{"id":228,"date":"2013-04-23T01:05:36","date_gmt":"2013-04-23T01:05:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/?p=228"},"modified":"2014-10-13T01:55:01","modified_gmt":"2014-10-13T01:55:01","slug":"customer-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/2013\/04\/23\/customer-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Customer Service"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Written<\/a>

Written by Billy San Juan<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Customer Service<\/h1>\n

Why do people play Magic: The Gathering?<\/p>\n

Some play for competition. Some play for the community. Some play to collect cards and some play to angle-shoot. Some play for sport. Some play to relax. Some play to win and some play to forget. Some play for the pretty art. Some play for the cool mechanics. Some play because they are social butterflies. Some play because it\u2019s hard to make friends. No matter what the reason may be, players all have one thread in common.<\/p>\n

They are customers.<\/p>\n

I offer a general philosophy on customer service. I hope to follow this article with specific methods of customer service.<\/p>\n

General Philosophy<\/h2>\n

There is a concept in Psychology used for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. It states that our cognitions (thoughts), emotions (feelings), and behaviors (things we do) are interrelated and directly affect each other.<\/p>\n

\n

\"File:CBT.png\"<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I would like to adapt this to our experience as Judges. We have studied the Comprehensive Rules (thoughts). We know the tournament procedures (behaviors). But how well is the third aspect implemented? The third aspect is implemented in customer service. Customer service deals directly with the emotions of the player (feelings). Performing at a level where all three of these areas are accounted for provides players with the best experience possible. It also reflects well on the Judge community.<\/p>\n

I offer to you the Judge Triad:<\/p>\n

\n

\"Judge<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It is imperative that we value the feelings of the player. This does not require compromising our implementation of the IPG. It does not require \u201csoft\u201d rulings or changing the comprehensive rules document. It merely requires understanding a few aspects of human nature.<\/p>\n

A Symbiotic Waltz<\/h2>\n

<\/p>The Judge-Customer relationship is a symbiotic waltz. Customers rely on us to run tournaments in an organized fashion. We are the keepers of the rules, the guardians of integrity. Likewise, Judges rely on customers for their very existence. Without the customer, we do not have purpose.<\/p>\n

As with every symbiotic relationship, interactions are complex. Judges are seen as authority figures. Most people fear authority figures. Some people even rebel against authority figures. The internet hosts articles and comments galore from the community. They are criticizing Judge actions and challenging the integrity of the Judge program. So how do we please the customers without compromising our internal integrity?<\/p>\n

We improve customer service.<\/p>\n

Here are a few quick tips I\u2019ve used in my own experience.<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0Winning is awesome. Losing sucks.<\/h2>\n

At a recent PTQ, three customers came to the scorekeeper. They stated the intent to drop, and slowly walked away. Their heads were held low, their voices were solemn, and arms hung limp at their sides. I approached the three gentlemen and thanked them for playing. I consoled their losses. I asked if they had fun. They shared a quick story or two about their games, and left in a much better mood. Not bad for three minutes of my time.<\/p>\n

Going out of your way to thank a customer can have a huge impact. First of all, it makes sure that they leave on a positive note. A customer isn\u2019t likely to return if they leave with a negative impression. More importantly, it conveys appreciation. It shows that the customer matters. It fosters a relationship between you and the customer. Whenever a customer fosters a relationship with you, they foster a relationship with the entire Judge community.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0Players aren\u2019t the only customers.<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve all seen it. Some of us are guilty of it. I know I am.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all seen the significant other who was dragged to a Magic tournament, and who has no idea what the hell is going on. They\u2019re usually clinging to their partner or reading an outdated magazine on the stain-spotted couch in the corner. Unfortunately, this person is also the most likely to be ignored by Judges. They aren\u2019t part of the tournament, so why should we care?<\/p>\n

We should care because that person plays a very large part in our customer base. They influence the customer\u2019s decision to return. They share their experience with other friends. They may even be a potential new player. Taking a minute out of your time to say hello and introduce yourself may be a small inconvenience for you\u2026 but it means the world to that person. It also shows the customers that Judges aren\u2019t robotic authority figures. We\u2019re human beings who engage in social contact.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0Mistakes happen to good judges and bad judges. But great judges acknowledge them. And the best judges? They learn from them.<\/h2>\n

