Online Courtesy: Not Different From Offline

I have received many questions in customer service about 'what to do' when a private message has been received, or when someone simply contacts another person, and a person is forced to decline work, or ask another question. The most popular question I get is, 'I was contacted to do a job, but I am out of town. What do I do?'.

Now, it is important to not panic in any situation when working online. Simply put, when working online, everyone has to check their ego at the keyboard, and make sure they remain focused on what is important; being reasonable. This is so because working online is very delicate, and people tend to get brave when pushed in a negative direction, and fight back, sometimes for no reason at all.

The most common response I give to that question, "If you were out of town, and the person actually called you on the phone, you would say you were unavailable and decline. Then you would thank them. Why can you not do that in an email?". I seriously think that technology and the way we communicate is so new to many that they actually fear using it. This should not be the case.

Throughout the history of mankind, there has never been someone or something that has failed because they were too reasonable. Will there be personalities to deal with that seem unreasonable? Always, of course you always have that happening, especially in a personality-driven business like voice overs & entertainment. When there is so much that can happen, and so many things people could possibly be thinking, the best bet is to remain down-to-earth.

An interesting fact I have noticed about online casting is that people, who live in small towns, are very successful. What makes me think these people have a lot going for them when working online is that in a small town, people tend to be less pushy, friendlier, and kinder, because they never dealt with the 'big city' atmosphere that causes people to be aggressive, defensive, or egocentric. Working online is very delicate, and such attitude can cost people work, if this attitude spills over into the way they type.

Think about it...the last time I took a vacation, and ended up in a small town, I loved how friendly and helpful people were to me. Now, transfer that into an online environment where all you know about a person is what they type. Would you rather have someone be 'small town' and write you, 'Thank you! That is kind of you. Let me help you again soon.'...OR...someone be 'big city' and write, 'Thanks. Remember you owe me money.'

The point here is that computers and communication avenues on computers have very much leveled the playing field for everyone, and there is no person out there right now, who has the right to say they are better than someone else, not reply to inquiries because it is beneath them, or complain that they are better than someone else, yet receive no recognition.

That is a good thing...Next time someone writes you and offers you work, or you find yourself in the position where you have to deliver bad news, just think before you type, 'What would a good person do in this situation, that is reasonable and understandable.'

You will have your answer.