Booking Fee/Deposit

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It might help the OP and others to see what these entail. I've tried

Sure.

So, enquiry / booking process generally follows like this.

Get enquiry, send quote with a 'how to book' bit on the bottom of the quote. This explains booking process, advise that the contracts don't provide for cancellation.

Get the client to confirm they would like to book.

Send confirmation email, which contains a link to our TOB (incase they haven't read them before that time).

Which contains the following text:-
"Once we have received the above information our system will generate the contracts, which again I have to point out, are legally binding contracts that do not provide for cancellation this means when the act / DJ / Band accepts the booking the date is blocked out in their diary and starts turning work down, if the booking were to be cancelled following the issuing of contracts, cancellation charges may apply (these cancellation charges could be as much as 100% of the contracted fee) if the act is unable to find an alternative booking on the date."

Recieve confirmation email back with the blanks filled in.

Generate contracts & they e-sign it.
And that's it.

[soundtracker]

The thing with that is it's a lot harder to get money from people after a cancellation, than it is to simply keep hold of money they're already given you, as this puts the ownus on them to chase you for the money, rather than the other way round.

The other thing that I don't think has been mentioned, is that for the full-timers, booking fees provide money to live off in the quiet months!

More common sense

[simonp]

Mine is standard whatever the price or event.
My price is 25% of the total price. I also say the deposit secures the booking. If the customer has said I want to book you but can't pay the deposit until the end of the month or words to that effect, I tell them it will be a 'pencil' booking and the date will be held in the diary for 14 days.

[ppentertainments]

My deposit fee was £50, but after reading this I'm now going to make it £100, cheers lads

Same here, never really give it much thought until now
Personally prefer a 'fixed fee' but I see many use percentages.

[Charlie Brown]

I don't mind pencilling things in..

...keep their contract details and if somebody else enquiries about the date in question, I will give the original guys a courtesy call to let them know the score.

[Wayno]

I used to be in the £50 booking fee and balance 14 days before the event date camp.

I am now in the £100/25% booking fee camp and balance 28 days before the event date.

The exception the rule is the "Basic" Two Hour Kids Parties on an afternoon of with a value less than £150, in these cases I now ask for full payment on booking as it is not worth the time and effort involved in raising invoices for £25 and just to confirm no one has raised a question as to why i ask for full payment upfront.

I had a couple meet with me yesterday with a view to booking me for their wedding and they mentioned that they felt "very reassured" because of the higher than average booking fee, eveyone else who they had spoken with was in the £0/£25/£50 camps.