Problems with Facilitators

[seanfingh]

It is always fascinating to me when people post threads and then spend time telling people how to respond or that their responses are off topic, unhelpful, unwanted etc. With a topic like this, there are so many perspectives and opinions that all should be welcomed and encouraged. Many more people than the OP and the posters will be reviewing this thread. We never know who may be able to appreciate a different perspective.

[Pirate]

Color Markers premium service, Stan Lee signing black sharpie on black cover. Hmm wonder who he could be referring to.

[N/A]

A few names were mentioned

 

Neal Adams - sig would always be as requested. Neal takes his time and honours requests. There is rarely a line since he signs all day, every day.

 

Jim Lee - Jim picks his colours. He takes his time and tends to treat sigs like sketches. If you got a different colour then Jim may have chosen it.

 

Stan Lee - he is a signing machine. Plain and simple. He signs thousand and thousands of books and is 91. Anyone with any experience getting Stan to sign multiple books knows you have to be right on top of it. He will sign over other sigs, on the plastic with whichever sharpie he is holding at the time. You can blame who you like but in this case just be thankful Stan makes so many appearances. He could just as easily say "forget it" or have a strict limit. Nobody saying "but I pay Stan" is worth listening to. He is 91, does not need the money and is awesome.

 

All of the threads like this are simple to answer. It's all communication. Communicate your expectations. If your expectations are not met then ask why. If you don't like the answer then move on.

 

Many facilitators offer many colours. If you paid for a colour and communicated then you should get it.

 

Also just an FYI - there are many options for facilitating but many have a blacklist of troublesome submitters they won't deal with. I realize you just want advice so I will advise you that you likely are being blacklisted by a few who read this.

[JasonDaTwit]

Also just an FYI - there are many options for facilitating but many have a blacklist of troublesome submitters they won't deal with. I realize you just want advice so I will advise you that you likely are being blacklisted by a few who read this.

 

If he's blacklisted by a few, it's less headaches to deal with and there will always be others who will take books and do what the customer has requested and paid for in advance.

 

It's funny how some people are being overly defensive here (as if they're the party in question that messed up and that instigated the creation of this thread).

 

Facilitators work hard to get the sigs you want. That's a fact. But it's also a fact that they get paid to do the job right, not wrong. If a creator is giving them grief, yes that sucks but that's part of the job they got paid for, especially when dealing with numerous personalities who want you to do things for them (be it signature hogs, creators, etc). It's customer service. If you didn't expect that kind of behavior in a customer service environment then you're fool.

 

For the most part, these guys are very responsible, informative and enjoy what they do. If they don't, they need to look for a new job.

 

This is a learning experience and, hopefully, you're learning from it. There's a lot of good advice from these established facilitators that have a number of years experience doing these convention signings. Build relationships with them and trust that they'll do right by you. If they don't, move to another facilitator. Lord knows this place is full of them.

 

May the odds forever be in your favor....

[thatdudebooks]

Color Markers premium service, Stan Lee signing black sharpie on black cover. Hmm wonder who he could be referring to.

 

My first submission via a facilitator was at last October's NYCC [true noob here] and I didn't even think to request that Stan use a different sharpie to sign my stuff. After getting my books back from CGC I noticed that he signed some in silver, red, black, etc. One in particular on a VERY dark cover was signed in black and I can barely see the sig. The point of my tale is two fold, 1) communication with facilitator is the key and 2) sometimes the artist/creator has so many books thrown in front of them they sign with whatever they have in hand. These are just baseline assumptions on my part but they make a lot of sense.

 

Side note, is there a facilitator feedback/kudos thread on the boards?

[seanfingh]

But it's also a fact that they get paid to do the job right, not wrong. If a creator is giving them grief, yes that sucks but that's part of the job they got paid for, especially when dealing with numerous personalities who want you to do things for them (be it signature hogs, creators, etc).

 

I am curious as to what this means to you. Does this mean that you expect a facilitator to become combative or attempt to force a creator to do what you want because you have paid them their fee for that book?

 

That's not going to work out for anyone.