<\/p>Did you know that exalted triggers occur individually, and that it is possible for a creature to have multiple instances of exalted? I sure didn\u2019t, at least not during my first PTQ. That\u2019s right. I, Billy San Juan, the epitome of good looks and utter awesomeness, made an incorrect ruling.<\/p>\n

Well, let me rephrase that: I made a ruling and I wasn\u2019t 100% sure it was correct. I double checked with another judge\u2026 and sure enough, I had made the wrong ruling. At this point…<\/p>\n

Two rulings diverged in a yellow wood<\/em>
\n And sorry I could not travel both<\/em>
\n And be one judge, long I stood<\/em>
\n And looked down one as far as I could\u00a0<\/em>
\n To where I did not go back and fix my ruling.<\/em><\/p>\n

Then took the other, as just as fair,<\/em>
\n And having perhaps the better customer service<\/em>
\n Because it was exalted and exalted stacks;<\/em>
\n Though as for the what ruling made<\/em>
\n Was wrong and not really about the same.<\/em><\/p>\n

And both at that PTQ equally lay<\/em>
\n My esteem no step had trodden black<\/em>
\n Oh, I kept the first for never a day!<\/em>
\n Yet knowing how way leas on to way,<\/em>
\n I doubted if I should ever come back.<\/em><\/p>\n

I shall be telling this with a sign<\/em>
\n Somewhere ages whence this article is published.<\/em>
\n Two rulings diverged in a wood and I-<\/em>
\n I took the one less traveled by,<\/em>
\n And that has made all the difference.<\/em><\/p>\n

For the non-Frost fans, I essentially swallowed my pride. I approached the players as soon as possible and reiterated the correct ruling. I feared they would get mad or call me incompetent. The players instead thanked me for coming back. Not every corrected ruling will go smoothly and your ego will take a hit every time it happens. So why do we have to correct the ruling at all?<\/p>\n

From a customer service standpoint, we must ensure that the players trust us. In the short term, correcting a misruling lets the players know that you\u2019re looking out for their best interest. In the long term, and contrary to initial belief, it increases confidence in judge knowledge. It\u2019s much better that you tell them you\u2019re wrong now before they hear otherwise from a different source.<\/p>\n

For judges who are tutoring L0s or L1s, I consider the first corrected ruling as a rite of passage. Anybody can handle being correct, but it takes a certain internal strength to keep your energy after making a mistake. Use this rite of passage as a way to tutor your apprentice on judge character. It\u2019s a great learning opportunity.<\/p>\n

<\/p>4)\u00a0Smile<\/h2>\n

No, seriously.\u00a0Smile.<\/p>\n

I had three paragraphs delving into the biopsychosocial reasons that smiling is important. But it was boring.<\/p>\n

Smile.<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0Self-Care<\/h2>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s hard to smile. Things from our personal lives may be weighing on us. We may be in physical pain. At this point, don\u2019t force it. Forcing a smile is like trying to watch the Lord of the Rings and not falling in love with Orlando Bloom. It is impossible. Those eyes. That hair. Those cheekbones.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re having a rough day, be sure to let your Team Lead\/Head Judge know. You don\u2019t have to go into personal details, but letting your lead know where you are is an important step in insuring a positive experience for the customers. It also allows the Team Lead\/Head Judge\u00a0to help accommodate you with little expense to the overall tournament. It\u2019s better that they know now instead of finding out when everything crumbles. Make sure to use your fellow judges as a support system to get through the tournament. We are a family on the floor, and each tournament is a battle we fight together.<\/p>\n

One way to ensure self-care is to know your own self. I get grumpy when I don\u2019t sleep. My energy diminishes when I don\u2019t eat. That\u2019s why I make sure to get plenty of sleep and have an in-pocket snack before judging an event. Every person has different needs, but you must make sure you recognize and accommodate these needs. After all, no customer wants to deal with a low energy grumpy Billy.<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0Personalization and Countertransference<\/h2>\n

As humans, we tend to think that we are in control of our environment. We see causal relationships between our actions and the things that happen around us. It follows that we sometimes attribute other people\u2019s behaviors as a direct consequence of our own. This is a distortion of our cognitions known as \u201cpersonalization.\u201d<\/p>\n

As judges, we often interact with people at a moment of high emotion. People are confused, irritated, or even outright angry. If we\u2019re not careful, we can take the emotions that are directed towards the situation and misattribute them as towards us. And yes, it goes the other way too. It is equally as possible for a player to direct their strong emotions towards the nearest possible object. Remember that they\u2019re not mad at you. They\u2019re mad at the situation.<\/p>\n

