For the first time, someone questioned my policy

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Esoteric said:
Yup, it is the in-laws.

So it wouldn't happen to you because you pigeon hole them right away as either party or wedding.

What if they described it as a party with all the bells and whistles and number of guests? Would you walk out then? Why not ask the details first as opposed to what kind of event it is? That is the relevant information is it not?

Threads like this often meander all over the place, but the main point is that it started out about a payment policy and has evolved into other aspects of that policy.

Mike
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Did you forget the whole thread?

Weddings take more time, effort and work to put together. I need to know if it is a wedding reception or a "Party". So I can quote them a price. Never in my 12 + years as a DJ have I had a party that takes the time and effort and work to put together as a wedding reception. Why is this so hard for you to understand?

You have the same mentality as these other people who are looking for entertainment. Cheap, Cheap, Cheap.

For you business, if something is more difficult to do, do you give the same price as something that is simple to do? If you do, you are not a good business person. It makes no sense.

If you are not paying for it, why do you care?

Let me put it out there one more time for you. I will try to use small words so you can understand.

Party easy, less work. Weddings more harder, take more time and work. charge more money. Si?
 
Karl Langford said:
Did you forget the whole thread?

Weddings take more time, effort and work to put together. I need to know if it is a wedding reception or a "Party". So I can quote them a price. Never in my 12 + years as a DJ have I had a party that takes the time and effort and work to put together as a wedding reception. Why is this so hard for you to understand?

You have the same mentality as these other people who are looking for entertainment. Cheap, Cheap, Cheap.

For you business, if something is more difficult to do, do you give the same price as something that is simple to do? If you do, you are not a good business person. It makes no sense.

If you are not paying for it, why do you care?

Let me put it out there one more time for you. I will try to use small words so you can understand.

Party easy, less work. Weddings more harder, take more time and work. charge more money. Si?
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But although this may be true generally, it is not necessarily true specifically. That is what I have a problem with. Sure I charge more for more work. Which means I would charge less for a theater show with 12 instruments, than for a rock show with 120. Even though normally a rock show costs less than a theater show.

I could really care less what they call it, rock show, party, wedding reception, theater show, worship service, I don't care. I need to know how big the house is, how many instruments, how much script, how many effects, etc. Those are the questions I ask, not what it is called.

I don't make assumptions based on what an event is called, I specifically tailor my package to each event.

I am just trying to understand how you guys get away with all this. Paying full in advance, charging for work that may or may not get done, etc.

Mike
 
I give up. You are impossible to talk to. You have it stuck in your head that "ALL" vendors are out to screw you because of the word "Wedding"

I feel for the vendors at your wedding. Esp the DJ.

I will not respond to you anymore regarding this.

Best of luck to your future wife.
 
Thanks!

By the way, why would you feel sorry for my vendors? We are paying a premium and all we want is a fair pricing policy. Besides no one has to take our money.

Mike
 
I once was told that if you ask the right questions you will gain understanding. Basic sales 101.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Mike ya fell right into that one cause apparently you arent asking the right questions.
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I ask the questions that tell me how much work I need to do, rather than assuming that I need to do a certain amount of work for a gig and charging clients for work that is never done.

Mike
 
Jon Tuck said:
but you didnt ask Karl the right questions leaving you unfulfilled.
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But I did. He still insists on charging more for a wedding just because the person says it is a wedding, even if it is 25 people and 2 hours of music.

I need to get into the wedding racket more.

Mike
 
I can't believe I am doing this.

Where in the hell did I say 2 hours or 25 people? Stop saying I said something I didn't say. My wedding package is 6 hours minimum. That does not include the personal meeting, the early set up before guests arrive. The free background music until 1/2 hour before dinner. Then I start the 6 hour clock. So I am at some receptions for 2 hours before I start the clock.

Please, before you write that I wrote something, please put it in quotes so I can see it.
 
But you said...

"If someone says they just want a party, I will quote them the party price. If they then try to turn it into a full blown wedding reception with all the extras and interaction involved, they broke the contract and I can terminate it and they would owe balance in full."

What if someone had a small wedding affair and they just wanted you to play a couple of hours of music in their backyard for 20 or 30 people?

They have to ask for the party package because they don't want your full wedding package. But all you ask is if it is a wedding (which it is) and give them the wedding package.

Mike
 
I explained that also.

The girl who just had $400. I took things off of my package and adjusted the price accordingly.

Normally I would not book a wedding like that unless it was close to the date. I cannot afford to book dates way in advance at lower prices because I could get a call for a full reception for the same date.

A call within a month or 2, if they asked for what you are describing, I would adjust the price accordingly to match their needs.

You need to realize something. DJs have an inventory. It is the dates on the calander. If you book a date, it is gone. You cannot sell it again. Ususally even with a cancelation, odds are you have sent other clients away for that date and will not rebook it. Not impossible but improbable.

you may be able to do more than one lighting job in a day. Doing multiple shows in a day is nearly impossible.


"If someone says they just want a party, I will quote them the party price. If they then try to turn it into a full blown wedding reception with all the extras and interaction involved, they broke the contract and I can terminate it and they would owe balance in full."
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Again, this involves the more work, time and effort for a wedding reception than a "party" Parties are pretty much show up and play music. Weddings are quite a bit more hands on. I thought we went through this part. If they lied, they broke the contract and I have the right because of the contract they signed to terminate the contract and ask for the money owed.


