[BC] Serving the community

[RRSounds@aol.com]

It seems the more esoteric the format, the more opinionated the listeners 
are. But simply turning away a pissed off person is too easy! When I worked as an 
AOR jock in the mid to late 70s, the real trick was to make fans of irate 
listeners.

Sometimes it was impossible to meet them halfway, but by actually listening 
to their complaints and responding in a civil manner, there were plenty of 
occasions where we both were a little more understanding by the time the 
conversation was over.

It may also have helped that I had taken a course in crisis management from 
our town's emergency help line service. :-)

David



Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 22:19:35 -0700, Barry Mishkind <barry at oldradio.com> 
wrote

<<
At 06:53 PM 2/20/2006, Dennis Switzer wrote
Radio stations work hard to create good product that people listen to... we
try to play the right music, the right jocks, the station van, the bumper
stickers. We work hard to earn each listener. Then, when that listener calls
the station with what they think is a legitimate question, we take that
moment of personal contact, insult them, treat them like idiots, tell them
to go buy a phone book and turn on their radio.

In 26 years on the air, I've answered a lot of phone calls on snowy
mornings. And I'm thankful for evey one of them.

          And you deserve a lot of applause for
          your attitude, Dennis. It is too bad that
          many in this business have little regard for
          the listeners who, essentially, determine
          their success/failure.

          Whether the "reason" is being busy, having an "off the
          wall call" or even a drunk on the line, broadcasters
          really need to look at that "bigger picture" than the
          momentary annoyance at being "interrupted."

          We have all seen stations that don't answer their
          request lines because the jock didn't want to
          be bothered.   Is that any smarter than "Please
          hold, your call is important to us."

          Worse are the guys who just "busy out" the lines.

          True, few of us here on the list would call a request
          line today... we know our chances of getting an
          answer is slim. (Heck, tonight I tried a CR Hot
          Line and couldn't get an answer in the last hour
          of the PM Drive show. My guess: it was all VT for
          the last hour.)
>>


David P. Reaves, III
TransLanTech Sound, LLC
Creators of the Award-Winning "Ariane Stereo Audio Leveler"