Unbelievable!!! Two in one week...

[Shakermaker Promotions]

What is it with this week and people being let down with DJ's?

I may have mentioned this elsewhere but last friday I was called by a young lady who was almost hysterical (see the Customer Service thread) as she had been let down by someone who was supposed to be DJing at her wedding THIS SATURDAY. She decided not to have the contracted hotel DJ and take her own one (**Please Note : This was nothing to do with me, I was just trying to help her out of a situation**)...but then the hotel apparently had problems contacting their own contracted DJ (outrageous in my opinion).

Anyway, I decided to call up Darren and see if he could help and I must say he was very helpful and we had a good (and very long) chat about it amongst other things. As we were speaking, the lady called me back and thanked me for my help etc and said that she had now found someone that was available....it was actually someone that Darren had mentioned on the phone during our chat (who I am meeting up with next week to go through a few things). All sorted and a big...PHEW! from the lady no doubt.

Tonight I get a call from another lady about a 30th birthday next weekend (9th August)...She called me because she thought that as DJ's we all know eachother, even though the guy she mentioned is nowhere near me and I have never heard of the company. I am not sure whether I should name and shame these people as there may well be a perfectly reasonable explanation plus I do not want to get grief because the comments can be seen on this forum by the public.

The lady said that the Disco had been booked for about 6 weeks now but she hasn't had an email or phonecall from the people since she booked it. I asked if she had paid a deposit - NO...apparently the guy said "Cash on the night". Had she received a booking form confirming everything? - NO. She said she has tried to call them over the past week but the number is unavailable. I didn't want to play on it and make her feel worse than she already did but asked how much she was being charged...£180.00 for 7.30pm - 11.30pm was quoted. I said I would ask about on the forum to see if anyone knew the company on here or if by any chance the people post on here but as I said, I don't want to mention their name.

In the end she asked me if I was available and I actually have someone available but told her to keep trying the number for her own peace of mind (and to give them an earful and cancel really) and she is calling me tomorrow.

What is it with these companies or cowboys? (That's what she called them...actually she asked "Have I booked a cowboy?" - I won't repeat what I said!). I did tell her though that it's people like this that are giving the rest of us a bad name and it is a lesson learnt....she agreed.

[Ryu]

If you don't mention the company by name, how are they supposed to defend themselves, if indeed, their actions ARE defendable?

[ppentertainments]

I disagree with naming - Sometime there is a valid excuse, rarely but sometimes there is and this sort of thing could really harm a business. If they were repeat offenders then yes, lets have a roll call of shame !!

i had an enquiry yesterday for a wedding in september at a venue I DJ regularly. Quote was given and was told they 'would think about it'. I get a call today from the venue saying they have just heard the client has booked a different DJ for £100, and this Dj has let them down 3 times previously. They have advised the customer but the response was 'well he normally charges £120 but reduced it to £100 for us so it seems the best value'. This is supposed to be YOUR WEDDING DAY !!!

Took another booking for the same day this morning and have informed venue as have covered a couple of 'no-shows' before.

As long as people keep booking these DJ's then they will get away with it and carry on !!!

[Ryu]

I think thats all the more reason to name Disco's who've let people down or have proved unreliable/cowboyish. This is a public forum and one that looks to promote responsible DJing, if we witness other DJ's not keeping up basic standards of service, why not publicly state as much. The general public who may use these forums for advice on reputable DJs would appreciate knowing who should be avoided. If I was to name and shame an act that didn't turn up for example, and it transpired it was a valid excuse and the act felt aggrieved that I had damaged their name, then THEY can come on this public forum and defend themselves? I assume if anyone did read bad press about they're disco here, then they are capable of signing up and explaining they're actions.

How else are we going to start seperating the wheat from the chaff?

[Shakermaker Promotions]

As I said, I won't name them here in public. I would hate it and take action if my company name was spread allover the place negatively and no'one knew the real story. I am just reporting that's all. I actually attempted to call the company myself but got "number not available". It could be because the company is a one man show and is maybe on holiday?? Who knows?? All I know and think is that no matter what has happened, it would have been common courtesy to contact the lady and let her know what is going on.

[KrazyKaz]

I did a wedding last weekend, they had been let down 6 days before the wedding

[Ryu]

As I said, I won't name them here in public. I would hate it and take action if my company name was spread allover the place negatively and no'one knew the real story. I am just reporting that's all. I actually attempted to call the company myself but got "number not available". It could be because the company is a one man show and is maybe on holiday?? Who knows?? All I know and think is that no matter what has happened, it would have been common courtesy to contact the lady and let her know what is going on.

