Best Practices

Ties

Ties happen.

When they do, keep in mind that for each two teams with the same score, the loser will get bumped down a place. When you announce winners/scores, let them know they have a tie to break for X place. Call up ONE representative from each team, and say, “I will ask you a question that has a numerical answer. Keep your answer to yourself until you whisper it in my ear/write it on this piece of paper. Whoever guesses closest to the real answer wins!” We don’t follow The Price is Right rules - it’s just who is closest.

The tiebreaker questions are listed at the end of the Question sheet/doc and within the menu on the app.

Trivia is About to Start and There Are No Teams!

Sometimes no one shows up to play trivia. It doesn’t happen often, but it happens. Here are a couple good steps to keep the night running:

• Stay positive, and chat with the bartender and any patrons who say they don’t usually play trivia.

• Give it time. Sometimes it can be a weather or traffic situation or something else that is keeping your regulars away. If there isn’t anyone who wants to play 10 minutes before start time, things could still turn around.

• If you have a single team, ask if they are interested in splitting up into multiple teams. You can also just sit down and run trivia for them off the mic if they remain the only ones interested.

• If none of these things work, you are welcome to excuse yourself 30 minutes after the scheduled start time. You will still be paid for hosting. Please fill in the Host Feedback Form so we have record of your effort!

Discrepancies/Errors/Typos/Half Points

Some players will contest an answer and argue for credit. Please use your best judgement. Remember: Unlike your teams, you’re allowed to use the internet, so feel free to look up the disputed answer. Sometimes (not often, but sometimes) the answer Trivia Mafia provides is incorrect, inexact, or contains a typo - or there’s an alternate answer that we didn’t think of. If it feels squishy, you can always offer a half point.
Please also Reply All to the daily Questions email to alert your fellow hosts and the Editorial team that there may be a factual error or alternative answer in that day’s content - or use that hive mind to ask for support in deciding.

Don’t be afraid to make the call; we trust your judgment. In general, though, if you can be generous, give credit! You just want to be consistent about the way you do so, and be able to explain yourself if a team pushes back.

Some examples:
If they say “the 9th Fast and Furious” instead of “F9,” give them a point.
If they put down “Alfa Centari” instead of “Alpha Centauri,” you can probably still give them a point (unless the question specifically asks about correct spelling, or we’ve given them the number of letters).
If someone answers “Star Wars” rather than “Episode 7: The Force Awakens,” just give them a half point.
If they say, “entomology” instead of “etymology,” then you might have to simply explain the difference between the study of insects and the study of words.

Dealing with Difficult News Events During a Trivia Night

Sometimes a troubling news story will break just before—or even during—your trivia night. This can create uncomfortable situations for our hosts and our players. When such situations occur, you may feel the need to communicate something to the crowd, because saying nothing would feel insincere. Trivia Mafia is 100% behind our hosts using their best judgment in determining how to make the room feel comfortable for all parties involved. If it feels right to acknowledge a recent event at your trivia night, please do so. Please be mindful of the fact that Trivia Mafia teams represent a wide array of political viewpoints, and while our content may be accused of betraying a liberal bent from time to time, a trivia night is not the appropriate venue for political diatribes (in fact, most players view them as a welcome respite from the exhausting daily news cycle). Reach out to the Host Manager or On-Call if you want help with verbiage or have questions.

Handling Hecklers

There is no one correct way to manage surly guests. It is often best to ignore those bar patrons who are clearly just seeking attention. People who think it’s funny to yell out wrong answers or “clever” comments will often tire out or get shamed by the other patrons who are trying to play or just enjoy their evening. If it doesn’t stop, ask the individual in a calm tone to stop yelling things so others can enjoy the trivia night, then continue. Addressing them directly, off-mic, between questions and face-to-face will frequently diffuse the situation and remind them that you’re a human person just trying to do your job. Perhaps point out that you don’t yell at them when they’re at work! Invite them to play along and always (try to) take the high road in graciousness. Only engage a heckler on the mic if you feel confident about being able to shut them down quickly; you don’t want to get sucked into a shouting match in front of the whole bar.

