Covid changed society or is it my Van?

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IceBurghDJ

DJ Extraordinaire
Apr 17, 2015
3,312
2,040
62
Western Pennsylvania
iceburghdj.com
Everybody here said to not put my name/logo on my van. I did anyway.

Now, in the 8 or 9 years I've been DJing i've gotten 2 tips I think, maybe 3.
Until I got the van, or is it covid? 9 out or 10 times i"m getting tips - like 20% sized tips.

Same gear, same music, same prices, some process on my end...perhaps I got a LOT better...but I can't say I've changed anything.

SO society and covid (in which case you will also see this) or it's the van.
 
Whatever it is, keep doing it. TIps are nice. I would say that I received in well more than 50% of my gigs but I never really kept tabs on it. I once even got a $400 tip on a gig that I had donated as a raffle to a local charity. That was a pleasant surprise.

These days, most local venues add a 21% mandatory tip for their staff. Most restaurants charge 18% minimum tip for parties over 8 or more people. Too bad that trend has never made it to the world of DJs.
 
Everybody here said to not put my name/logo on my van

Not everybody ;) I always thought it was a great idea I didn't expect it would get you tips though
 
It depends on the manner in which you present the services. If you present like a hospitatlity - then it implies tipping, If you present as professional services (contractor) then tipping is not implied.

Tthe van signage may lend the impression that you're an employee. When people think we earn only patrt of the invoice they're more likely to lean a tip. Djs working for me, tend to get tips more often than I do myself. I fequently get tips when I work for someone else.

Tips are kind of exclusive to social events. It makes no sense to tip a contractor on a busines, corporate, or civic event.

The botton of my DJ contract says: "Tipping is not expected but alwasy appreciated," I use "expected: as opposed to "required" so people understand the lack of a gratuity will not be interpreted as a negative statement about our work. (This line does not appear on non-DJ coporate event contracts.)
 
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