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Shaun
22-06-2006, 03:24 PM
So I got a phone call recently from an entertainments agency asking if I was available to cover a gig the next night (I won't mention names as they are listed here in the directory)

The lady that phoned checked our availabilty (i was available) and said she would have the owner call me back with the info..

Fast forward five minutes: The owner calls me and discusses the event. He informed me that the original dj has bailed for whatever reason and gives me a run down of the specifics of the event.

I say" ok, give me a second and I'll give you a quote for the details you've provided". That;s when the bombshell came. The price was already a fixed price and I would have to do the event at the price that was already arranged. I won't mention the price but let's just say that I wouldn't go out and do an hours kids party for the price he wanted me for.

I have real problem with this. I feel really sorry for the client that's unaware that the company they have booked is farming their job out to the cheapest dj. Is it any wonder our industry is so poorly percieved.

The agency informed me that if I took the gig there would most likely be further work put my way in the future. Thanks but no thanks!!.

Anyone else had any experiences like this?

dj_ags
22-06-2006, 03:29 PM
The thing that really gets me is that the agency have the nerve to charge comission. For example, they will charge the client £150, taking out the £50 for themselves, leaving you with only £100 after doing all of the hard graft, while they get half your fee for doing all :mad:

Corabar Entertainment
22-06-2006, 03:32 PM
I think we have all experienced something similar at some point or another. It really is a shame because it is either one of two things:-

1. the client is paying the going rate, but the agency is taking the lion's share, or

2. the client is inexperienced and doesn't know what to look for

Either way, the client gets shafted (quite apart from any decent DJs out there doing the work). Changing the public's perception of the industry is going to be a very long haul.

Shaun
22-06-2006, 03:36 PM
I don't have a problem with agencies charging commision...we all have to eat. If they would charge a professional fee to begin with it would raise the 'price bar' and make it a more profitable living for all of us. I have dj friends in the states that make between $800 - $1200 for a wedding. I could cry.

Shaun
22-06-2006, 03:37 PM
Changing the public's perception of the industry is going to be a very long haul.


Agreed.

I think that we have to change the actual dj companies perceptions first though. The publics perception is never going to change unless we do first.

Corabar Entertainment
22-06-2006, 03:40 PM
I do think that over the last 5 years that the tide has started to turn: there do seem to be more and more DJs / Mobile Discos out there who are offering a more professional service. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of others as well!

Shaun
22-06-2006, 03:50 PM
The tide is turning...not fast enough though. :)


Phone call part2

Last Sunday: I came home Sunday afternoon and there was a message on the answer-machine. Small local bar had left their number for me to contact them A.S.A.P.

Called them back and it turn out the dj they had booked for a 60th party hadn't turned up. (local guy that charges £50 per event for up to 5 hours....yep, you read that right). They asked how quick I can get there and I let them know I can be there in half an hour. I quote them the price for 4 hours and they told me "absolutely no way!. The other guy was only charging £50".

I wished them good luck with their party and enjoyed the rest of the day.

£50 dj with no contract. Not to sound too harsh but they got exactly what they paid for. Again I feel sorry for the lady who was celebrating her birthday.


The trend continues........... :(

Corabar Entertainment
22-06-2006, 03:53 PM
"absolutely no way!. The other guy was only charging £50".That's my favourite one..... Hmmm £50 not to turn up. Seems like a good deal for the DJ!

Corabar Steve
22-06-2006, 04:00 PM
The tide is turning...not fast enough though. :)


Phone call part2

Last Sunday: I came home Sunday afternoon and there was a message on the answer-machine. Small local bar had left their number for me to contact them A.S.A.P.

Called them back and it turn out the dj they had booked for a 60th party hadn't turned up. (local guy that charges £50 per event for up to 5 hours....yep, you read that right). They asked how quick I can get there and I let them know I can be there in half an hour. I quote them the price for 4 hours and they told me "absolutely no way!. The other guy was only charging £50".