If you feel unsafe approaching the person, don’t do it. Let a manager or bartender know you feel uncomfortable talking to this person and they should handle the situation. It is also in their best interest to make other players happy by keeping the peace!

Icky Team Names

Oh, those teams that think they’re sooooo funny by making their team name “I Wish This Microphone Was a D***” or try to make a joke Too Soon about an untimely celebrity death/tragic news event. If you come across a team name that gives you the icks, there are a couple ways to manage the situation.

- Change the way you read it on the mic (i.e. “Sinead O’Goner” becomes “RIP Sinead O’Conner”) but leave it as-is in the app/on their sheet.
- Edit their team name in the app from the Leaderboard screen to insert asterisks and/or more crowd-appropriate language (especially if there are kids playing).
- Talk to the team directly about their name and see if they would be willing to choose a new one, or find out if you’re missing something that makes the choice more palatable. (Sometimes a team will be something like “No Gay Jose” and they’re just using an inside joke about their friend, who is right there. You still don’t have to read it on the mic, but you might feel less gross about it.)

Ultimately, it's the host's job to make these calls based on their own discretion. Comfort is key—if it makes you uncomfortable, you're empowered to do something about it. But bar trivia is (usually) an adult creative activity in a primarily adult setting, so teams should feel comfortable getting creative, even if it means getting a little bawdy or indelicate.

Personal Appearance

It is essential that all Trivia Mafia employees are professional, and that grooming and attire requirements are met. Trivia Mafia recognizes that mode of dress and standards of personal appearance are a matter of individual taste, but they must not hinder the employee’s abilities to perform their duties. You may be in a bar/taproom, but you’re still at work; clothes should be clean, hygiene should be healthy. If setting up a PA is part of the equation, your clothing should allow for sufficient movement to do that.
We also ask that any text on clothing be free of swear words and be generally considered appropriate for the audience - i.e. if you are hosting at a family-friendly restaurant at 6pm, your ensemble should likewise be family-friendly. We have no issues with tattoos, piercings, hair color, etc, but we do take into account any customer feedback when a venue finds a host appearance to be a mismatch with the vibe of their business.

Overall, hosts are all treated equally in the hierarchy of roles, but we automatically issue a one-dollar/hour raise for each year a host is employed with us for the first five years of employment. Consistency and experience are valuable!

Recruiting crowds and maintaining a popular event is the shared responsibility of the promotional arm of Trivia Mafia and individual hosts. Our most successful nights are ones with hosts who are great ambassadors for their events through social media, face-to-face promotion, and excellent hosting on site. We encourage you to find ways to attract players and build regular teams, both for your night and the bar!

Be Respectful

Always be fair and courteous to fellow Trivia Mafia employees, customers, players, and the staff of businesses associated with Trivia Mafia. You may get heckled, but keep to the high road when you respond. While some teasing and joking is fun to toss in as a host, we never want to mock or disparage players who don’t know answers - we want to generate an inclusive atmosphere! It’s cool to be kind.

Also, keep in mind that you are more likely to resolve work-related complaints by speaking directly with the Powers That Be than by posting complaints to a social media outlet. If you decide to post complaints or criticism, avoid using statements, photographs, video or audio that reasonably could be viewed as malicious, obscene, threatening or intimidating, that disparage Trivia Mafia customers, employees, players, or suppliers, or that might constitute harassment or bullying. It could make you liable for defamation, and could jeopardize your employment.

What do I do if someone wants to interview me about trivia?

If you get a media request and the topic is on your hosting approach, that is totally ok! We are happy to provide support if you want it, but you're welcome to chat about what you like about hosting, how you make your unique trivia sites special, why you love hosting at your home site(s), etc.

If the topic is on Trivia Mafia as a whole, our editorial, the structure of trivia, our business model, etc., those requests should go through the PTB. Emailing Brianna is the best place to start, but any PTB will know how to route the request appropriately!