But your not lying are you? So its not as if your making anything up that hasn't actually happened. Saying "XXXXXDisco did not turn up to provide a disco for their client on xx/xx/xxxx" ISN'T slanderous or malicious. Its stating fact. Its easy enough for someone to say on their website that they are 100% reliable...why should customers have to wait until they are let down by a disco to find out if they are lying about their reliability?

I agree, if there is a legitimate reason for them not being in touch, fine...I'm not talking about an MDD Witch hunt and we're not the Disco Police (as far as I know) but this website is all about offering a public service...as long as we stick to facts about other disco's, not hearsay...then I don't see the problem.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

And we don't know the facts, only what one other person has told Gary.

There won't be any naming and shaming on here as there is a possibility that someone could get something wrong and the owners of this site will be liable.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I'm cool with that. If it was someone that had been on something like Watchdog or Rogue Traders and it was common knowledge then I don't think it would be a big deal.

When you think about it though....there is nothing stopping ANYONE going on to a forum and naming and shaming someone just for the hell of it whether they have done something wrong or not and just to be malicious. You have to be very careful and that's why the mods here do a very good job.

[spin mobile disco]

Not wanting to hijack the thread or anything, i have noticed a huge increase in people in my area and local counties contacting me due to being let down (normaly all within about a fortnight to a months notice)
I used to only get one of these a year now getting 2 -3 a week on average.
I like most of you ,use a contract system and booking fee to give clients peace of mind when booking. And have never let anyone down, and that includes 2 weeks ago when I had that **** virus and all but lost my voice for 2 wedding gigs and a pub quiz.
I think you should name if not to shame then at least so the person if they are on the forums can defend themselves.
The reason i mention this is also because of somethign that happened to me a couple of months a go:

Person rang me up with the usual line of are you a DJ do you do disco's, I replied yes and they asked how much. I went through the usal questions to find out what they needed then quoted my fee (abour £220 I think it was).
They said oh, well ok we'll think about it and get back to you.
Last week they rang up and said: we havent recieved a contract or paper work for our disco yet.
I replied that they havent booked me as they said they were going to call me back with a desicion.
They then have a rant over phone usual things, said like I should have known they were booking etc.
But the problem is I never take a booking without taking all details from them and getting them to say the words 'yes we want to book you'. I then always make a contract out , mark on my wallplanner and diary the booking and details then send contracts out. Everytime, without exception.

But just for example these people had thought they had booked but didnt complete formalities ( contract , deposit, paperwork whatever) what if they hadnt contacted the Dj back and the Dj was blissfully unaware of the problem as , as far as he is concerned he wasnt booked. But client thought he was.
Bit of a poser how to deal with that really. Luckily never happned so far in 20 years but saying that never had so many let down clients calling me for a short notice booking before either.

[PropellerHeadCase]

And if more than one person is involved in any part of the booking process...

I've been to an event where we were double-booked, and I've received a play list from the mother of the bride for a different company (they were booked, but she apparently had liked us).

[CRAZY K]

Not wanting to hijack the thread or anything, i have noticed a huge increase in people in my area and local counties contacting me due to being let down (normaly all within about a fortnight to a months notice)
I used to only get one of these a year now getting 2 -3 a week on average.
I like most of you ,use a contract system and booking fee to give clients peace of mind when booking. And have never let anyone down, and that includes 2 weeks ago when I had that **** virus and all but lost my voice for 2 wedding gigs and a pub quiz.
I think you should name if not to shame then at least so the person if they are on the forums can defend themselves.
The reason i mention this is also because of somethign that happened to me a couple of months a go:

Person rang me up with the usual line of are you a DJ do you do disco's, I replied yes and they asked how much. I went through the usal questions to find out what they needed then quoted my fee (abour £220 I think it was).
They said oh, well ok we'll think about it and get back to you.
Last week they rang up and said: we havent recieved a contract or paper work for our disco yet.
I replied that they havent booked me as they said they were going to call me back with a desicion.
They then have a rant over phone usual things, said like I should have known they were booking etc.
But the problem is I never take a booking without taking all details from them and getting them to say the words 'yes we want to book you'. I then always make a contract out , mark on my wallplanner and diary the booking and details then send contracts out. Everytime, without exception.

But just for example these people had thought they had booked but didnt complete formalities ( contract , deposit, paperwork whatever) what if they hadnt contacted the Dj back and the Dj was blissfully unaware of the problem as , as far as he is concerned he wasnt booked. But client thought he was.
Bit of a poser how to deal with that really. Luckily never happned so far in 20 years but saying that never had so many let down clients calling me for a short notice booking before either.

