White Glove Service in a Virtual World: How is it Achieved?
In the best restaurant I have ever visited, I was served by a waiter who watched over us from afar, quietly in-tune with the requirements of the table. At no point did she need to interrupt us to check how we were getting on.
Great waiters in a top restaurant never need to ask how the food is; they simply observe. Our waiter silently poured water just before our glasses dipped below half-full. She offered salted butter before we realised we might want it. She proffered expert knowledge, discussing with us possible accompaniments for each course. She had refined the perfect and fragile balance of respectful distance and sensitive observation that is the essence of true white glove service.
How can we translate this experience into our new world of virtual meetings, when it relies so often on in-person interaction?
At Open Exchange we ask ourselves this question every day. Our virtual world — creating and managing high-profile interactive events — prides itself on attention to detail. We ensure bespoke support and fastidious planning from the first imaginings of a conference all the way through to the day of execution, when every meeting is carefully managed by our expert hosts and video specialists.
Indeed, from our clients’ perspective, the measure of success for any of our events is how well taken care-of our presenters and attendees feel. The relationship between video operator and presenting corporate executive — formed on the day of a conference — ensures secure meetings with smooth transitions whilst giving our presenters the confidence and clarity to focus directly on the topic at hand. Having executed over 103,000 meetings in the last year alone, our operators’ training is currently focusing on responsive moderating. Like the Michelin-star restaurant of my example, listening and being in-tune with the room at any given moment and the ability to trouble-shoot potential challenges even before they arise are the foundations on which our success depends.
Our feedback from clients reflects this and impresses upon us the importance of our white-glove service at every event:
Thanks again for all your support today – much appreciated – very well managed, very responsive, we are grateful. – VP of Investor Relations for a public chemical manufacturer
There are operators watching over our every move and there have been zero glitches. It’s worth every penny!! – Analyst for a leading investment ank
She was great at moderating our Q&A which really took the pressure off me presenting.
The event ran really smoothly and we have received very positive comments from the managers … this was an experimental format for the team but you were with us every step of the way and the team felt in very safe hands.
Whilst our operators are not there in person to escort you through the day, they are your personal hosts: there to greet you, explain the day ahead, manage meetings, expertly troubleshoot any technical issues, ensure meetings are secure and transitions smooth, keep in-tune with the needs of the room and be on hand to answer questions at any moment. Our team of moderators also introduce speakers to your live online audience and facilitate Q&As, relieving some of this responsibility from presenters. Our team are calm and focused under pressure, ensuring audio and video clarity, managing exciting, smart live streams and providing bespoke music supervision. From the very first experience of our meticulous testing service through to the detailed analytics and reports communicated after an event, Open Exchange provides a personal and responsive service.
Every week our Learning and Development team collate and consider feedback from clients and Project Managers before devising training, workshops and events for our video operators to practise, develop and refine their skills. Each week we are expanding our team of skilled moderators, video specialists and live-stream directors – innovating and growing with every event managed. All of our training has at its core our commitment to white glove service for clients, presenters and meeting guests; a quality that distinguishes our approach to creating and managing conferences for the virtual world. The following feedback from our partners at one of the world’s most prominent investment banks, received just a couple of days ago, is what we strive to do in every conference.
We would not have been able to do this conference without your AMAZING team. The way that you helped us approach the challenges of this year’s conference with creativity, strategy and consideration for producing the best experience for our clients was central to the positive feedback we’ve received, and to the success of this conference overall.