[N/A]

Also just an FYI - there are many options for facilitating but many have a blacklist of troublesome submitters they won't deal with. I realize you just want advice so I will advise you that you likely are being blacklisted by a few who read this.

 

If he's blacklisted by a few, it's less headaches to deal with and there will always be others who will take books and do what the customer has requested and paid for in advance.

 

It's funny how some people are being overly defensive here (as if they're the party in question that messed up and that instigated the creation of this thread).

 

Facilitators work hard to get the sigs you want. That's a fact. But it's also a fact that they get paid to do the job right, not wrong. If a creator is giving them grief, yes that sucks but that's part of the job they got paid for, especially when dealing with numerous personalities who want you to do things for them (be it signature hogs, creators, etc). It's customer service. If you didn't expect that kind of behavior in a customer service environment then you're fool.

 

For the most part, these guys are very responsible, informative and enjoy what they do. If they don't, they need to look for a new job.

 

This is a learning experience and, hopefully, you're learning from it. There's a lot of good advice from these established facilitators that have a number of years experience doing these convention signings. Build relationships with them and trust that they'll do right by you. If they don't, move to another facilitator. Lord knows this place is full of them.

 

May the odds forever be in your favor....

 

As usual your reply is enlightening. He asked for advice and he got advice. Easy to think services are a dime a dozen until they are not. (thumbs u

[N/A]

But it's also a fact that they get paid to do the job right, not wrong. If a creator is giving them grief, yes that sucks but that's part of the job they got paid for, especially when dealing with numerous personalities who want you to do things for them (be it signature hogs, creators, etc).

 

I am curious as to what this means to you. Does this mean that you expect a facilitator to become combative or attempt to force a creator to do what you want because you have paid them their fee for that book?

 

That's not going to work out for anyone.

 

Datwit is right. Believe it and move on.

[Darrell F]

 

Side note, is there a facilitator feedback/kudos thread on the boards?

not on the boards but you can request a feedback survey from CGC after dealing with a facilitator.

[SoylentBlue]

Is it just me, or does everyone have minor issues with their facilitator? I've had several lately, but the most annoying is not getting the signatures in the specific color that was originally requested. So instead of gold or silver, they are all in black.

 

Am I the only one who has these issues?

Is it time to look elsewhere?

 

 

I have seen artists and creator's pick different color markers at their discretion. I have seen Stan pick a marker that he thought looked better, Kirkman and McFarlane as well. What is a Facilitator supposed to say? "Sir, my client will be mad about that marker color!"

 

This is not a Facilitator's sole responsibility.

 

It would be reasonable to say "I know that it is difficult during the absolute craziness of a Convention, please try to use this marker that I am providing, If possible, thank you."

[5ive]

All in all sounds like an organization problem. I go to conventions all the time and it's not like a creator is gonna bite your hand off if you hand them a marker in a certain color. I've stopped Stan lee my self and said sorry but can you use a silver marker. He smiled and reached for the silver marker.

[seanfingh]

[N/A]

[JasonDaTwit]

All in all sounds like an organization problem. I go to conventions all the time and it's not like a creator is gonna bite your hand off if you hand them a marker in a certain color. I've stopped Stan lee my self and said sorry but can you use a silver marker. He smiled and reached for the silver marker.

 

It's your right to. You paid good money for his sig. (thumbs u

[MagnusX]

All in all sounds like an organization problem. I go to conventions all the time and it's not like a creator is gonna bite your hand off if you hand them a marker in a certain color. I've stopped Stan lee my self and said sorry but can you use a silver marker. He smiled and reached for the silver marker.

 

[font:Book Antiqua]J Michael Straczynski may do that...

I meet him once and request to change the marker he have in his hand

(He was about to sign with a black market in a black area)

he look at me like he want to rip my head murmur something and then proceed to sign.

[/font]

 

[Jeffro.]

But it's also a fact that they get paid to do the job right, not wrong. If a creator is giving them grief, yes that sucks but that's part of the job they got paid for, especially when dealing with numerous personalities who want you to do things for them (be it signature hogs, creators, etc).

