Career: Are You A Good ‘Voice Over’ Waiter? 7 Tips For Serving Up Repeat Business, by Joe Thomas

CAREER
Are You A Good ‘Voice Over’ Waiter?
7 Tips For Serving Up Repeat Business

By Joe Thomas
Voice Actor

My wife and I are “foodies”& that is, we eat at
restaurants quite a bit. To be fair, her palate was miles beyond mine when we
met, but I am gradually catching up.

Naturally, over time I’ve become more
discerning – of the food, the atmosphere, and especially of the service.

 

Good service can keep me coming back just as sure as bad
service can drive me away. And that’s what leads me to the following
introspective question:

Am I a Good Waiter?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that
being successful as a voice actor hinges on many of the same qualities I admire
in a good waiter. Let’s check the items on that menu …

Happiness is contagious. When one is happy at their job,
it has a tendency to spread to others, especially customers.

There’s no
guarantee, of course, but choosing to be friendly and happy whenever possible
can make your day all by itself. For waiters it can mean a bigger tip, and for
voice actors it can mean repeat business or unsolicited referrals.

When given a
choice between equally capable VO talent, the nice guy comes out on top.

 

When a waiter is able to think ahead and prepare for the
customer needs, it not only makes for a better experience for those being
served, but also helps to make the entire job more efficient.

Noticing when
they are ready to order, or when it’s time to serve the next course or bring
the final bill – all of these save time for everyone, and also keep the
customers happy.

In the same way, being prepared for customer needs helps keep
customers satisfied, and keep projects on schedule. As actors, this means
keeping our skills sharp, and being able to have multiple choices prepared
before hand.

 

Periodically checking that the food is to the customer’s
liking, or asking if there are additional items such as wine or dessert desired,
shows that the waiter is invested in the customer having a good all-round
dining experience.

In the VO business, we also need to check in from time to
time to ensure that the session and the project are going as the customer
envisions.

 

When mistakes happen, a good waiter will do their best to
fix things, without making excuses or blaming the customer. Even if it was the
customer’s error, it’s best for all to correct the problem and move forward.

When it’s not possible to fix a mistake, a good waiter will offer a free
dessert, or even comp the bill.

In the same way, our VO mistakes need to be
corrected, or adjustments made when needed to appease the clients.

In a
session, simply picking up the line without being overly apologetic keeps the
session moving along. For longer projects, or when pickups are requested,
knocking them out and delivering them quickly keeps our clients happy.

Good waiters are attentive to customer needs. Water is
filled, dirty plates cleared, dropped silverware picked up and replaced, and
generally ensuring that there is nothing the customer needs to worry about
except having a good time at the restaurant.

For the VO business, this can be
about checking in periodically to ensure that the customer is not waiting for
any part of the project, or that they haven’t encountered any issues with what
has already been recorded and sent.

 

6. Be Unobtrusive

Although being attentive is important, it is equally
important not to intrude too much in the customer’s dining experience.

Being
courteous and attentive should not give way to being annoying or getting too
personal.

For VO sessions and calls, we need to be aware of the client’s needs
first. Most will not want to waste time chatting, but would prefer to get down
to doing the work. There are always exceptions, and it’s best to stay
flexible. 

Some clients will want to feel
more comfortable, and so they prefer a relaxed, personal atmosphere. When in
doubt, follow the client’s lead on how to behave.

 

7. Final Lesson: The
Customer Is Not Always Right!

Sometimes you’ll have to accommodate difficult
customers. It’s part of any human interaction.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no
limit to what crapola you have to take. A good waiter knows when a customer is
disturbing others, being unreasonable, or just being an a-hole.

These customers
harm the business overall and affect relationships with other customers. Even
if it’s indirect, the time wasted on bad customers and the mood they put you in
will affect the customers you want to keep.

At times like these, you just gotta
call the bouncer and give ‘em the bum’s rush! Just be sure to do so in a
tasteful and courteous manner.

 

Are You a Good
Waiter?

Each of us has many chances throughout the day to
improve ourselves and our relationships with our clientèle. 

The first step is recognizing where we can
apply each of these skills. Like many good habits, the more often we practice
and perform these deeds, the easier it becomes.

The goal is to have it be
second nature to be a “Good Waiter.”
——————-
ABOUT JOE
Joe J Thomas is a voice actor in Los Angeles known for his characters in animation, video games, and
commercials. He is also a stand-up philosopher and weekly contributor to his blog Joe’s Dump: Fallout from My Nuclear Brain.

Email: joe@joeactor.com
Web: www.joeactor.com
Blog: www.JoesDump.com