DJ Dilemas

[Danno13]

Had a couple of incidents this week and just looking for some opinions from my esteemed colleagues :)

1) I had an LED uplighting job on Sunday night which involved me setting up during the day, then off to my gig in the evening and then back the next day. When I arrived back, one of the LED pars had gone missing, no sign of it anywhere and the staff said no-one had left a note to say they'd moved it - it was placed around a pillar so my first thought was it'd been in the way of the tables in the morning.

What can you do in this situation? I can't expect the client to be responsible for them overnight or the next morning and no venue are going to accept responsibility either. Its not worth an insurance claim, so i'll just have to take it on the chin. Is there a way I can security mark them? Anyway to deter people from trying the same thing?

2) Had a wedding last night in a venue thats an absolute pain in the arse for loading in, when the gig is upstairs. So much so that I swore I'd never do it again without charging an inflated price. I had this enquiry months ago and checked that it was ground floor, the client assured me that it was. Then when I arrive I'm told by the staff it's upstairs :bang: So 1 hour, lots of sweating and an aching back later I'm setup. Would you say anything to the client? What would you say? Would you ask for extra payment? Do you have anything on your contract to cover this situation?

I didn't mention it and just got on with it, as I didn't want to start off on a bad note and potentially ruin the night, but nevertheless I feel I've basically been ripped off. Although, I do suspect it was an innocent mistake as the day time proceedings are held downstairs so the client could have assumed the disco was too.

[Dragonfly]

Had a couple of incidents this week and just looking for some opinions from my esteemed colleagues :)


2) Had a wedding last night in a venue thats an absolute pain in the arse for loading in, when the gig is upstairs. So much so that I swore I'd never do it again without charging an inflated price. I had this enquiry months ago and checked that it was ground floor, the client assured me that it was. Then when I arrive I'm told by the staff it's upstairs :bang: So 1 hour, lots of sweating and an aching back later I'm setup. Would you say anything to the client? What would you say? Would you ask for extra payment? Do you have anything on your contract to cover this situation?

I didn't mention it and just got on with it, as I didn't want to start off on a bad note and potentially ruin the night, but nevertheless I feel I've basically been ripped off. Although, I do suspect it was an innocent mistake as the day time proceedings are held downstairs so the client could have assumed the disco was too.

I've had this 3 or 4 times now and have this in my t and c. No idea if it would hold up ...... probably not but it does give food for thought , I have the added bonus that recently i have been able to tell clients im a below knee amputee and if they tell porkies about the venue being downstairs quite simply i will not be able to carry out my job as i need help to get equipment upstairs simple as that ..... had some quite funny responses though , with concerned people telling me that there is 2 steps to the function room is this a problem?

11. Quotes are subject to the information given at the time of booking by the client. Should this information
Change Dragonfly Discos reserves the right to alter the quote accordingly eg. If a Thursday evening function
With ground level access changes to a Saturday evening function in an upstairs function room costs will be
Incurred. Notification of change to any of the agreed details should be as soon as is possible

[Danno13]

Thanks, I'll include something similar in my contract from now on.

So in this situation would you say to the client "It'll be an extra £XX please" ?? I just can't see that going down too well, and isn't going to set the night off to a good start.

[Vectis]

Aside from sorting out the Ts & Cs one good practice I follow is to contact the venue a day or two ahead of the party as a matter of course to "compare notes" especially around access and finish times. I do this for every single event even if I'm a regular at a venue. This also helps with the ongoing rapport and puts you in a good light with the management who in my case have been known to recommend me on the basis that I've demonstrated good customer care.

In terms of getting paid for additional unforeseens, I have an "Extras" section with my online payments which can be used for such. Virtually all of my clients have some kind of follow-up such as DVDs, photos etc. and these are withheld until the extras are paid.

[andyw]

don't think you will get much joy with the par can unfortunately.
as with the upstairs dilema i always check with the venue if taking a booking with more than one level to make sure i have the correct infomation given to me.easier to go back to the client before the function than after.so in these circumstances i think it would be better to put it down to expirience. you have no chance of getting extra now for your trouble and i think you would make yourself look bad if you try

[Ace DJ]

When I send the quote it states clearly
''This quote is for ground floor set up only without stairs or steps. With ease of access for unloading equipment. Please advise us if this is not the case.''
Ace

[DJ Frankie]

My answers to the above would be:

1. You can by a stencil engraving set from Woolworths very cheap this may be perfect to stencil your company name or ID number on the rear of the par cans.
You could also look at purchasing one of those security pens but you will have to carry a uv light around with you to identify them. Other than that I think as stated above add something to your contract and treat this as a steep learning curve.