If the worst case scenario happens and you find yourself reacting to a triggered customer, call in another judge. Something about the customer or the situation is causing an unhealthy communication pattern which may devolve into something bad. For the sake of customer service you may need reinforcements. Let the customer know what\u2019s going on, and be sure to mention that you\u2019re calling in another judge so that they are treated fairly. For example, you can say: \u201cI\u2019ll be honest, I\u2019m reacting negatively right now. I want to make sure you get heard fairly though, so I\u2019m going to call another judge to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Likewise, there is a concept called countertransference. Countertransference, in the judging context, means there is something about the person or relationship with the person that triggers a reaction in yourself. This reaction often goes unnoticed by us but affects our behaviors towards that person. If you\u2019ve ever treated someone poorly but didn\u2019t know why, it was probably countertransference.<\/p>\n

Countertransference can happen in a variety of ways. You might be irritated or angry at someone. You may ignore or avoid someone. You may want to take care of or nurture someone. However it manifests, countertransference can directly affect customer service. Be sure to acknowledge it if it\u2019s happening\u2026 though sometimes it may take another judge watching you to catch it.<\/p>\n

7)\u00a0Approaching a Call<\/h2>\n

As judges, the majority of our interactions with customers will occur during judge calls. This is what we are known for, and this is when we are watched. As such, we must approach judge calls with a certain level of decorum and grace. I offer the following steps to ensuring a customer-service-centric judge call experience.<\/p>\n

1) Be on the floor looking for calls.<\/h3>\n

Make sure that you respond quickly to judge calls. Don\u2019t run, but show hustle when walking towards the players. Acknowledge them with a nod or by raising your hand. If you are nervous or rushed, take this time to calm yourself. Pace your breath with your steps. Tips like this may seem trivial and almost patronizing, but they can be easily forgotten in the stress of a large event.<\/p>\n

2) Make eye contact, get both sides.<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve arrived, be sure to make eye contact with both your players. This lets them feel acknowledged, heard, and understood. I\u2019ve even seen some judges take a knee at the table, a technique which may be limited by the space around you. Be sure to make eye contact with both players, not just the player who called for a judge.<\/p>\n

3) Separate if needed.<\/h3>\n

There may be many times when you will want to separate two players. We will mention two of the most common scenarios. Whenever you are separating players, be sure to call for another judge. You cannot be with both players at once, and you want another body present to keep an eye on things.<\/p>\n

Asking for Separation<\/h4>\n

There will be times when a customer asks to speak to you in private. The reasons are this request are varied, and include suspicion of cheating or a revealing rules question. These types of separations are common and easily resolved.<\/p>\n

<\/p>Escalating Tempers<\/h4>\n

Magic tournaments can be highly competitive environments. Sometimes it is necessary to intervene when tempers are escalating. If this is the case, separating the players may be necessary for safety and the sake of a calm tournament atmosphere.\u00a0Here is a stepwise outline to use when dealing with these situations.<\/p>\n

a) Acknowledge their emotions. Saying something along the lines of, \u201cI understand emotions are running high\u2026\u201d or \u201cI can see you\u2019re both frustrated\u2026\u201d helps allow the customers to ground themselves. It shows them that you understand the situation, and it also shows surrounding players that you are handling the problem.<\/p>\n

b) Separate the customers before you ask what\u2019s going on. Having them explain in the presence of the other may cause tempers to flare again. Be sure to call another judge, both to keep an eye on things and serve as a secondary source of information collection.<\/p>\n

c) Make sure to speak with both players. Beware of appearing to take sides, even if you\u2019re not.<\/p>\n

d) Some conflicts are unresolvable. In a perfect world, the conflict would resolve perfectly. Unfortunately, we are human. If the misunderstanding cannot be fixed, make sure to give both players a direct instruction to play cordially. This gives you the option of issuing a penalty if there are any other player-related problems.<\/p>\n

e) Make sure to let another judge know about the situation. Have them keep an eye on the table every now and then.<\/p>\n

4) Don\u2019t Play Dumb<\/h3>\n

Judges often come into a dilemma when taking a call. How do we answer a question without giving strategic advice? I\u2019ve seen several ways of handling this situation. I\u2019ve seen judges answer questions without regard to strategic advice. I\u2019ve seen judges ask players to rephrase a question \u201cin the context of the rules.\u201d I\u2019ve seen everything in-between. So what do we do from a customer service perspective?<\/p>\n