Matt, what price range do these people who ring you expect to pay or were paying for a DJ who wasnt turning up?

I have a suspicion that the majority have booked cheapo DJs -- if they come from around this locality:eek:

i.e. Northants

CRAZY K

[theoloyla]

Unfortunately the sort of people that book cheap discos are also the same sort of people who pay a bloke who works from a lock up garage behind the pub to service their car and buy their fags from someone who goes over to France once a month and dvd's from some bloke at a boot fair.

[CRAZY K]

Unfortunately the sort of people that book cheap discos are also the same sort of people who pay a bloke who works from a lock up garage behind the pub to service their car and buy their fags from someone who goes over to France once a month and dvd's from some bloke at a boot fair.

Who I suspect are the people ringing Matt ( SPIN ) in the Northants area--having tried unsuccessfully to pass a few on to him like that in the past-

£275---oooooh !!!!!!!!!!!

CRAZY K

[DazzyD]

First of all, naming and shaming is a bad idea if we haven't got all the facts (not hearsay, not assumptions) as, like Darren said, as the forum owner he is responsible for EVERY SINGLE POST on here. If my company was the subject of comments on here that I felt were unjust or unfounded, my first response wouldn't be to come on here and defend myself. I would give my legal guy a ring and start procedings against the person who posted the allegations and the forum owner as the law says they are jointly liable for such actions. It would then be up to those two to justify the post and, if they can't, compensation would be sought based on defamation, damage to my reputation and "potential loss of business" which certainly wouldn't be a small amount. Darren is a responsible forum owner and has taken the correct stance, in the eyes of the law, to be extra careful about what is posted on here.

Secondly, I get a lot of last minute bookings from people who have been let down. I was booked to do a disco for a junior football club presentation last month. When I got there and set up, this big guy came over and said "Where's the karaoke books?". I explained that I hadn't been booked for karaoke just a disco. He said "No, it's a karaoke disco. Without a karaoke, the kids'll go mad!". I said when I was booked three days earlier, the lady who I spoke to said she wanted a disco. "3 days?", he said. "We booked you six months ago!". I explained that I certainly wasn't booked that far back. Then the lady who booked me came over and explained that the original karaoke disco was booked months ago but the original company had let her down and she'd booked me but forgot to ask for the karaoke. I didn't have a spare karaoke set-up that night so I couldn't add it in at the last minute. All in all it turned out be a good night and the kids loved it.

But it's not just discos that let people down. I had a guy phone me yesterday to say that the venue he had booked called and cancelled the booking. He's panicking cos he's getting married in 3 weeks time!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Totally agree with what you have said and that's why I didn't name and shame. An update to this is that the lady called me yesterday and said that she wants to book me now but will call back over the weekend to go through things as they are currently in the middle of moving house. I would ideally like the booking confirmed 100% and said that I have had another late enquiry for the same date just to hurry it up a bit. I also mentioned that it is really pushing it because there isn't much time to get the booking forms done and to her and then back to me in time. I explained that usually I would meet up with her to go through everything but I am flat out next week so we'll have to do it all by email and phone....she seems ok with that.

Something inside me though isn't too sure about this and I have a niggling feeling that IF she were able to get in touch with the 'other' company, even though they haven't been in touch and she knows that the whole thing is a bit 'iffy', she will still go with them because they are cheaper etc....Don't ask me why I feel like this, it's just there in the back of mind. I'll let you all know what happens.

[spin mobile disco]

Sorry no prices were mentioned as I always ask date first to save going through the patter when I cant take the booking anyway.

[Andy Westcott]

This scenario of receiving an enquiry, giving a quote and the person assuming they've booked you is a bit of a worry. I now always make a point of going through the 'sign the booking agreement then return it' routine to be sure they are fully aware that they have booked nothing until the form comes back.

Last year I had an enquiry for NYE fairly early on in the year, for which I quoted, then heard no more. Later on I had more enquiries so out of courtesy I contacted the original enquirer (first refusal) only to discover she'd assumed she'd already booked me! Lucky there...

So now I also make the point clear about the booking agreement proceedure on my website - I think it's all to easy for busy people to think they've booked you when by your practices they haven't. I feel it's our duty as (semi) professionals to make it absolutely clear to the potential client what is involved in making a booking - and that a simple phone call and hope the DJ turns up on the night is no longer good enough.

It's our resonsibilty, guys.

[spin mobile disco]

Moral of the story if you dont get a contract back signed you aint got a gig. And then it's just making sure clients know that as well.