Man I hate Clients that Procrastinate

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Grrrrrrrrrrr Client 2 wasn't just procrastinating she was checking out other DJs, this after she came to the meeting with a check albiet made out wrong, signed the contract and promised to send payment the next Monday....

Client 2 said:
Sorry I have been busy and haven't had a chance to do much with my
e-mail recently. I am trying to figure out what we are doing for DJ
for sure because my fiance's good friend from high school is also a DJ
and just told us that he really wants to do our reception. He is also
giving us a really good deal. As of right now I am not sure what is
going to happen. I do not want you to miss out on business, so if
someone else wants that date then please let them have it so that you
do not miss out on that. I will get this all figured out as soon as
possible. Sorry for all of the inconvenience.
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To which I replied....

Jokerswild said:
Thank you for your consideration in getting back to me on what was happening. It's nice when a friend is willing to do something nice for you. I hope you take a few things into consideration.

When you hired me you hired a professional who is not a guest but a provider of DJ entertainment. I will not be expecting to eat or partake in any alcoholic beverages nor do I need to take smoke breaks. You also hired a professional emcee, which means you can count on me to make the right announcements and presentations at the right time. You also have a professional sound system that will produce the highest quality in music reproduction available.

Please be assured that professionalism and attention to detail is what I am about. No request is too small or too large for me to accomodate. I know price can be an issue but it didn't seem so at the meeting after all you did have a check made out already in hand. You just hadn't read my email as to how to have it made out. I've since givin you a lot of alternatives the best of which is online payment which will show on your account as Total Impact DJs. I don't know what this friend is chargeing but if it is much less than what I'm charging I'd be concerned about the quality of what he is offering you.

Let me know your decision soon.
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My guess is she's going to go with the friend.... nice. Why do they string you along like this... she had to have gotten my email with the details on how that check should have been made out. I wonder if this is just some ploy to get me to lower my rate.... well sorry honey they is what they is.:sqmad:
 
Greets, Rob.

From reading the client's response, I get the impression that she has no intention of taking your service seriously. Since you don't have a contract with this client, dismiss it and move on. You have better things to do, lol. :)
 
Fred Stewart said:
Greets, Rob.

From reading the client's response, I get the impression that she has no intention of taking your service seriously. Since you don't have a contract with this client, dismiss it and move on. You have better things to do, lol. :)
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I wish I had better things to do... thing is right after I set the appointment to meet with her another person had chimed in about that date leaving only a name and phone number.... I called her and told her that currently the date appeared to be filled pending my meeting that Saturday... now I get the fun job of calling hope to talk to her and tell her well it looks like I'm available again.

Thing is she came to the meeting with a check made out to the company when I clearly emailed her differently... and on top of that she said we want you and signed the contract and promised to send payment that Monday...

I know move on but jeez.... this is aggravating...
 
Jon Tuck said:
welcome to the fun part of the DJ business Rob
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Believe me this isn't the first time....

Why the hell do people shine you on like this.... only to come back and say sorry I've changed my mind or give some bull**** reason why they changed their mind.... to me her response is probably just that bull ****....
 
We've had a number of potential clients who have strung us out due the the fact that we were giving them too much time to decide.

We started with 2 weeks, went down to 10 business days, down again to 5 business days and now we tell 'em that if we don't have the contract and money in hand within 48 hours we will consider that date open for any other inquiries.

They either make a decision or run the chance of us booking our services out from under them.
 
It is aggravating. People think they can dicker with used car salesmen and DJ companies. :(
 
Yeah I currently give 10 business days... I may have to re-think that.... it's always made sence in the hotel business but then again there is always business coming and going so it's not to much to give 10 days for a signed contract and or deposit...

I guess I'm too nice huh.... well to the phones I go.
 
Fred Stewart said:
It is aggravating. People think they can dicker with used car salesmen and DJ companies. :(
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I'm not sure she's tryin to dicker since she doesn't mention this "great deal" she isn't exactly giving me an opening to say well I'll do it for $10 less or whatever....

I was already giving her a $200.00 discount if she paid in advace at booking... now if she don't come to her sences before I book the date it will be full price or nothing.
 
Jon Tuck said:
As AC DC said it best MONEY TALKS.
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LOL and Bull**** walks.... hahaha

I know I shouldn't let it get me down but just when I thought business might start to take off for me I get an igit like this.... I've had plenty of inquiries but none were sereous enough to even come to the table and then when they do I get shined on like I mean nothing and any friend who say's he's a DJ comes along to bump me off....

I bet there is no friend just another DJ willing to undercut me just to do the job. Still I wonder why she didn't mention this great price.
 
You ever notice some of us rough around the collared type who rarely take much guff? We have been through the battle for a few days and survival has formed the weathered product which can come across Gruff on a good day. We have weathered many of these customers and kept on selling through the Feast and Famine roller coaster ride as a Mobile DJ.
 
Jon Tuck said:
You ever notice some of us rough around the collared type who rarely take much guff? We have been through the battle for a few days and survival has formed the weathered product which can come across Gruff on a good day. We have weathered many of these customers and kept on selling through the Feast and Famine roller coaster ride as a Mobile DJ.
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't mean my comment to sound like that the:

And bull**** walks hahaha was ment to be an extention of your previous comment... not a dig of any sort

But your right... it's just agravating thanks for letting me rant.

