The “ice-cream” guy was back. That’s what some of the volunteers had begun calling him. He was a guest at the school’s auction, who claimed he was the winning bidder of the Hike and Ice Cream Outing package. Unfortunately, another guest had swooped in after the silent auction closed and penned her bid — a whopping $5 more! This made the real winner very, very upset, causing him to incessantly complain about the situation to anyone who would listen, instead of bidding in the live auction.
It might sound amusing, yet conflicts over a silent auction winning bid happen at benefit fundraisers all the time — some boiling into physical violence. I’ve seen these uncomfortable situations handled in many different ways, with varying success.
The most important rule is to get the irritated guest away from your happy ones, into a quiet room if at all possible. Anger is infectious, and it’s amazing how much damage one person’s complaints can do to your event’s ambiance. Think food poisoning at a restaurant—one person gets publically ill, and soon other patrons follow suit. Give your full attention to the irritated guest, and tell them, “I am so sorry this happened to you. Let’s figure out how to make this right.” Avoid inviting the bidder that created the situation into this conversation so you don’t fan the flames.
Next, try to think of a creative solution. If conflict is over an auction item, and the item can be sold twice, sell it twice. If there is a similar item available, offer it to the complaining bidder for their final bid amount. And, if giving the item to the true winning bidder is the only option, calmly explain the rules of the silent auction to both and hope the losing bidder will understand. When confronted with their blunder, most people will not continue the argument. However, if the combination of alcohol and adrenaline creates a situation that does turn violent, do one thing — call Security.