2. I would first check with the venue and make sure the venue itself didnt change rooms at the last minute. Then take it from there. :beer1:

[rob1963]

Had a wedding last night in a venue thats an absolute pain in the arse for loading in, when the gig is upstairs. So much so that I swore I'd never do it again without charging an inflated price. I had this enquiry months ago and checked that it was ground floor, the client assured me that it was. Then when I arrive I'm told by the staff it's upstairs :bang: So 1 hour, lots of sweating and an aching back later I'm setup. Would you say anything to the client? What would you say? Would you ask for extra payment? Do you have anything on your contract to cover this situation?

In this situation, I'd have asked the client for an extra payment before starting the disco, as I'd explain the original quote was based on the function being on the ground floor, which the client assured you it was.

If you'd known it was in the upstairs room at the time when the booking was made, you'd have quoted a much higher price, so I see no problem in charging extra before you start the gig.

It's just the same as if you turned up having been booked until midnight, only to discover that the finishing time was actually 2am. Presumably most people would charge more if this happened too.

Similarly, if you took a booking for a function in a local venue & the client then moved the venue to one which was 30 miles away, I'm sure most people would increase the price there too.

To answer your last question, I DO have something in my contract which would cover this. It states: "If there are access problems which were not previously advised to us by the client, we may apply a surcharge of up to £50, to be paid in cash before we remove any equipment from our vehicles."

I'd say there's no doubt that this would cover a problem like the one you experienced, although I'm now thinking I should increase the maximum amount from £50 to £100.

[CRAZY K]

When I send the quote it states clearly
''This quote is for ground floor set up only without stairs or steps. With ease of access for unloading equipment. Please advise us if this is not the case.''
Ace

GOOD POINT

I only ask for information on a quote request and rely on the clients honesty.

I think that if you knew the venue maybe you should have stated in the Contract specifically Venue xxx function held on ground floor.

Then theres a breach of Contract--and you should demand either extra money or help from the hotel or guests:D :D :D

You cant beat having a signed Contract in your hand with the info---someone tried to tell me they had paid a deposit recently--I put the contract under their nose and said===hey look there it is NO DEPOSIT --full fee on night--YOU SIGNED IT. doh:)

I know thats a bit extreme and I wont get a repeat booking---having done it several times before-who cares I have replaced them with someone else for next year:thumbs_up:

But you can never tell after a few sherberts have dulled the clients brain cells.

Spose you could say-well Ill never get set up in time--you had better get me some help--if you had told me I would have arrived earlier/ brought a roadie--
and charged more.

-then naturally you DONT START unless you have been paid a cleared cheque or CASH.

Sometimes you have to do these nasty things.

CRAZY K

[CRAZY K]

In this situation, I'd have asked the client for an extra payment before starting the disco, as I'd explain the original quote was based on the function being on the ground floor, which the client assured you it was.

If you'd known it was in the upstairs room at the time when the booking was made, you'd have quoted a much higher price, so I see no problem in charging extra before you start the gig.

It's just the same as if you turned up having been booked until midnight, only to discover that the finishing time was actually 2am. Presumably most people would charge more if this happened too.

Similarly, if you took a booking for a function in a local venue & the client then moved the venue to one which was 30 miles away, I'm sure most people would increase the price there too.

To answer your last question, I DO have something in my contract which would cover this. It states: "If there are access problems which were not previously advised to us by the client, we may apply a surcharge of up to £50, to be paid in cash before we remove any equipment from our vehicles."

I'd say there's no doubt that this would cover a problem like the one you experienced, although I'm now thinking I should increase the maximum amount from £50 to £100.

Thats a very good clause Rob, I cant put in my contract though otherwise my contract would go to two pages.

Cant afford to put a hole in my profit margins:D :D :D

What with the cost of extra paper and printing ink:D :D :D

CRAZY K

[rob1963]

So in this situation would you say to the client "It'll be an extra £XX please" ?? I just can't see that going down too well, and isn't going to set the night off to a good start.

It might not go down too well with the client...just like it didn't go down too well with YOU when you discovered it was actually in an upstairs function room with nightmare access.


When I send the quote it states clearly
''This quote is for ground floor set up only without stairs or steps. With ease of access for unloading equipment. Please advise us if this is not the case.''
Ace

Whilst I don't disagree with this idea, I think your wording is a bit vague & open to all sorts of different interpretations.

For example "ground floor set up without stairs or steps" means you could refuse to set up if there were a couple of concrete steps leading into the room.

Also, "ease of access for unloading equipment" is very general & could mean completely different things to different people.

[Mission]

Had a couple of incidents this week and just looking for some opinions from my esteemed colleagues :)

Is there a way I can security mark them? Anyway to deter people from trying the same thing?



You can get "microdots" in a liquid that you just dab onto any equipment you may have. This shows up under UV, I think. You get some warning stickers to stick on the equipment, which may put the "Equipment Thief" Off.

It may help a bit !