I've since revoked her ability to login to my client area for fear she just might take the survey just to screw with me plus why should she have access to my planners if she's going to go with another DJ let that schmuck figure things out for himself... bet he uses an iPod and a couple of powered speakers with a cheap mic, eats his ass off and gets drunk.... smokes all night, plays the wrong music and generally pisses people off.. this is my dream and my wish.
 
Thats the spirit but perhaps you can hope even though you got aced that a DJ sufficed for this event rather than making a bad name for the whole of us fighting in the trenches to preserve diginity for our trade.
 
Oh your right I really don't wish her wedding day to be ruined by a cut rate DJ but, it was a fun daydream....

And well it's not decided yet anyway.... sounds like price is what is teatering things... that's what gripes me the most is I don't really know what I'm actually up against...

I mean is he maybe just a hundred, fifty, twenty, or maybe just ten less than me or is he bottomfeeding?

I don't know the answer to that question. Probably never will.
 
Honestly, I wouldn't lose a moment's sleep over it. If prospects care about price only, they will get what they deserve. A misguided client can easily be sucked into a Jerry Springer situation. They'll start a bidding war between bottom dwellers. In the end, they get the lowest of the low.

You did what any professional service provider would do by warning this client of the pitfalls of price shopping.Take the high road and be glad that you're not the DJ at that sorry event. :D
 
On the upside... it has nothing to do with my abilities just her percieved value of DJs... In her mind anybody can DJ there's no talent involved all we do is press play and make a few announcements, right?

She needs to go back to my site and read a bit more... maybe even visit the link I put up on DIY weddings from the ADJA... she can then see just what may be instore...

Of course who knows this guy could be a member of this board and a very good DJ. In that case I guess she'd be lucky...

I hope my reply doesn't seem to harsh what do you guys think about the reply I gave her.
 
Rob, if it's any help I concur with your response.

I agree ~ anyone can press a Play button. To the prospects who think managing a DJ show is easy, I'd like to have 'em stand before our Pio CMX-5000 and show me how easy it is, lol. Go ahead. Feel free to show me that you can push the Play button and manage a reception party for the next four hours. I'll stand backstage and watch.

Oh, you'll have several requests tonight. Show me where they are in the CD case. Show me that you can get a request in with 30 seconds left. No, we don't use no laptop. You've gotta find the CDs in the case.

While they're at it, they can look down at the rack stack and tell me what all those knobs and buttons are for. There's a lot of processing there. Real easy, ain't it... :rolleyes:

But I digress. Business is business after all. Here's the rules. This is how we do business. If you wish to book us for your forthcoming date, we need a signed performance agreement and retainer fee by X date. Full payment is required by Y date. If we don't have it on time, the contract is void and the date is open to the next customer in line. You signed it. You agreed with the terms. If you haven't signed anything, you are not our client. It really is that simple.

We do not "pencil in" calendar dates. Available dates are first come, first served. That's the way it is.

Then it's out of your hands. If a prospect wants to try to play DJ A against DJ B, it's on them. They'll keep sinking lower until they end up with the lowest of the low. That's not your problem.

I had one of "those" prospects a few years ago for a NYE show. Went to meet, provided all the paperwork etc. Prospect said if we did a good job she'd book us for her wedding in January. Didn't hear from her so I called. She said "another DJ" had quoted $15.00 less. I replied "Well, I wish you the best with it" and that was all of that.

A month or so later she called again looking for a wedding DJ. The one she booked had bailed at the last moment. I recognized her voice on the phone and quoted an outrageous rate that I knew she wouldn't pay. That was all of that.

Wolfie don't let anyone dick him around. I'm too old for that nonsense. If ya want a show, pony up the dough.

In God we trust. Everyone else pays cash. :)
 
Hi Rob,

I agree totally, being in business for yourself can be quite aggravating at times. When ever this type of thing happens just chalk it up to lesson learned. I would definately shorten the reply time of your contract and deposit to 48 hours. Don't hold a date that is penciled in, ever. In my info pack, as well as on the phone I let them know, to hold your date all that is needed is a deposit of bla bla and a signed contract. I would have made one email or phone call letting them know the deposit was incorrect and we needed to correct it immediately for their date to be held. Give them two days and move on.

Rob, I did this myself in the beginning, penciled in. I learned the hard way also. I once passed two potential clients for a "penciled in" and ended up with nothing. Lesson learned, hindsight is always 20 20 but it is only a mistake if you don't learn from it.

As far as your email goes. Once she didn't correct the check she had no intention in hiring you. This is what I usually say in similar situations.

Dear _______,

Thank you for letting me know. I hope your wedding is very successful and I wish you both many years of happiness.

Thank you,

___________

I know it is hard in the beginning. Try to let this go and set up appointments with other wedding professionals in your area. It will happen for you, just keep on trying.
 
rob,
there is no way of knowing why she has picked(or is considering) another company. Coud be price....but could be lots of things. Some people actually think that having someone they know DJ would be better because that person "knows" them and "knows" their guests....but we all know how that can turn out.

As happened to you, sometimes you can meet with someone and then have someone else call the next day looking for that date. I don't want to scare or lie to people, but I let them know that is a possibility, because it is. When they say "we need to think it over", and I believe they are really leaning towards doing it, i'll say, "I understand, what I can do is hold the date at no obligation until tomorrow, that way you 2 can go home and talk it over". I give them the agreement, write in big bold letters"held until xx/xx" and give it to them and explain that i would need it either faxed or emailed back and a credit card tomorrow. When they ask if they could mail it, I tell them, "You could, but i cannot promise that the date would still be available by the time the mail arrives."
 
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