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The Seven Deadly Sins of Karaoke
Is your Karaoke host actually costing you business?
We are posting this section as a "community service"
for other Karaoke shows out there in the world. Even if you do not hire
Karaoke By Figmo for your function or establishment, please review this
list of "Seven Deadly Sins" that most Karaoke hosts commit. Extensive
field research has determined that these are the most egregious errors often
committed by Karaoke hosts that drives customers away. And lets face it, your
Karaoke host is being paid money to attract customers to your establishment,
not repel them. Insist that your host read this list and if they take objection
with any of these items, perhaps it may be time to find a new hosting company.
Reasons that paying customers get up and leave and often
never return....
I. Host allows friends or "favorites" to jump ahead
in the list of singers
No matter how much you "think" your customers
may have had to drink, you can be sure that they know when they should
be up to sing next. And are often very offended when they see the buddy
of the Karaoke host waltz in the door and bump them out of line.
II. Host loses or skips songs of customers who have been waiting
to sing
There is nothing more frustrating to a customer than sitting
there waiting patiently all night long to sing a song that is never going
to come up. If there is a reason that a customer's selection cannot be played,
a good Karaoke host will notify the customer of this so that he/she may
select another song. Sound obvious? One would think - but you would be amazed
at how often this happens at your establishment.
III. Host is afraid to leave the sanctuary of their"Equipment
Fortress" and walk around and mingle with the customers.
Karaoke is a customer service based occupation. No different
than bartending. Many Karaoke hosts just do not get this. They spend then
entire evening hiding behind their equipment and are too wrapped up to be
bothered to take the time to actually communicate with your customers. Let's
face it, the only way to gauge customer satisfaction is to actually get
off your rear a few times a night and go out and talk with the customers.
Are they having trouble locating a song? Are there songs they would like
to sing that you should be looking to purchase in the future? Is the music
too loud?
IV. Host has a poor selection of songs for customers to choose
from.
Many Karaoke hosts invest the initial start up capitol of
buying a few thousand songs for their collection, but then fail to purchase
new songs in the future. Customers demand a wide selection of songs, both
old and new. A good Karaoke host knows this and will set aside a percentage
of his/her income to make sure their selection is always varied and fresh.
V. Host has a high number of song discs that are in the book,
but are missing, scratched or otherwise unable to play.
What good is having a thick song book if ten percent of
your songs cannot be played because the disc is scratched or missing? It
is frustrating for a customer to put up selection after selection, only
to be told later that they cannot sing that song because it is missing or
defective. This is assuming your Karaoke host actually informs the customer
of this information. This sin is particularly bad when combined with "Deadly
Sin II" (see above).
VI. Host has a poorly organized song book. Often with so many
sections that customers find it confusing and difficult to locate a song they
are looking for.
We understand that song books cost money to be reprinted.
But this is an investment a good Karaoke host must make periodically to maintain
customer satisfaction. We cannot begin to describe the frustration in knowing
exactly what song you want to sing, and knowing that this Karaoke host has
that song (because you've heard somebody else sing it in the past), but no
matter how hard you try, you just cannot find the song in the 5 different
sections of "new songs" in the book. If you have more than one section
of "newly added songs" - it's time to reprint your books.
VII. Host insists on taking his/her turn to sing - even when
there are a large number of paying customers waiting to sing.
Or even worse - has a co-host/spouse/"significant other"
that shows up to every show who also insists on taking his/her turn
even when there are a large number of paying customers waiting for their
turn to sing. Karaoke is not the same as a band or DJ. Paying customers
seek out establishments with Karaoke because they want to sing. Not because
they want to hear your employees sing. Customers know there is enough time
for only "so many songs" each night. And every song your Karaoke
host (and his buddy) sings, is one less song available for customers to
sing that night. While it is important for your Karaoke host to sing early
in the night to help encourage others to get up and do the same, a good
host knows when it's time to step back and let the paying customers have
their fun. This is without a doubt the most widely committed of these sins.
Karaoke hosts are paid to sing, customers are the ones paying to sing. Which
one do you feel deserves a higher priority?