[Danno13]

Yup, certainley worth trying some markings or stickers.. I was thinking along the lines of "Handling this item may lead to removal of kneecaps" :D

[jamesh]

Had a couple of incidents this week and just looking for some opinions from my esteemed colleagues :)

1) I had an LED uplighting job on Sunday night which involved me setting up during the day, then off to my gig in the evening and then back the next day. When I arrived back, one of the LED pars had gone missing, no sign of it anywhere and the staff said no-one had left a note to say they'd moved it - it was placed around a pillar so my first thought was it'd been in the way of the tables in the morning.

What can you do in this situation? I can't expect the client to be responsible for them overnight or the next morning and no venue are going to accept responsibility either. Its not worth an insurance claim, so i'll just have to take it on the chin. Is there a way I can security mark them? Anyway to deter people from trying the same thing?


Ahhh bugga.. not good... What does it say in your terms and conditions dan?

I know in mine for the hire side of things where i'm either not in the room or leave it under the clients control it states that they are responsible for all hire items from set up until collection and liable for repair or replacement costs should any problems occur during that time.

Then once set up you get them to sign a delivery/set up note to prove the kit was as it should be and give them a second copy so they have a list of what they should have.

If anything goes missing it's then over to the client to pay for the replacement or repair.

In reality if it did happen it's probably 50/50 as to whether they would pay but at least you have 2 signed documents from them... 1 agreeing to the booking with the booking terms and conditions and the 2nd agreeing that the items had been set up / left in their control with a second copy of the terms and conditions.

Did you phone the client on Monday or Tuesday to let them know there was one missing? it might have been one of those silly drunk moments that they are too embarrassed to tell you about... or they may have found out one of the guests took it after the event? Nothing like a short sharp reality shock to make them tell the truth or for them to suddenly have found it...

If it's already in your terms and conditions that they are responsible for any loss or damage then i would send them a bill through the post for the missing LED par and cables along with a letter explaining why they have been presented with a bill. If you don't hear anything send a second letter in bold and highlight the terms and conditions - even send them a copy of the signed booking form which states they agree to the terms and conditions...

Finally if you still don't hear send them a final notice (and put that in RED) stating that if you do not receive payment within 7 working days you will take further actions and add interest to any debts outstanding.

Yes it's allot of hassle over a £40 LED par but at the end of the day why should you be out of pocket... and why have terms and conditions if you're not going to stick to them?

You'll probably find it will go one of 2 ways... They will either get the first letter and pay or at least phone you and "have it out" with you or they will leave it till the last letter and think bugga better pay this... or there are some people out there that will still ignore despite your best efforts.

In the latter case - if they havent agreed to pay after the 3rd letter they probably wont and it's a case of deciding if the money is worth chasing further...



2) Had a wedding last night in a venue thats an absolute pain in the arse for loading in, when the gig is upstairs. So much so that I swore I'd never do it again without charging an inflated price. I had this enquiry months ago and checked that it was ground floor, the client assured me that it was. Then when I arrive I'm told by the staff it's upstairs :bang: So 1 hour, lots of sweating and an aching back later I'm setup. Would you say anything to the client? What would you say? Would you ask for extra payment? Do you have anything on your contract to cover this situation?

I didn't mention it and just got on with it, as I didn't want to start off on a bad note and potentially ruin the night, but nevertheless I feel I've basically been ripped off. Although, I do suspect it was an innocent mistake as the day time proceedings are held downstairs so the client could have assumed the disco was too.

hmmmmm tricky one. If you made a point of asking them and they point blank said it was downstairs it's out of order on their side really... i probably would have done the same though and just got on with it and been pee'd off.

Either that or taken my time to set up and if they mention why it hasn't started on time i would have given them the reasons and told them that you aren't happy as it was specifically asked if it was downstairs and quoted as such.

[Dillmiester]

I would take a few extra mins to set up but is there anyway you can chain the Pars down or around what ever it is your uplighting?

[Danno13]

A mate of mine suggested that, but I don't think it'd be practical really as it'd need chains all the way round the room and would look ugly too.

[Dillmiester]

I lost a strobe light once at a garden party. I used it as an effect in a tree! It looked very good strobing up the tree at night. When i came to pack everything away it was gone. I cant believe people have the balls to nick something like that at a party!

[jimboylan]

Most insurance policies would not cover you for gear that is insecure and unattended, unfortunately.
The chances are it was taken in a moment of drunken jinx, if it was planned theft more of them will have gone.

Jim

[PropellerHeadCase]

With regard to the magic disappearing parcan - why not use one of those lighting safety cables (or something similar)? Wrap it around the pillar at ground level and padlock it to the underside of the unit. I suspect it's purely a crime of opportunity so even a litlle difficulty would take the shine off it for said felon/numpty.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Apologies for this and maybe I should'nt say it (but I will). Reading some of the posts above have made me both laugh out loud and also shake my head in disbelief.

