||| March 30, 2025 by Deb Hoban

Customer Service Profile: Chicago a capella’s Volunteer “Tips”

If only we could tip our volunteers.  With a boatload of cash we might be able to provide the incentive that other industries use to ensure great service.  Instead we rely on luring volunteers with the opportunity to make some new friends, to be a part of a team, and to see a free show.  These volunteers are temporary, they come with a variety of skills and abilities, and they are integral to the experience our audiences will have at our concerts.

They know our job depends on theirs.

When I began my run as Operations Coordinator for Chicago a cappella last year, I struggled with the volunteer concept.  Why?  Why would someone drive to a remote location two hours early and struggle with difficult parking to obtain a ticket that could most likely be had at an affordable discount?

Loyalty.  Being part of this team means something to our volunteers.  How do they know?  We remind them every chance we get.  With a small investment of sincere gratitude, we have been able to turn our eager band of temporary workers into a powerful force that shapes the experience our patrons have.

Volunteers are recruited, assembled, greeted and briefed before each concert in a pregame locker room style.  We give the pep talk, make introductions, and outline the evening.  We discuss the responsibilities, the expectations and then we find the right volunteer for the right job. (ie. Sales, CD’s, Promotions, Ushers, etc.)  Perhaps most importantly, we empower the volunteers to make decisions that might lead to better customer service.  

We lead by example.  Smiling, calling them by name, thanking them, and sighting specific accomplishments.  We let them know how their individual acts of service impacts our organization and result in satisfied customers and quite literally effect our bottom line.

We display their photos on our Front of House Picture Boards making their face a part of ours.  We allow our volunteers to participate in concert incentive drawings and to nosh with us at our pre and post concert meet and greets.

All of this is an investment in a steadfast group of individuals that so often go unappreciated, but have such a drastic effect on our product.  With a small staff, we can’t afford to take any opportunity for granted, and this is an investment that has paid off.

This year we will be honoring The Saints, our primary volunteer service agency, at our annual Gala.  We will reserve a front of house table to be filled with representatives who have delivered exemplary customer service throughout the year.

Many of our volunteers have become donors. They purchase tickets, CD’s, gift baskets and items from our silent auctions. They are some of our best customers.

I can proudly say that we have a wonderful working relationship with all of our volunteers.  We have retained five unpaid interns since January 2009 and we generally have an overage of volunteers arrive for each concert.  No problem, we can always find a task for them.  They know our job depends on theirs.

Tags: Customer Service