forgive is being poorly treated when those events take place.
At Ticketsolve, the customer is at the heart of everything we do, and we know that’s a value we share with you. So we thought we’d give you some tips on how to graciously cancel an event.
Take Stock
First, breathe. Whatever has happened, it’s not the end of the world (even if it might feel like it). Yes, people will be disappointed, yes you’re going to have to come up with a new plan of action, but you got this! Don’t panic. It’s going to be okay. Grab your colleagues, and brainstorm to see if there is any way the event can ahead. Do you have industry colleagues at another venue that could do you a favour? Do you have another act that can replace your last minute drop out? If you can find a way for the show to go on – and still delight your audiences – then the show should go on!
(Stop) Sell(ing), (Stop) Sell(ing), (Stop) Sell(ing)!!
If there is still no way for the show to go on as scheduled, move fast. Take your tickets off sale and tell your technical crew and support crews that they are no longer needed. The earlier you tell them, the better; keeps patrons and staff happy.
And start delegating. You may be in charge, but you can’t do everything on your own, so put faith in your staff and give them some responsibility and an opportunity to shine.
Communicate
Get in touch with your patrons as quickly as possible. Make sure your communications are clear and concise. If it’s the day of the show, you need to get the message out quickly. Explain that the event is cancelled, and be sure to specify the date, time and place so there can be no confusion. Once you have the email out to everyone who has bought a ticket, get the word out on all your social media channels. If you have the capacity, have someone monitor social media and get them to respond to any queries coming in that way. Once you get that initial message out, you can follow up later with more detailed information of the who, what, where, why and when.
It’s a good idea, before any event, to have a contingency plan in place – including a ‘cancelled show’ message which is written when you’re not stressed. Keep this on file, in a folder you can find easily, just in case of emergencies like these – you’ll thank us later!
Elaborate
Humans are curious animals. They like to know why something has happened, so do try to be as honest as possible and explain the reason why the show was cancelled. Of course, it’s of utmost importance to remain professional; even if someone has let you down badly. Don’t drag their name through the dirt – it won’t reflect well on your organisation and could land you in hot water!
Make sure you ticket buyers know whether the event will be rescheduled or just outright cancelled. Are all dates of the run cancelled, or just one? How and when will refunds be processed? Make sure to apologise for the inconvenience but keep it brief, you don’t want the most important message to get lost. For loyal customers, you might go the extra mile with a courtesy phone call – it’s the small touches like this that people will remember and appreciate.
Refund
Critical to a smooth cancellation is to get refunds processed in a timely matter – if you’ve promised that refunds will be made by a specific date, make sure you stick to it. If refund processing is going to be delayed, communicate quickly to let people know the reason for the delay. You don’t want people popping up on social media and leaving negative reviews because they didn’t get their money back on time.
Reward
While you may have already refunded your patrons, why not go the extra mile and consider a small reward for those who were affected by the cancellation. Some people may have booked hotels and paid money in advance to attend the show, and while not your fault, it’s always nice to be nice. Treat people well, and they’ll be more likely to return. Create discount codes targeting those specific customers that lost out. While we’re talking about rewards, don’t forget to also reward your staff who put long hours in to help smooth everything over.
Analyse
After the event, it’s a good idea to have a debrief with your team as soon as possible. Strike while the iron is hot; when everything is still fresh in your minds. What plans can you put in place to make things better if this were ever to happen again? What did you do really well? What didn’t you do well? Make sure to write it all down and review periodically and this should help you to react with confidence if you face a similar situation in the future.
Cancelling an event is the last headache anybody needs, but being prepared for these situations is the best plan of action. To be forewarned is to be forearmed and we hope this blog has helped you to start thinking about how you will tackle your ‘just-in-case’ cancellation plan.