To answer this question, I take us back to the origin of our title: Judge. To judge means to form an opinion or conclusion. Judges have played enough games of magic and volunteered at enough events to have a general sense of what\u2019s being asked. This being said, if we know the context of the question, then we can and should answer the question to that effect. One of the things that makes us special is that we are not an FAQ menu. We are living, breathing beings who can interact with the customer and provide a custom-tailored response.<\/p>\n

If you understand the question being asked and the player shows awareness of a strategy behind it, verbal acrobatics are not necessary. In fact, in this vein, it is not giving strategic advice. The player already knows the strategy they are taking, and we are not revealing any new information. \u201cPlaying dumb\u201d and asking for a reduction of the question to simple rules terminology takes time and can frustrate many players.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if the player is actively seeking out strategic advice (or SOSA), then we must be wary not to answer their question in a way that prompts guidance. Though SOSA conjures the image of a cloak-clad shifty-eyed cheater in the Top 8, you will encounter most unintentional SOSAs from new players or those unfamiliar with Comp REL. In this case, it\u2019s best to efficiently explain the policy. Remember that the customer may be confused. Judges are supposed to help us, so why is this judge not helping me?<\/p>\n

5) Be Appeal-ing<\/h3>\n

<\/p>Know what sucks? Having a ruling appealed. It makes you feel dumb. It makes you feel incompetent. People around you hear the appeal, and you start to worry if they\u2019re forming an opinion about you.<\/p>\n

Know what\u2019s awesome? Having a ruling appealed. It helps you learn if you made a mistake. It helps your confidence if you didn\u2019t. It lets players know that Judges are here to help them. It informs surrounding players about the process. It enforces the system of balances. It even gives you a reason to network with a higher-level judge later in the day.<\/p>\n

If you see that players are unhappy or unsure about a ruling, don\u2019t hesitate to ask if they want an appeal. You can ask in a direct way: \u201cWould you like to appeal?\u201d or you can ask in an indirect way: \u201cIt sounds like you want to appeal to the Head Judge.\u201d The second method was taught to me by another judge, and it has never steered me wrong. In fact, players often decline the appeal when given the option.<\/p>\n

6) Explain penalties<\/h3>\n

No one likes being punished. As much as judges understand the philosophy of the IPG, customers only see one thing\u2026 and it\u2019s in red ink on the match slip. If you notice any sort of negative emotion while issuing a penalty, be sure to explain the philosophy behind it. Reiterate that this is not personal by using general and universal terms. \u201cI\u2019m giving you a game loss for tardiness,\u201d is different from, \u201cAny player who is tardy gets a game loss.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard some variance in the philosophy of apologizing for penalties. Some people take the \u201cblame-the-higher-ups\u201d approach to preserve the customer relationship. Some people consider apologizing for penalties as a degradation of the IPG. I suggest not apologizing, but relating. State that you understand their frustration or feelings. Some phrases you could use include:<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand. No one likes to get a penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be upset too. It\u2019s frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n

“The word \u2018Warning\u2019 can be pretty scary, but if you\u2019re careful you should be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

7) Reassure\/Thank the Players<\/h3>\n

We must always be mindful of what calling a judge is like from a new player\u2019s perspective. Likewise, the two parts that people remember most of any situation are the beginning and the end. Be sure to leave the table with a smile. Reassure new players by saying something like, \u201cGood question\u201d or \u201cAnything else I can help you with?\u201d The key to customer service is making sure the customer leaves satisfied. They may not leave happy, especially if the answer to a rules question is against their favor or they were issued a penalty. But if they leave satisfied, then you\u2019ve done your job. Never leave a judge call without at least saying \u201cgood luck to you both.\u201d We want the last impression to be one of support and service, not penalties and frustrations.<\/p>\n

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I joined the judge program not for the game, but for the people. There is something special about a large group of people from different cultures, ages, races, jobs, sexes, and religions coming together to play a game. As judges, we ensure that this occurs. We are responsible for something that many governments struggle with and dream of. As such I believe that\u2026 like the governments\u2026 we must be responsible not only for the law but for the people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read all about Customer Service and how to do it right in Billy San Juan’s great article!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":2448,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[37,9],"tags":[79,77,78,80],"language":[180],"class_list":["post-228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education_development","category-events","tag-billy-san-juan","tag-customer-service","tag-running-events","tag-smile","language-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2449,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228\/revisions\/2449"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}