I wished them good luck with their party and enjoyed the rest of the day.

£50 dj with no contract. Not to sound too harsh but they got exactly what they paid for. Again I feel sorry for the lady who was celebrating her birthday.


The trend continues........... :(How many calls have we had like that Angela?

Shaun
22-06-2006, 04:14 PM
How many calls have we had like that Angela?

Seems to be a wide-scale issue eh?.


The thing is, for eveyone of these calls that i'm turning down there are dj's accepting them. I can't see how anyone can stay in business doing event for "silly prices". There's sooo much expenditure involved with running the business that I can't understand how people can work for £50 or even a hundred per event. Even if the dj'ing is a second income there's all the usual expenses like insurance, taxes, music purchases, upkeep of equipment, vehicle costs etc etc. I can't compete on price...I only compete on quality.

Corabar Steve
22-06-2006, 04:21 PM
The thing is, for eveyone of these calls that i'm turning down there are dj's accepting them. I can't see how anyone can stay in business doing event for "silly prices". There's sooo much expenditure involved with running the business that I can't understand how people can work for £50 or even a hundred per event. Even if the dj'ing is a second income there's all the usual expenses like insurance, taxes, music purchases, upkeep of equipment, vehicle costs etc etc. I can't compete on price...I only compete on quality.
But the people who are taking this sort of price job are (usually) the ones with the Argos kit & illegal copies of their music, no PAT, no PLI, no overheads. It's £50 straight into their pocket.

Discodaz
22-06-2006, 04:29 PM
Don't get me started on AGENCIES!

My diary is starting to fill out quite nicely, and it's all down to my own hard work! So who needs an agency.

Wolfie
22-06-2006, 04:55 PM
But the people who are taking this sort of price job are (usually) the ones with the Argos kit & illegal copies of their music, no PAT, no PLI, no overheads. It's £50 straight into their pocket.

Trouble is though Steve, it's that old story..

£50 disco "booked" for saturday.....

2 choices

a) someone has offered £55 / £60 to DJ somewhere else, so they do that instead as it's a bit more than they were on
- a Pro DJ would never usually back away from their original commitments if a better offer was on the table. I've turned down £300 bookings with very little work involved in the past that i could of done but instead decided to keep a job of £100 with loads of hassle for the sake of not letting the orignal client down.

b) When their mates phone up to say "let's go clubbing" they realise it's only £50 they would be earning so decide to go out on the **** as they are not losing "that" much money... not like they are making a living from it.
- I've had this with a guy who wanted to come with me to be a roadie... "i'll be there mate, i won't let you down... when you need me i'll be with you all the way to help you out" i phoned up to see where he was on his 1st night he should of been with me only to be told "he's gone to his mates house as they are going to Blackpool tonight to go clubbing".

CRAZY K
22-06-2006, 05:10 PM
I go with DiscoDaz in my experience Agencies, Entertainment organisers and the like have been generally (with one or two exceptions) a waste of time--

Im seriously thinking of refusing to deal with them or even give quotes in future, they mainly use quotes to get something cheaper.

CRAZY K

Corabar Steve
05-10-2007, 12:11 AM
Some things never change

leighinstoke
05-10-2007, 06:23 PM
Something that's just as bad is "I've been offered a disco for £100 mate" after I've just quoted for an event.

I usually wish them well and tell them hope to enjoy their event with their £100 DJ.

Not too sarcastic am I?

Leigh.....

CRAZY K
05-10-2007, 06:34 PM
Something that's just as bad is "I've been offered a disco for £100 mate" after I've just quoted for an event.

I usually wish them well and tell them hope to enjoy their event with their £100 DJ.

Not too sarcastic am I?

Leigh.....