To sum up the original thread story. I got an email from them yesterday and they put teh check in the mail. It might get her by tomorrow, which is the due date or Monday is more likely.

They didn't agree with the policy but stuck to the contract.
 
Esoteric said:
That is another thing. Why does a wedding reception cost more than a birthday party with 150 guests?

Mike
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I charge the same on EVERY show just the hours are different and adjusted to what I say is what I want.... why is anything cost differently then ?
ask that in the pricing thread

Karl I wouldnt worry if they wanted you then why did they sign your contract

anything I sign I read first - question then adjust then sign all done

wouldnt worry the show will work its self out....



in the end


oh PS

Esoteric said:
If that were the case that would be fine, but it is not. I describe the event and get one price. I call back later to verify and mention it has to do with a wedding (exact same description) and suddenly the price increases by 10-30%.

Mike
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thats because some want more money for the amount of HOURS thats involved...

dj for some 10 or 20x years first then ask these questions

you have a lot to learn about how a Dj operates and how this industry works
lighting is just 1/4 of whats to be used and based on a lot of dj's that are working 3/4 of all dj's basicly dont use lights at all at weddings (and thats in 30 years as a Dj)

I wouldnt have increased it by that amount, I would have doubled the cost...
 
Got the check in the mail a few minutes ago. Dad paid.

All is good.
 
Esoteric said:
But you said...

"If someone says they just want a party, I will quote them the party price. If they then try to turn it into a full blown wedding reception with all the extras and interaction involved, they broke the contract and I can terminate it and they would owe balance in full."

What if someone had a small wedding affair and they just wanted you to play a couple of hours of music in their backyard for 20 or 30 people?

They have to ask for the party package because they don't want your full wedding package. But all you ask is if it is a wedding (which it is) and give them the wedding package.

Mike
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That's a very legitimate question - and in a perfect world where everybody said what they meant and meant what they said, we would be able to be the "super-ethical" and upfront dj who "only" charged them for the "backyard party" that they said they wanted - regardless of the nature of the celebration itself.

But experience as a dj will tell you this is not practical at all.

I've only been dj'ing for 5 years now, and I know this to be the case, and anyone else doing this longer knows it even more so.

The "it's 'really' just a 'party' for family and friends even though it's a wedding... we don't want all that... you know.... 'wedding stuff....'"

If they meant this in the beginning and it never veered from that, I WOULD be the first to charge them for a backyard barbecue instead of a wedding.

But it is invariably the case that they either said that stuff about it being so casual and "not really a wedding" either because they were cheap and didn't want to PAY a wedding rate, or simply out of naivete as to what a wedding entails or without thinking about what they REALLY want. Sometimes it's politics and pressure from family and friends who suggest they simply must or "should" do this and or that since its a wedding.

Before you know it, it has morphed.

Realizing this plain matter of fact, and being wise enough to avoid the whole confusion later on and the negative customer experience of having to hit them up for more when the event involves into something more formal, I just charge it as a wedding right off the bat because let's face it - that's what it is. Just because you have me doing introductions and introducing dances in your uncle's backyard doesn't mean I should charge less than I would to do it in a venue.

Now, what I WILL do or occasion, even though I won't do a wedding at a party rate regardless of circumstances, is START from the base wedding rate, and discount them accordingly if they are not doing certain things. Even this only if they are willing to stipulate in the contract what is and is not to be included.

But bottom line is that the increase for wedding rates (in my case) is based on the pre-event planning aspect, and any wedding, regardless of how informal, requires some degree of additional formalities and the drafting of an itinerary for it. As long as that is the case for the event, they are getting charged more to work all that up - it doesn't matter if they're doing 4 traditional wedding dances and events instead of 8 or 9 - that legwork is still there, and hence an increased rate, however slight.

I have yet to see one of the "its really just a party" weddings that did not end up morphing into more.
 
We require $350 retainer at contract signing and balance due 2 weeks prior to event. We explain this right up front so it doesn't usually come up.
If asked I would simply explain that at the end of the event, you most likely want to get on with the honeymoon and don't want your entertainer hassling you for payment. (they most likely left their checkbook in another room anyway)
We did an event YEARS ago where we got $100 up front and balance was do after event. The couple kept saying "let's go another hour" several times. I'm thinking, COOL, more money, only to find after the third OT time that the B&G had left. So, I figure they were tired and took off. Come Monday we went to their apartment only to find they had moved and nobody knew where they went.
We got burn to the tune of $600. We changed our payment policy that Tuesday.
Fortunatly.....now one has questioned it.
 
Scott McKinney said:
We did an event YEARS ago where we got $100 up front and balance was do after event. The couple kept saying "let's go another hour" several times. I'm thinking, COOL, more money, only to find after the third OT time that the B&G had left. So, I figure they were tired and took off. Come Monday we went to their apartment only to find they had moved and nobody knew where they went. We got burn to the tune of $600. We changed our payment policy that Tuesday. Fortunatly.....now one has questioned it.
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That SUCKS man.... sorry! :sqfrown:
 
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