Customer support issues can have a big impact on your attendees’ experience, so we’ve tapped the expert knowledge of the Eventbrite Customer Experience team to help you tackle them like a champ. Passing on what we’ve learned from talking with hundreds of thousands of event attendees and organisers over the years, these are three of our top tips to help you rock your next event:

Event Customer Service Tip #1: Timing is everything

If there’s one thing that we’ve learned makes a positive difference for attendees, it’s speed. Here are three ways to keep things moving, from selling tickets to managing entry.

  • Give early-bird discounts: The purchase is a key part of your attendees’ experience — so don’t make them wait! One of the best ways to generate early excitement (and early sales!) is with a discount for a limited number of your first ticket buyers, even if the discount is minor. You can set up early bird tickets for a limited quantity to go on sale before your regular tickets sales (or to end by a certain date) to reward your biggest fans.
  • Respond quickly: Our experience shows attendees are happiest if you respond to their message within 8 hours (same business day is essential), especially if it’s a question involving refunds. You can expect attendee contact to be the highest in the 24-48 hours surrounding your event (before, during, and after). To address this, we recommend having someone on hand who can monitor your emails during this time, allowing you to focus on putting on a great event.
  • Keep queues moving: On-site line management is a science and an art. When you use a tool like our Eventbrite Organiser App, you can check people in in seconds and see real-time information on your busiest periods to see when it’s time to call for backup.

Event Customer Service Tip #2: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

We all want every event to go smoothly, but even the most experienced organisers know that sometimes things just don’t go as planned. So how can you make sure this is as painless as possible for your customers?

  • Be clear on your refund policy: This might be one of the most important pieces of information you share. Even if your policy is “no refunds, no exceptions,” it’s a huge help to attendees if you state that clearly and in several places. What’s worse than not getting a refund? Not realising you couldn’t get a refund.
  • Have a viable backup plan: If it rains, can you move things indoors? If you can’t, and weather (or some other uncontrollable factor) might be an issue, let people know ahead of time when you’d make that call and how you’ll communicate it.
  • Establish a code of conduct: One of the best ways to make sure you have an event that’s a safe space for everyone is to be upfront about your expectations. A List Apart, a design organisation putting on tons of industry-leading events in the US, published a fantastic blog post on the nitty-gritty of creating a code of conduct that works for your event.

Event Customer Service Tip #3: Sell for the future

Want to know when your attendees are most likely to want to purchase more tickets from you? It’s when they’re already engaged with one of your events!

  • Show off with related events: If you know your upcoming event schedule, make sure to publish these events as soon as possible — your attendees will see your other events after they purchase a ticket or after the event has ended.
  • Collect newsletter opt-ins: Email newsletters can be a very effective marketing tool to keep past attendees coming back for more, but it’s important to be upfront about asking people to opt-in. You can do this as part of your purchase flow or at check-in by creating a custom question for your tickets.
  • Plug your social media: Put your Instagram and Twitter handle on everything — event listing, emails, signage at the event, staff t-shirts, everywhere. Attendees are extra-motivated to engage with you long-term when they’re currently involved with some aspect of your event.

At the end of the day, you can learn a lot just by putting yourself in your attendees shoes — what would you want to know? What would make your experience Beyoncé-level flawless? With every event you organise, you’ll learn more and more about what works for you and your specific customers.

If you’re keen to learn more on how improving your event communication can create happier attendees, check out our blog post on the topic here.