Ok, reasons...

Firstly, the LED going missing. I know it's bad but yes, probably best to take it on the chin and put it down to experience. It's a shame that it happened.

Secondly, turning up at the venue and it's upstairs instead of downstairs... Well, personally..Yes, I would have been a bit narked off with that too but there is no way on earth that I would even think about asking for more money. If I was the client I would think it was a total p-take and as said above, it would'nt kick the night off on a positive note either. I would just get on with it and be narked off for a while, simple as that really.

Sometimes, I think the whole T's & C's thing can go over the top. I don't have any extra charges in place for functions that are upstairs. I have a few lines stating that I will need to be told if this is the case so that I can make extra time available for setting up etc but no charges.

Now no offence BUT, sometimes when I read stuff on here concerning T's & C's and extra charges etc etc, I get the impression that it's kind of 'Get every little bit of extra cash out of the client as you can'. I'm not saying that it is the case but sometimes...SOMETIMES, it comes across like that, to me anyway.

[nigelwright7557]

Personally I wouldnt take a gig where my gear would be left unattended.
I have a few grands worth of CD's and some are irreplacable.

I dont take on upstairs gigs as my gear is just too heavy for stairs.
If they did it to me I would say that my gear was too heavy and they could either give me a hand, find someone fit to help me or I could go home and keep the deposit.

[Adam_F]

Personally I wouldnt take a gig where my gear would be left unattended.
I have a few grands worth of CD's and some are irreplacable.





1) I had an LED uplighting job on Sunday night which involved me setting up during the day, then off to my gig in the evening and then back the next day.

Guess Dan wouldn't either. As he explained it was a dry hire for LED uplighting, not a gig.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

If they did it to me I would say that my gear was too heavy and they could either give me a hand, find someone fit to help me or I could go home and keep the deposit.

Good old fashioned customer service. I love it!

[nigelwright7557]

Good old fashioned customer service. I love it!

Its better than months off work with a slipped disc !
Been there and done it and its not a pretty sight.......

[CRAZY K]

Apologies for this and maybe I should'nt say it (but I will). Reading some of the posts above have made me both laugh out loud and also shake my head in disbelief.

Ok, reasons...

Firstly, the LED going missing. I know it's bad but yes, probably best to take it on the chin and put it down to experience. It's a shame that it happened.

Secondly, turning up at the venue and it's upstairs instead of downstairs... Well, personally..Yes, I would have been a bit narked off with that too but there is no way on earth that I would even think about asking for more money. If I was the client I would think it was a total p-take and as said above, it would'nt kick the night off on a positive note either. I would just get on with it and be narked off for a while, simple as that really.

Sometimes, I think the whole T's & C's thing can go over the top. I don't have any extra charges in place for functions that are upstairs. I have a few lines stating that I will need to be told if this is the case so that I can make extra time available for setting up etc but no charges.

Now no offence BUT, sometimes when I read stuff on here concerning T's & C's and extra charges etc etc, I get the impression that it's kind of 'Get every little bit of extra cash out of the client as you can'. I'm not saying that it is the case but sometimes...SOMETIMES, it comes across like that, to me anyway.

I think its worth remembering this --

If you have a venue with an upstairs it might be VERY time consuming to get up there--

Heres a real live example.

I dont use a roadie---personal choice---helps keep overall costs down to the client.

Last year I was booked at the Forest of Arden Golf Club, near Birmingham.

I was told it was upstairs--fair enough--so I allowed an extra hour over the usual time I would expect.

I charged a bit extra for my EXTRA time getting in and getting outplus the aggro.

I think I spoke to Jamie and he had only played in the ground floor level.

If I told you the the stairs had 3 different changes in angle and the amount of stairs in total were around 40 maybe more im not joking--it was more like an Army assault course--:eek: :eek: :eek:

If I had been told it was on the ground floor and then found this kind of problem I would---

Be extremely annoyed

Tell the client straight there was no way I would be starting on time--thats a p take by the client

Demand extra if I had been TOLD it was NOT upstairs because theres extra time involved -- dont forget--- even going downstairs can be difficult with heavy items.

I have done gigs with stairs where I have accepted them at normal prices and usually enlist the aid of the organiser---unlikely at a Wedding and I dont want help from the drunks thanks--oooh look that projector bounced :eek:

But only if im using very little kit--amp, 2 speaker tops, no subs and no lights for a Barn Dance.

Im not looking for an easy life and I dont have any T and Cs( other than cancellations and no liability accepted---) but I sympathise with people who decide extra time, aggro and effort is worth a bit more.

Thats how Builders and Contractors price work--why should we any different?

