Voice123 Introduces SmartCast Satisfaction Guarantee Policy

JoeActor · 08-11-2007, 09:58 AM

Yes! It's a Satisfaction Guarantee... it's just not for the Talent (aka Paying Customer).

Quote:

Voice123 guarantees that voice over actors and voice producers hired using the SmartCast system will fulfill the project owner's expectations. If the voice seekers is not satisfied with the service offered by the hired voice talent or producer, Voice123 will help to hire another voiceover talent and pay fees charged by the unsuitable talent.

Here's a link to the original press release:
http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=17404

Voice123: Protecting the Voice Seeker from Talent through the amazing technology of SmartCast.

Knowledge is power,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com

... in case the link is down, here's the full press release:

Quote:

Voice123 Introduces SmartCast Satisfaction Guarantee Policy
Published on: March 10th, 2007 12:04am by: voice123

New York, NY (OPENPRESS) March 10, 2007 -- Voice123 (http://voice123.com), the largest voice over marketplace where voice over talents promote their voice services and voice talent seekers find the best voices for their projects, presented a satisfaction guarantee policy for voice talent seekers that use the SmartCast technology for their online voice over castings.

The SmartCast technology is a state-of-the-art system designed and developed by the Voice123 team to make Voice123 the most complete and best ever online voiceover casting tool. It significantly improves the matching process between projects posted by voice talent seekers and voice over professionals included in the database.

Voice123 guarantees that voice over actors and voice producers hired using the SmartCast system will fulfill the project owner's expectations. If the voice seekers is not satisfied with the service offered by the hired voice talent or producer, Voice123 will help to hire another voiceover talent and pay fees charged by the unsuitable talent.

It is important for voice talent seeker to know that certain requirements should be met and that some restrictions apply. Additionally, for a voice seeker to make the guarantee effective, details information about the whole voice over casting process and production of the voice over project should be presented. All the information about the satisfaction guarantee policy is available in the Resource Center of the Voice123 website.

About Voice123
Voice123 (http://voice123.com) is an online voice over marketplace based in New York. With the largest online voice over talent database and a vast number of daily voice over project postings, Voice123 helps voice over talents to promote their voice services, and companies to find the best voice over for their projects. With a young, highly qualified, and technology-oriented team, Voice123 is always looking to provide an innovative service and be a world-class technology company.

Tel: 1.877.275.8642
Visit: http://voice123.com
Contact: http://voice123.com/doc/help.html

###
Professional Free Press Release News Wire

EdGambill · 08-11-2007, 12:59 PM

Joe

I read this warrenty to seekers some time ago some time ago. This is what they agree to do on behalf of seekers; 1) We will first try to get in touch with the talent or voice producer to help you both work out your differences. 2) If that doesn't work, we will ask you to sign a document where you authorize us to request the voice talent or voice producer to refund the money directly to Voice123
It really puts Voice123 on the side of the seeker. When they offer to get back money paid they become a fiduciary agent for the seeker. Read this to learn more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiduciary_duty

I think this statement shows their real character.

Ed

AlexisAdair · 08-11-2007, 07:43 PM

I ran across it on the website, too (big link on the main page - I couldn't get the URL thing to work here), but as is typical with that sort of guarantee, the criteria the seeker would have to meet to actually get the refund are almost impossible for anyone to every achieve. It's highly doubtful anyone will ever successfully get a refund out of that "guarantee".

I think it's also interesting that that press release was made *Four Months* prior to SmartCast going live!

Interesting point, Ed, about the fiduciary duty issue as well.

Oh, well, riding out the last days of my subscription on the off chance I get to put in a few auditions and maybe book something.

Alexis

EdGambill · 08-11-2007, 08:02 PM

Whether V123 gets the money is not the entire issue. It’s the flagrant and open siding with the seekers when the talents are the paying customer. If any thing they should of a natural course be in the talents camp. Granted some mediation could be useful from time to time. This smacks of being to prejudice to the wrong party.

AlexisAdair · 08-12-2007, 02:08 AM

And it's interesting to compare it to, say Voices.com's SurePay (or whatever it's called...). At least that is set-up in such a way that it's a safety feature for both talent and seeker, and not skewed heavily to one side or the other.

Though I dare say the "guarantee" is yet another empty advertising promise being made by the "new and improved" Voice123, it is still revealing just how hard they're working to woo the people who DON'T pay for the service.

Bizarre. If they implode, it will be well-deserved.

But I fear that newbies who don't know what the place was like before won't know what they're missing. And so many are happy to throw money after vague unsubstantiated promises. An "improved audition-to-booking ratio" sure sounds good until you actually think about what it does and doesn't mean, which requires some minimal understanding of math, and a willingness to think, characteristics some do not possess...