 

I am curious as to what this means to you. Does this mean that you expect a facilitator to become combative or attempt to force a creator to do what you want because you have paid them their fee for that book?

 

That's not going to work out for anyone.

 

Datwit is right. Believe it and move on.

 

yes, you must take the creator's hand, put the correct colored marker in it and then force him/her to sign.

[Ryan.]

But it's also a fact that they get paid to do the job right, not wrong. If a creator is giving them grief, yes that sucks but that's part of the job they got paid for, especially when dealing with numerous personalities who want you to do things for them (be it signature hogs, creators, etc).

 

I am curious as to what this means to you. Does this mean that you expect a facilitator to become combative or attempt to force a creator to do what you want because you have paid them their fee for that book?

 

That's not going to work out for anyone.

 

I prefer a whiteout pen.

[JasonDaTwit]

But it's also a fact that they get paid to do the job right, not wrong. If a creator is giving them grief, yes that sucks but that's part of the job they got paid for, especially when dealing with numerous personalities who want you to do things for them (be it signature hogs, creators, etc).

 

I am curious as to what this means to you. Does this mean that you expect a facilitator to become combative or attempt to force a creator to do what you want because you have paid them their fee for that book?

 

That's not going to work out for anyone.

 

It just means you should get what you paid for. If that job is incomplete (be it that a facilitator could not get the sig since a creator is so popular or the sig is signed with the an ink color that you did not request since you paid extra for it) than the buyer is entitled to a refund from the facilitator. Nothing more than that.

 

I don't expect facilitators to fight with creators to get a signature. That's ridiculous and helps nobody. But if a creator is charging for a signature, it's your right to ask them to sign the book in ink you'd like as well as placement -- be it at the top of a cover, the bottom of a cover or on the first page. Buyers can also make life easier for everybody by supplying the artists / writers / facilitators with specific markers they'd like to have used.

 

I just feel you have a right to get what you paid for. Nothing more than that.

[seanfingh]

All in all sounds like an organization problem. I go to conventions all the time and it's not like a creator is gonna bite your hand off if you hand them a marker in a certain color. I've stopped Stan lee my self and said sorry but can you use a silver marker. He smiled and reached for the silver marker.

 

[font:Book Antiqua]J Michael Straczynski may do that...

I meet him once and request to change the marker he have in his hand

(He was about to sign with a black market in a black area)

he look at me like he want to rip my head murmur something and then proceed to sign.

[/font]

 

 

Exactly. And facilitators and CAWs have an obligation to exhibit professionalism and promote the program, as opposed to going head to head with an intractable creator.

 

I honestly believe that all of the participants in the program deserve to receive the value of the money that they spend, and to receive books that they are not only satisfied with, but are excited about. But there are a number of variables that simply are not within the purview of facilitators and CAWs. Compassion and good communication will likely go a long way, but a lot of times, that is where the real problem lies.

[seanfingh]

But it's also a fact that they get paid to do the job right, not wrong. If a creator is giving them grief, yes that sucks but that's part of the job they got paid for, especially when dealing with numerous personalities who want you to do things for them (be it signature hogs, creators, etc).

 

I am curious as to what this means to you. Does this mean that you expect a facilitator to become combative or attempt to force a creator to do what you want because you have paid them their fee for that book?

 

That's not going to work out for anyone.

 

It just means you should get what you paid for. If that job is incomplete (be it that a facilitator could not get the sig since a creator is so popular or the sig is signed with the an ink color that you did not request since you paid extra for it) than the buyer is entitled to a refund from the facilitator. Nothing more than that.

 

I don't expect facilitators to fight with creators to get a signature. That's ridiculous and helps nobody. But if a creator is charging for a signature, it's your right to ask them to sign the book in ink you'd like as well as placement -- be it at the top of a cover, the bottom of a cover or on the first page. Buyers can also make life easier for everybody by supplying the artists / writers / facilitators with specific markers they'd like to have used.

 

I just feel you have a right to get what you paid for. Nothing more than that.

 

I agree with the entirety of what you have said here.