Its not ripping anyone off--its charging for your time--which is what other professionals do--well my Solicitor and Accountant do anyway:D

In my opinion a standard gig for pricing involves ground floor work--but I have been caught out badly with Marquees and Inflatable Churches :eek: :eek: :eek:

CRAZY K

[soundtracker]

How about charging a refundable deposit for dry hire items, that's most most of the big hire boys do!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I've had the same kind of scenario as what this thread is about. Anyone in Reading (Darren) will know the venue aswell. It was the town hall (above the 3b's bar) and I was doing a wedding in one of the rooms upstairs. Now, we already knew in advance that knew we were upstairs, we were also told that there was a lift so we were under the impression that all would be well.... it was'nt!! There was a fair old walk to the lift in the first place, the lift was small and then there was a longer walk from the lift to the function room. Luckily there were 2 of us at the time BUT there was no way that either of us would have turned round and said "Excuse me, that will be another £*** because we have had to cart our gear allover the place, may have broken our backs doing it and are now sweaty betty's!!".... We got on with it (yes, we moaned) and just did the job.

To actually arrive at a venue and say that you aren't going to do the function unless you get a hand with the equipment or it will be extra etc etc.... well, your comments never cease to amaze me. You must have balls the size of King Kong!

[nigelwright7557]

This is pretty much what happened to me at my last gig.

Quoted for hire of equipment coz groom wanted to plug in his IPOD £100.
He told me he didnt want a DJ chatting all night and he was happy for me to setup and then sit in the bar alnight.

Got there, setup and was about to walk away and the bride asked where I was going. I told her I was the roadie not a DJ as that was what I had quoted for. She lost her rag as she wanted a DJ.
I refused but hung around my gear in case of trouble.

1/ Should I have DJed for the bride despite not being paid for it?
2/ Should I refuse point blank unless I am paid more to DJ?

Its difficult to know if someone knew the gig was upstairs or not.
In my case it was a clear case of none communication between the bride and groom. Had the groom offered another £20 I would have taken it as a genuine mistake but he didnt. In fact he smugly said, "I suppose I better pay you then?" That got us off to a bad start...

[Vectis]

Strangely my (sound engineer manned) iPod disco option comes in more expensive than the same rig with a DJ.

Funny that...

[CRAZY K]

How about charging a refundable deposit for dry hire items, that's most most of the big hire boys do!

Very good idea, the trouble is the public appear to think we are different to the big boys---take short hours--for example

Question I only want it for two hours so how much reduction do I get???

Answer None--do Dyno Rod turn up with all their equipment and expertise to solve your problem and say--ah that took 10 minutes so we will charge you ten quid-- no they have a flat charge irrespective of time unless its more than xxxx hours

Thats how we work--our Call out flat charge is £400 up to 5 hours to solve your entertainment problem.

Needless to say most of them never really geddit---when they ask that question you know they cant really afford it--the more intelligent ones have already worked it out:D

CRAZY K

[One Vision]

I think its worth remembering this --

If you have a venue with an upstairs it might be VERY time consuming to get up there--



Last year I was booked at the Forest of Arden Golf Club, near Birmingham.

CRAZY K

That sounded like a really posh gig till you mentioned near Birmingham. :D

[rob1963]

turning up at the venue and it's upstairs instead of downstairs... Well, personally..Yes, I would have been a bit narked off with that too but there is no way on earth that I would even think about asking for more money.

I wouldn't charge more either, as I don't charge extra for upstairs gigs, but if someone gave an individual quote which was partly based on the function being in a downstairs room & it turned out to be in an upstairs room which therefore involved more time & work, I see no problem whatsoever in them charging more.

It's similar to the scenario I mentioned earlier where someone asks for a quote for 7.30pm until 11.30pm, but on arrival you discover the finish time has been changed to 1.30pm. Would you just be narked but do the extra 2 hours without charging more?


If I was the client I would think it was a total p-take

That's fair enough, but it's also possible that the client is just trying it on.


I don't have any extra charges in place for functions that are upstairs.

Neither do I.

I have fixed prices, so the price would be the same for a local gig from 8pm until 11pm on the ground floor as a gig 40 miles away from 8pm until 1am on the first floor.


when I read stuff on here concerning T's & C's and extra charges etc etc, I get the impression that it's kind of 'Get every little bit of extra cash out of the client as you can'. I'm not saying that it is the case but sometimes...SOMETIMES, it comes across like that, to me anyway.

We both know there are people who say we should charge for everything we do, including charging extra for things which involve more work or more of our time, but, like you, I don't subscribe to that way of thinking.

Yes, my terms & conditions DO have something stating I may charge extra if there are access problems which I was not previously advised about, but I have never applied this term, and it's just there to protect me in extreme circumstances.

I'm probably one of the last people on this forum who would try to "get every little bit of extra cash out of the client as I can", as I don't upsell, I don't try to sell extra services and I have fixed prices (subject to a few very basic criteria).

Therefore, a client who wants a three hour disco 2 minutes up the road from me on the ground floor with no client meeting in advance will pay exactly the same as the client who wants a five hour disco 40 miles away on the first floor who also wants me to make two pre-event visits to them.