People are happy to be lied to, if you just tell them what they want to hear.

Alexis

Brad Venable · 08-13-2007, 05:15 AM

Alexis, you hit it right on the head...

And I love the part about "improved audition-to-booking ratio."

So, by their own admission with that statement, you're pretty much guaranteed to not get as many jobs. I mean, look at it from a logical perspective...(scary, I know).

If I auditioned for 50 leads a week and got 1 gig under the old system, and I auditioned for 20 leads a week and got 1 gig, that's not getting me any more work, folks...that just makes them be able to back up the claims that you don't have to audition as much to get work. Personally, I think it's good practice for me to do 50 auditions a week. I also think that it's the worst kind of teasing to get an invite to audition only to have it greyed out in my inbox.

The way I look at it, those who persevere and practice do well. That's why V123 is doing nobody any favors, save for the talent seekers...who pay none of the money up front, aren't properly educated in how to write copy (let alone what Smart*Caste and ratings *true* function is), and then get all the protection of an indentured guarantee that they will be satisfied.

Lame.

The reason I like the old system so much can be summed up by a great quote from a great hockey player:
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
Wayne Gretzky

There.

08-11-2007, 07:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
AlexisAdair User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 45	It's on the website, too I ran across it on the website, too (big link on the main page - I couldn't get the URL thing to work here), but as is typical with that sort of guarantee, the criteria the seeker would have to meet to actually get the refund are almost impossible for anyone to every achieve. It's highly doubtful anyone will ever successfully get a refund out of that "guarantee". I think it's also interesting that that press release was made Four Months prior to SmartCast going live! Interesting point, Ed, about the fiduciary duty issue as well. Oh, well, riding out the last days of my subscription on the off chance I get to put in a few auditions and maybe book something. Alexis

08-12-2007, 02:08 AM	#5 (permalink)
AlexisAdair User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 45	You're right, Ed... And it's interesting to compare it to, say Voices.com's SurePay (or whatever it's called...). At least that is set-up in such a way that it's a safety feature for both talent and seeker, and not skewed heavily to one side or the other. Though I dare say the "guarantee" is yet another empty advertising promise being made by the "new and improved" Voice123, it is still revealing just how hard they're working to woo the people who DON'T pay for the service. Bizarre. If they implode, it will be well-deserved. But I fear that newbies who don't know what the place was like before won't know what they're missing. And so many are happy to throw money after vague unsubstantiated promises. An "improved audition-to-booking ratio" sure sounds good until you actually think about what it does and doesn't mean, which requires some minimal understanding of math, and a willingness to think, characteristics some do not possess... People are happy to be lied to, if you just tell them what they want to hear. Alexis

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08-11-2007, 12:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
EdGambill User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 40	Joe I read this warrenty to seekers some time ago some time ago. This is what they agree to do on behalf of seekers; 1) We will first try to get in touch with the talent or voice producer to help you both work out your differences. 2) If that doesn't work, we will ask you to sign a document where you authorize us to request the voice talent or voice producer to refund the money directly to Voice123 It really puts Voice123 on the side of the seeker. When they offer to get back money paid they become a fiduciary agent for the seeker. Read this to learn more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiduciary_duty I think this statement shows their real character. Ed

08-11-2007, 08:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
EdGambill User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 40	Whether V123 gets the money is not the entire issue. It’s the flagrant and open siding with the seekers when the talents are the paying customer. If any thing they should of a natural course be in the talents camp. Granted some mediation could be useful from time to time. This smacks of being to prejudice to the wrong party.

08-13-2007, 05:15 AM	#6 (permalink)
Brad Venable User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Posts: 55	Alexis, you hit it right on the head... And I love the part about "improved audition-to-booking ratio." So, by their own admission with that statement, you're pretty much guaranteed to not get as many jobs. I mean, look at it from a logical perspective...(scary, I know). If I auditioned for 50 leads a week and got 1 gig under the old system, and I auditioned for 20 leads a week and got 1 gig, that's not getting me any more work, folks...that just makes them be able to back up the claims that you don't have to audition as much to get work. Personally, I think it's good practice for me to do 50 auditions a week. I also think that it's the worst kind of teasing to get an invite to audition only to have it greyed out in my inbox. The way I look at it, those who persevere and practice do well. That's why V123 is doing nobody any favors, save for the talent seekers...who pay none of the money up front, aren't properly educated in how to write copy (let alone what SmartCaste and ratings true* function is), and then get all the protection of an indentured guarantee that they will be satisfied. Lame. The reason I like the old system so much can be summed up by a great quote from a great hockey player: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Wayne Gretzky There.