How much money will you spend to make a client happy?

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thatmusicguy said:
Isn't that what the guest book is for?
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No the way I do it.... People sign it but also write special notes.

ETA... like at my own wedding I had a really large photo of my wife and I with a white border... people did the same thing... nice notes and best wishes.
 
I will purchase upto 30 iTunes songs if they are not in my library at no cost to the client. I will discount optional services but nothing that cost me money. I gave a client free 4 fixture uplighting for the bridal table to close a sale I told them they have to pay $20 for the gels.
 
I used to have a $30 limit (in my mind) for any client, to purchase music that I might NEVER use again, and this was in the days of being required to buy entire full-length cds. I was pretty liberal about what consistitutes "music I will use again", and probably got up to $100 at most, if I count purchases whose timing was prompted by a specific client - but that was also in the era where I was gradually replacing records with CDs, so many of these purchases would have been made at some point, regardless. With those I would NEVER use again, some I kept, while others I traded in as used CDs. At least twice, I bought a cd for a client's event, and never wound up opening it, and returned it at full price. It wasn't for an important dance, and time flies when you're having fun - we didn't get around to playing (insert obscure CD here).
 
nextgen1 said:
I will spend maybe up 20 dollars on music if I don't have it and many times for weddings and the mother and son dance we supply a very nice rose that is 7 dollars for us. The rose is a huge hit with the mothers and the brides.
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I love that idea! I hope you don't mind if I steal it for June? The groom is the son of one of my best friends. I will be sure the rose is from him though not from me. She will love that. And her other son is going to sing the song she and the groom dance to. Won't be a dry eye in the room. :)
 
I'm with JK when he suggests that your rates should be figured or modified so that these types of things are built in if you know you are doing them often enough to justify it. Again, the things you are talking about are cheap so you're not raking them through the coals if they don't end up using them.

We've all spent money on events for equipment or music we didn't have, and just consider that an investment in the business itself.

I do draw the line at specialty stuff though like one event coming up where a pair of the guests are ballroom/latin dance instructors and will be doing a performance. They want certain selections for this, and I told the client that it really makes the most sense for them to just provide it. Their instructors-they HAVE the music because they have to rehearse to it for hours on end.... After seeing the performance, hearing the selection, and seeing the crowd reaction I may end up getting it later on, but there are times when I just let the client know it makes more sense for them or someone else to provide certain specialty or ethnic musics, for example.
 
For music I know i'll never use again I try not to spend too much. I did a 40's themed wedding and found an 80 song collection on iTunes for $7.99 which is well within reason. I usually go through about $5 worth of glow bracelets in a night but that is factored in as an expense. I have a wedding booked this summer where the bride wants a monogram on the dance floor and uplighting. I currently don't offer these services but I will end up spending more than the wedding will pay for these items knowing i'll be able to sell them again in the future. I just figure it as the cost of growing my business.

young...
 
At Wednesday's meeting with a client it was the second time the question of having a lepel mic was asked... I didn't lie I told them I didn't have one but, if it was something they really needed of course I would obtain one and for a small rental fee I'd rent one to them...

Not real sure how they planned to amplify it if I'm not providing the PA system too... but, who knows.
 
Rob was this for the ceremony? I would then tell them for 100 dollars I will provide music and the lapel mic for their ceremony. Here we can rent a lapel mic for 5 bucks. I typically provide a single powered speaker with my laptop for 100. Some here set up a system for 150 to 200; I am setup and out in less than 10 minutes. the lapel mic is nothing.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Rob was this for the ceremony? I would then tell them for 100 dollars I will provide music and the lapel mic for their ceremony. Here we can rent a lapel mic for 5 bucks. I typically provide a single powered speaker with my laptop for 100. Some here set up a system for 150 to 200; I am setup and out in less than 10 minutes. the lapel mic is nothing.
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Oh believe me the offer to provide music for the ceremony was offered up... but they hava a harpsest for that....

Maybe I can talk them, if they hire me, into providing not only the lapel mic but also mic the harpsist.... would be a simple setup.... plus the ceremony and the reception are within' minutes of each other.
 
jokerswild said:
At Wednesday's meeting with a client it was the second time the question of having a lepel mic was asked... I didn't lie I told them I didn't have one but, if it was something they really needed of course I would obtain one and for a small rental fee I'd rent one to them...

Not real sure how they planned to amplify it if I'm not providing the PA system too... but, who knows.
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A question about mics arose for me as well.

Rewind back a little.

In the interview they talked to me about providing the music for the ceremony; an outdoor ceremony and an indoor reception at the same facility. I usually charge $150 for the equipment if the ceremony is in a different location in the same facility but I told them I'd throw it in. That answers Chuck's question.

Now fast forward.

I get a call from them asking if I can provide microphones for the string players they got for the ceremony. I asked how they planned to use them and they told me with the ceremony system I had promised them. Now we are in a different playing field where I will have to provide a system to a separate vendor, which I am not doing due to liability issues. I told them that, specifically that my liability insurance does not cover me setting up my equipment for another vendor.
 
I already spend up to $150.00 per week on music, from new cds to greatest hits etc etc
9/10 i would have what they want unless its special

but if they have it then they can bring the cd

but I will also remind them that.....

ALL MUSIC IS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY


have a great day all
 
We've got one of those indoor/outdoor weddings booked for next year. Ceremony is on the beach, reception is a short walk away in a pavilion.

The bride was concerned about the guests hearing them and the pastor during the ceremony. I'm guessing a battery operated PA like the Stagemate and some lapel or over the ear mics are in order.
 
We don't have a music limit, per se, but we like to keep it under $20 or $30 as we no longer purchase Prime Cut's, RPM or Promo Only. We have accounts at 1/2 a dozen legitimate pay to download sites and get the music we need there.
If it is a song that will most likely get played once, we will still go ahead and purchase it but we will limit these "one play" songs to only a few. We find that in nearly every case, the client will have these songs so they offer to bring them to play. (B&G that just left the office asked if they could bring some CD's. Of course we said yes!)
We too offer free earplugs but have never given any out at a wedding but have given out several (to older guests) at revivals and school dances.
We may also hand out free glow stuff if they are "old" and have had them in the truck awhile.
 
Scott McKinney said:
We don't have a music limit, per se, but we like to keep it under $20 or $30 as we no longer purchase Prime Cut's, RPM or Promo Only. We have accounts at 1/2 a dozen legitimate pay to download sites and get the music we need there.
If it is a song that will most likely get played once, we will still go ahead and purchase it but we will limit these "one play" songs to only a few. We find that in nearly every case, the client will have these songs so they offer to bring them to play. (B&G that just left the office asked if they could bring some CD's. Of course we said yes!)
We too offer free earplugs but have never given any out at a wedding but have given out several (to older guests) at revivals and school dances.
We may also hand out free glow stuff if they are "old" and have had them in the truck awhile.
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Yup, I don't mind the client providing a special CD of music... that's exactly what I had with my Vietniese (sp?) reception.... they provided me with 20 songs which were to be played durring dinner.... all.... 3... hours.... of it... each song was played 3 times but never in the same order... I would have had to gouge my eyes out and plugged my ears with them if I had had to play them one more time.
 
Glow sticks are 6 for a buck at the dollar store. Any event involving kids gets as many as it needs.

If a client requests certain tracks, I will make every attempt to purchase them.

Oriental trading offers personalized banners for as little as $12 dollars. If I decide to use one, it's a freebie too.

Being a Karaoke Host, and having my pens stolen nightly anyway, personalizing them is almost a must- though I wouldn't call it "giving" them away...:sqlaugh:
 
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