:)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I'm probably one of the last people on this forum who would try to "get every little bit of extra cash out of the client as I can", as I don't upsell, I don't try to sell extra services and I have fixed prices (subject to a few very basic criteria).



And you are not running a business, are solvent and are retiring in a few years, so it doesn't matter.

You are the same person who lost a quiz night, so were asking questions on how to get more Fridays, I take it?

Perhaps you should rethink your pricing maybe? :)

[rob1963]

And you are not running a business, are solvent and are retiring in a few years, so it doesn't matter.


The last time I looked I WAS running a business, I had no savings & was therefore NOT solvent, and although I might be retiring in a few years, that only relates to the discos, but not the quiz nights...which I plan to carry on doing for about 10 more years...so I'd say it DOES matter!


You are the same person who lost a quiz night, so were asking questions on how to get more Fridays, I take it?

Correct, but how does me wanting more Friday work relate to someone who tries to get as much extra cash out of a client as possible?

I'm sorry, but I'm not with you.

:confused:


Perhaps you should rethink your pricing maybe? :)

I did that a few months ago.

It resulted in me increasing my prices by a significant amount, although funnily enough, since doing that the enquiries & bookings have been coming in faster than they were before!

Maybe I should increase them again!

:shrug:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

My point is Rob, your opinion is that you don't charge for extras. Your last post has just proved to me that you should.

[Danno13]

I normally wouldn't be too bothered about an upstairs venue, I don't usually quote extra for them. It's just this one that's a pain in the arse because even though there's a lift there are still steps and a fair distance to carry the gear over.

[Corabar Steve]

The last time I looked I WAS running a business, I had no savings & was therefore NOT solvent,

So what happens to all the extra money from the I earn x times more than I need to live on? http://planetsmilies.net/not-tagged-smiley-3129.gif (http://planetsmilies.net):confused: :confused:

[Javlingames]

Apologies for this and maybe I should'nt say it (but I will). Reading some of the posts above have made me both laugh out loud and also shake my head in disbelief.

Ok, reasons...

Firstly, the LED going missing. I know it's bad but yes, probably best to take it on the chin and put it down to experience. It's a shame that it happened.

Secondly, turning up at the venue and it's upstairs instead of downstairs... Well, personally..Yes, I would have been a bit narked off with that too but there is no way on earth that I would even think about asking for more money. If I was the client I would think it was a total p-take and as said above, it would'nt kick the night off on a positive note either. I would just get on with it and be narked off for a while, simple as that really.

Sometimes, I think the whole T's & C's thing can go over the top. I don't have any extra charges in place for functions that are upstairs. I have a few lines stating that I will need to be told if this is the case so that I can make extra time available for setting up etc but no charges.

Now no offence BUT, sometimes when I read stuff on here concerning T's & C's and extra charges etc etc, I get the impression that it's kind of 'Get every little bit of extra cash out of the client as you can'. I'm not saying that it is the case but sometimes...SOMETIMES, it comes across like that, to me anyway.


I agree with this,

On many occasion I have turned up to a venue with a nightmare get in, I just got my head down and got on with it, and i had a transit van FULL of gear. Mind you I was about 22 / 23 years old and at that age nothing is too much trouble. Charging extra for awkward get ins are your own business but would you charge less for easy access? a client may think it works both ways.

[Dragonfly]

I agree with this,

On many occasion I have turned up to a venue with a nightmare get in, I just got my head down and got on with it, and i had a transit van FULL of gear. Mind you I was about 22 / 23 years old and at that age nothing is too much trouble. Charging extra for awkward get ins are your own business but would you charge less for easy access? a client may think it works both ways.


yep :D :D :D

[Vectis]

I guess I'm lucky in that I have a finite list of venues I work at and am familiar with the majority of them. Such that I have a 'threshold' of difficulty over which I charge extra or advise the client that setup is likely to take y rather than the usual x etc.

This is where the value of online venue reports (wherever posted) will prove useful, although this won't alleviate unexpected room changes at multi-room venues but at least you might get a heads-up from other DJs that this is a potential issue based on past history.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Rob - "It's similar to the scenario I mentioned earlier where someone asks for a quote for 7.30pm until 11.30pm, but on arrival you discover the finish time has been changed to 1.30pm. Would you just be narked but do the extra 2 hours without charging more?"

That scenario is the ONLY time I would say anything as in my opinion, 2 hours extra playing time without my agreement beforehand is a totally different thing and I am sure that they would'nt expect it for free. If they did then they are going to be disappointed. If they did'nt agree to pay the extra in advance then I would tell them straight that I would be finishing at the original agreed time and I would have no problem doing so. I always take a copy of the booking form that has been signed by the client and also a DJ sheet that has specific song requests and do's and don'ts on there. This is handy to do because everything that has been agreed and signed by the client is on there including the duration etc and more importantly, the T's & C's on the back which state about extra charges for playing over the agreed time. On the subject of that, one..maybe two songs at the most is fine with me but if someone comes up near the end and says "Can you play on for another 30mins" for example... I will make sure that they know it is another £*** for me to do so.

