A Suggestion for an additional programming step before a Backup Contest is issued
Ran into this a couple of days ago. I received a Booking @ 2:24 pm on Saturday. Sent audio in @ 10:19 pm the same day. At 10:05 am the next morning, a Backup Contest was issued.
Up until this point, the audio had not been QC'ed. I sent a note to the Customer Service team and they got on it right away, but not before 3 actors had auditioned for the Backup Contest already.
My suggestion is to have the awesome engineering team insert a routine that, instead of just going directly to issuing a Backup contest when the "Gee, there's no finished audio" queue is checked, also looks to the "Golly, an audio file needs to be QC'ed" queue and sends messages to the the Customer Service and the QC teams to expedite the process.
This way, even on weekends, like this job, someone is alerted to the need for QC to happen.
Benefits of this?
1. Customer gets audio faster = Happier Customer = More Orders = Happier Alex
2. No additional expense of paying out audition money on jobs that won't be used = Happier Alex
3. No wasted effort on the part of the QC team = lower expenditures = Happier Alex.
4. Less frustration on the part of participants in the Backup Contest = Happier Actors
5. Client receives file faster and gives the actor a great rating = Happier Actor and Happier Alex
6. Client is happy with the work and orders more from the same actor because of quality AND speed = Happier Actor AND Happier Alex
7. Customer/Actor support team doesn't have to field, read, answer and act upon something that shouldn't have happened in the first place = Happier Customer/Actor support team and Happier Alex (less frustration and having to jump through hoops, larger bottom line)
Notice a pattern here?
Sure hope this makes sense. I know I indicated the same in a couple of emails. Just wanted to follow up in the public forum and expand on a couple of points.
Thanks!
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On a related subject...I always work diligently to deliver a read well before the deadline, and seeing my read languish for hours (and sometimes even more hours) is always painful. I want the client to get their speedy quickly, because that's the point. If I bust something to deliver in 20 minutes, the client should see it within the hour, at least, right? I know the QA team has to sleep, but if time is a key factor, then let's emphasize timeliness for the VO talent and the QA folks, too. Takes a team to deliver finished audio - GO, team!!! There is no "I" in team. Ok, I'll stop now. :) -- Cat
P.S. If we know the QA team is on break, can you extend the red deadline? No need to rush to get the bottleneck, yes?
Hey Mark!
Sorry for taking forever to reply here.
In regards to your comment, this is certainly a great suggestion! We recently changed the logic for the backup projects a bit to make it more similar to what you are saying here. Right now, the backup project is created regardless if the original project has a take or not. However, it will be kept on hold while the take (if any) is reviewed by QC. If the original take passes QC, then we will discard the backup and pay the actors that auditioned accordingly, if it is sent out for revision, the backup will be released and sent to the client.
Does this make sense? Your input is more than welcome!