You just forgot to say---if they ever turn up:eek:

CRAZY K

spin mobile disco
05-10-2007, 06:57 PM
To be fair not all agency's are like that though. I do some work for a couple when things are a bit on the slow side and they pay pretty well all things considered.
But on the flip side I have dealt with the other sort as well and although I do not name names as I belive everyone should get a second chance. They were very unproffesional and did not care about their DJ's let alone their clients.
I have people contacting me often for a quote for a short notice and normally when they do they sayI was only paying such n such. And as always my reply is ' you hire me I turn up with nice equipment, on time in a presentable manner. I charge this amount because I am full time and all my efforts are focused on what I do' if this doesnt swing them I normally send them to my website and ask them to look at my gallery's and show them what I provide.
A large percentage come back to me and pay the price, I have never had a client say they have regretted it either.
Last weekend I was pretty ill to say the least, I had 2 long distance bookings both around 140 mile round trips on on second floor with no lift. I must admit I did consider calling my standby DJ for the first time. (A long time friend who also DJ's and had no bookings ) One was hugely underpriced due to missinformation by a client other was on the button but a long job. I really did have the best excuse of my long career this weekend but still did both bookings and didnt let anyone down. Sunday was in hospital.
Would a £50 DJ do that? Think not somehow but feel free to contradict me.

djsteve10
05-10-2007, 07:17 PM
I once had a phone call that the DJ had let them down the night before the job and was only charging them £80, she said we really need you and can you do it at that price, By this time i had got very annoyed with djs charging the understated prices that they charge. So i said "yeah no problem ill do it for £80" she said "oh great" and i just said yeah not a prob you come and pick me up and set all my gear up for me, pay me the £80 and bring me back home and i may consider it, The phone just went dead and i said i normally go out for £250 take it or leave it... you are the one at loos not me.

BANG

Phone went down

10 minutes later phone went, is cash on the night ok for you?

Larry B Entertainment
05-10-2007, 07:30 PM
lol. Would have been funny if she had taken you up on your first offer :D

djsteve10
05-10-2007, 07:31 PM
i would of done it lol,

be quite amusing to hear her shouting "where does this long wire go???"

my response while sitting in the bar area with a cold pint would be "which 1 there is quite a few hundred in that box"

soundmaster mobile disco
06-10-2007, 07:43 AM
Seems to be a wide-scale issue eh?.


The thing is, for eveyone of these calls that i'm turning down there are dj's accepting them. I can't see how anyone can stay in business doing event for "silly prices". There's sooo much expenditure involved with running the business that I can't understand how people can work for £50 or even a hundred per event. Even if the dj'ing is a second income there's all the usual expenses like insurance, taxes, music purchases, upkeep of equipment, vehicle costs etc etc. I can't compete on price...I only compete on quality.

Well said shuan Very True

jaygees
07-10-2007, 12:41 PM
i have a disco that’s not long started just up the road from me and in the approx 6 months of trading i know of 3 discos that he has not turned up for. he did once come to me for a job, i am glad that i went with my first impression and decided to turn him down.
i don’t understand people like this :mad: give it 100% or don’t start in the first place.

i do on the other hand have a few other discos that do a bit of work for me under my name and i feel i pay them well because they do a good job. (You get what you pay for)

Corabar Entertainment
07-10-2007, 01:29 PM
I know of a DJ who backed out of a job he had agreed to do because his parents asked him to given them a lift to the airport! He didn't see that he was doing anything wrong (because he felt there was enough time to get a replacement DJ) and said that he was committed to the job and reliable, but that his family would ALWAYS have to come first! :eek:

Dragonfly
07-10-2007, 01:38 PM
I know of a DJ who backed out of a job he had agreed to do because his parents asked him to given them a lift to the airport! He didn't see that he was doing anything wrong (because he felt there was enough time to get a replacement DJ) and said that he was committed to the job and reliable, but that his family would ALWAYS have to come first! :eek:

theres coming first and coming first though , thats just silly my family come first but not to the extent of letting someone down because theres no one to fetch the chips in :eek: :eek:

Corabar Entertainment
07-10-2007, 01:39 PM
Exactly!