[rob1963]

My point is Rob, your opinion is that you don't charge for extras. Your last post has just proved to me that you should.

I guess it depends how you look at it, Darren.

It could be said that the charges for extras are built into my set prices, and therefore everybody pays them...whether they actually have the extras or not.

Examples of this include things like me printing off & sending people my full music list, pre-function visits to clients and functions in upstairs rooms.

Even if I DID take your advice & start charging for these extras it would make very little difference to my income...as so few of my clients want them anyway, so I see little point.


So what happens to all the extra money from the I earn x times more than I need to live on? http://planetsmilies.net/not-tagged-smiley-3129.gif (http://planetsmilies.net):confused: :confused:

What happens to the extra money I earn above what I need to live on?

Simple, Steve...I spend it!

When I paid off my mortgage a few years back, I compiled a big list of all the stuff I wanted/needed, and started working my way through that list as I could afford things.

Once I've got everything on this list, I'll then start saving for my retirement.


Rob - "It's similar to the scenario I mentioned earlier where someone asks for a quote for 7.30pm until 11.30pm, but on arrival you discover the finish time has been changed to 1.30pm. Would you just be narked but do the extra 2 hours without charging more?"

That scenario is the ONLY time I would say anything as in my opinion, 2 hours extra playing time without my agreement beforehand is a totally different thing and I am sure that they would'nt expect it for free.

Gary, the point I'm making is that (as we both know) there are a number of people on this forum who charge extra for everything which involves more work or more of their time, even though you or I don't operate this way.

You say you WOULD charge more for an extra 2 hours playing time as this is a totally different thing, but to someone who charges based on the work & time involved, it's exactly the same as arriving to discover the function is upstairs...because in both cases more of their time is involved, and they would therefore charge accordingly. I can certainly understand that way of thinking.

I'm actually quite surprised that none of these people have posted yet to say that they WOULD charge extra for an upstairs function as it would involve more of their time, and their time is what they're charging for etc etc.

[CRAZY K]

That sounded like a really posh gig till you mentioned near Birmingham. :D

And whats wrong with Birmingham---:D :D :D

Its West Bromwich you want to worry about--I was there in July---

The week before the murder:eek: :eek: :eek:

Ill say no more:cool:

CRAZY K


This is pretty much what happened to me at my last gig.

Quoted for hire of equipment coz groom wanted to plug in his IPOD £100.
He told me he didnt want a DJ chatting all night and he was happy for me to setup and then sit in the bar alnight.

Got there, setup and was about to walk away and the bride asked where I was going. I told her I was the roadie not a DJ as that was what I had quoted for. She lost her rag as she wanted a DJ.
I refused but hung around my gear in case of trouble.

1/ Should I have DJed for the bride despite not being paid for it?
2/ Should I refuse point blank unless I am paid more to DJ?

Its difficult to know if someone knew the gig was upstairs or not.
In my case it was a clear case of none communication between the bride and groom. Had the groom offered another £20 I would have taken it as a genuine mistake but he didnt. In fact he smugly said, "I suppose I better pay you then?" That got us off to a bad start...

One word Nigel---



















CONTRACT


CRAZY K


I guess I'm lucky in that I have a finite list of venues I work at and am familiar with the majority of them. Such that I have a 'threshold' of difficulty over which I charge extra or advise the client that setup is likely to take y rather than the usual x etc.

This is where the value of online venue reports (wherever posted) will prove useful, although this won't alleviate unexpected room changes at multi-room venues but at least you might get a heads-up from other DJs that this is a potential issue based on past history.

Dont forget theres a venue guide coming through--

:D :D :D

CRAZY K



I'm actually quite surprised that none of these people have posted yet to say that they WOULD charge extra for an upstairs function as it would involve more of their time, and their time is what they're charging for etc etc.

Fear not--see my post--SOME OF US ARE:D :D :D

I charged more for the upstairs venue at Forest of Arden ( not enough) and I have stated we should charge like Contractors and Professionals--based on time--it takes longer to set up in an upstairs venue and take down.

The base quote should be at ground floor level ( in my opinion)

CRAZY K

[rob1963]

Fear not--see my post--SOME OF US ARE:D :D :D

I charged more for the upstairs venue at Forest of Arden ( not enough) and I have stated we should charge like Contractors and Professionals--based on time--it takes longer to set up in an upstairs venue and take down.

The base quote should be at ground floor level ( in my opinion)

CRAZY K

Well done Crazy!

