Northeast Regional Judge Conference

•Special thanks to (L2) John Eriksson and the “Teaching Customer Service to Judges” Project Team.

Customer Service

• Can you be the “good guy“ and judge?• Who is the customer?• What is expected of the judges?• How do you make a successful judge call?• What else can you do for your customers?• What are Head Judge/TO concerns?• Do YOU have any "Horror stories" about

Customer Service gone wrong?

Who is the customer?

• To define "customer" in MtG, we first have to think about what we are "selling".

• The Event. The Experience. The Prizes.

• So who are the customers?

The Customers

• The players• The boy/girlfriends• The family• PRETTY - MUCH - EVERYONE

Is Social Media a part Customer Service?

Facebook

What are some other “tools” you can use for CS?

Other Tools…

• Twitter?• Word of Mouth • Other Judges!• Other TO’s!!

What Players expect of Judges

• Players expect Judges to be the Arbiters of Fairness, the Protectors of the Truth!!!

• …Also know where the bathroom is and the current time left in round.

• Players “expect” you to know everything and fix every problem.

What Judges REALLY do!

• Judges run events, smoothly and efficiently!

• Judges are expected to be able to take care of themselves. They should take regular breaks and both hydrate and feed themselves.

• Judges are also expected to smile - Yes SMILE!

• A happy Judge is a Customer Friendly Judge, if your not happy – you shouldn't be judging!

Wait .. What about the TO !?

• represent them at all times, they EXPECT good customer service!

• Be at the right place at the right time!• Everyone hates people who are late...

• Follow any written procedure by WOTC or the TO. Your also there to protect the Tournament Organizers by doing things according to written guidelines.

Head Judge/TO concerns

• The Head Judge is the person in charge of everything and everyone. That makes him/her also in charge of customers and their experience, their concerns are his concerns.

• The Tournament Organizer has most at stake in the event, so he/she is most concerned that the event participants have a great time.

What else can you do for your customers?

• Push in chairs.• Pick up garbage.• Tidy up the playing area.• Talk to the players. • Talk to the "hang-arounds".• Build friendships!• Any other ideas???

How to do a successful judge call

How to do a successful judge call

• The first seconds and the last seconds.• Make sure to make eye contact with both

players.• Get both sides of what happened.• Call in a second Judge if needed, for any

reason.• Separate the players if needed.• Explain the remedy and possible penalties.• Reassure and thank the players.

Two Great articles on blogs.magicjudges.org

• Customer Service by Billy San Juan (L1)• Why Do Judges Exist? by Jason Flatford (L3)

Do YOU have any stories?

Tell us your stories of when Customer

Service Goes Right (or wrong!)