:thumbsup: :D :D :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Crazy K

Can you use the edit button and merge all your posts together next time please, or the multi quote button? Ta.

[theoloyla]

On the subject of the missing light if you left it at an unattended venue overnight then you are asking for trouble. I would expect to pay a deposit if I hire equipment to cover loss or damage however.
On the upstairs one this has happened to me on numerous occasions. I dont think I have ever charged extra but I do make it clear to the client that it may delay the start of my performance unless they want to help carry some of the gear. I am not going to work myself into a lather because I have been given inaccurate information.

[CRAZY K]

Crazy K

Can you use the edit button and merge all your posts together next time please, or the multi quote button? Ta.

Im getting there Darren ( slowly) --I thought through some magic of the system they had all been integrated ---

Disappointing eh?

It was you:D

Sorry to increase the workload

:sofa:

CRAZY K

[PropellerHeadCase]

I do suspect that this almost eager-puppy willingness to please by not charging for things that relate to significant additional work (whether or not it relates to significant additional time), and especially things that require significant additional work AND significant additional time is a an additional reason why DJs are often not taken seriously as businesses.

If I were a professional sound engineer and the event suddenly required additional lapel mics, a fold back monitor and incidental music with cues I'd be charging more... and most people would expect it. Instead I'm a DJ who happens to be a proficient, semi-professional audio engineer suddenly such additional work isn't chargeable?

What makes me think that DJs are very often the target for the taking of the Michael.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Good post Al.

[CRAZY K]

:
I do suspect that this almost eager-puppy willingness to please by not charging for things that relate to significant additional work (whether or not it relates to significant additional time), and especially things that require significant additional work AND significant additional time is a an additional reason why DJs are often not taken seriously as businesses.

If I were a professional sound engineer and the event suddenly required additional lapel mics, a fold back monitor and incidental music with cues I'd be charging more... and most people would expect it. Instead I'm a DJ who happens to be a proficient, semi-professional audio engineer suddenly such additional work isn't chargeable?

What makes me think that DJs are very often the target for the taking of the Michael.

I would agree with at as well--in addition its funny when you arrive at the gig
as per last week you become--- the Man who has it all in the van---

Like the boss of the Inflatable Church erectors said---have you got a table we can put the temporary PA on --thats theirs not mine :eek: err yes.

Do you have a cloth we could borrow--yup its tartan

Do you have a converter plug for the PA ( theirs ) err yes

The Vicar ( pretend Vicar) said do you have any sellotape I need to stick my speech into this notebook ---err yes

All that was needed was a request for the kitchen sink--yeah thats in the roofbox.:bang:

Somehow you become this all powerful person who can solve all problems at the Wedding---mainly in fact none you are being paid for:(

However I like to be helpful--the team of about 6 lugged all my gear in and out at the end of gig so you have to be grateful---even if it was piled in a heap which I had to then sort out and took longer than normal loading.

IN PITCH BLACK--NO LIGHTS OTHER THAN CAR HEADLIGHTS.

This was another gig ( note Rob) where I slapped an extra £25 on top for what I knew would be a load of aggro loading and unloading, not even upstairs;)

Far as im concerned --its take the price or leave it--I guess at this time of year there are a lot of these awkward outside gigs to work on.

CRAZY K

[Dragonfly]

Like the boss of the Inflatable Church erectors said---have you got a table we can put the temporary PA on --thats theirs not mine :eek: err yes.

CRAZY K

You big fibber ...... it's just an ironing board and a cloth if my memory serves me correctly :D :D :D :D :D :D :D ;) ;) :beer1: :beer1: :beer1:

[Javlingames]

I think it is fine to charge for awkward access when the initial booking has been taken but if i was to arrive at a job and there was stairs involved , personally, I dont think I would have the balls to say i want extra before i set up because theres 12 steps there that the client never mentioned. I would just get on with it and take it on the chin, besides how do you realistically price yourself if there are stairs involved? do you just pluk an even figure out of the air? how would you price it?

[PropellerHeadCase]

Good post Al.

Why thank you, sir.

[Corabar Steve]

Im getting there Darren ( slowly) --I thought through some magic of the system they had all been integrated ---

Disappointing eh?

It was you:D

Sorry to increase the workload

:sofa:

CRAZY K

A fair bit of the time it's me.

[Excalibur]

A fair bit of the time it's me.

What do you want, a medal? :confused: At least it gives you an incentive to actually read some posts. :p :D :D I'm still waiting for a fuller apology than a full moon. ;) ;)

[Corabar Steve]

:moon:http://planetsmilies.net/vicious-smiley-1763.gif (http://planetsmilies.net):moon:

[Excalibur]

:moon:http://planetsmilies.net/vicious-smiley-1763.gif (http://planetsmilies.net):moon:

Well it's undeniably fuller, but still lacking the tone of contriteness I was expecting. :confused: