A Major Problem

[501damian501]

I took a booking last year i believe it was, now i was informed today that their choosen venue went bust:eek:, and they have changed their venue, now this venue is a rather nice hotel and also contains stairs and the rest of the :Censored: that comes with working in hotels, I have a booking form and t&c from them, now how do i change my qoute, do i simply ring them up and say the first qoute you recieved from me was based on your first choosen venue and maybe loose the work, or do i stick to my first price ?

cheers damian

[Cj_The_Dj]

only change it if the price would be different IE. longer distance to drive, more equipment means more set up time, access problems (most people charge extra for this). then i would ring them and say the price would change beacuse......

[Shaun]

Contact them and let them know any change in price. Also let them know that the original contract is now void due to the change of venue, and issue them with a new contract to reflect the changes.

[501damian501]

Contact them and let them know any change in price. Also let them know that the original contract is now void due to the change of venue, and issue them with a new contract to reflect the changes.

Cheers shaun, i was thinking about putting this into my t&c, after all this, how would i word it...

cheers

[Vectis]

Not being funny, but shouldn't your Ts & Cs have been fully thought through for all eventualities BEFORE you sent them out to a punter?

A change of venue isn't the most unusual circumstance after all... happens to me at least 2 or 3 times a year.

[501damian501]

Not being funny, but shouldn't your Ts & Cs have been fully thought through for all eventualities BEFORE you sent them out to a punter?

A change of venue isn't the most unusual circumstance after all... happens to me at least 2 or 3 times a year.

yes i know, but i didnt think of this untill now, everytime something happens i rewrite the t&c to make them stronger.

[Tony Scott]

Were you happy with your original fee?...

...if so just do this one for the same price and look at it as a lesson learned, that way you look good in the eyes of the client, you won't loose the gig and you can change your T&C's so if it happens again you are covered.

That's what I'd do, I'd rather do the gig than loose it over a little bit more cash, you never know the new venue may have there own DJ and might try to push for your clients to use him/her, don't give them any reason to not use you. :)

EDIT: I wouldn't really call this a 'Major problem' tbh Damian, more a minor hassle.....:D

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I argee with tony here getting your foot in the door of a venue is worth more to you than a few extra bucks

[rob1963]

I took a booking last year i believe it was, now i was informed today that their choosen venue went bust:eek:, and they have changed their venue, now this venue is a rather nice hotel and also contains stairs and the rest of the :Censored: that comes with working in hotels, I have a booking form and t&c from them, now how do i change my qoute, do i simply ring them up and say the first qoute you recieved from me was based on your first choosen venue and maybe loose the work, or do i stick to my first price ?

cheers damian

Would you have quoted more if the booking was at the new venue in the first place?

If so, then increase your price & explain that the previous quote was for a venue with easier access, not so far away, or whatever the reason.

Simple!

:D

[501damian501]

i am abit drastic at times lol, thats the autisum, i think i,ll keep the price the same, untill ive been to check out the venue, lets hope theirs not mountains of stairs...

[Shaun]

Not being funny, but shouldn't your Ts & Cs have been fully thought through for all eventualities BEFORE you sent them out to a punter?

A change of venue isn't the most unusual circumstance after all... happens to me at least 2 or 3 times a year.

Interesting. I don't currently have anything in my T&C's regarding change of venue or change of details. The few times a venue has been changed I've informed them that I'll have to send them an updated contract to be signed, never had any issue with that method.

Anyone care to share the "wording" they use for such an addition to the T&C's? Feel free to PM it if you'd rather not post it on the open forum. Thanks.

[501damian501]

Interesting. I don't currently have anything in my T&C's regarding change of venue or change of details. The few times a venue has been changed I've informed them that I'll have to send them an updated contract to be signed, never had any issue with that method.

Anyone care to share the "wording" they use for such an addition to the T&C's? Feel free to PM it if you'd rather not post it on the open forum. Thanks.

shaun would you care to share them with me once uve got them, as this is my thread ;)

[Vectis]

Anyone care to share the "wording" they use for such an addition to the T&C's? Feel free to PM it if you'd rather not post it on the open forum. Thanks.

<snip>
If you amend the requirements for your event we reserve the right to increase the final balance in accordance with our standard scale of charges for any additional services provided or costs incurred;

If you change the venue, this may result in the need to upgrade or downgrade the equipment package or increased time on-site. Upgrades will be charged accordingly. Downgrades will not result in a reduced balance as equipment will have been reserved specifically for your event which may have been otherwise sold;
</snip>

I don't have mileage considerations as many of you do, so that needs to be factored in.

[Shaun]

Looks good Martin. Thanks.

[rob1963]

I'm just wondering how necessary it is to have something in the t&c about a change of venue, or indeed the times.

If the original quote was based on a particular venue or times which subsequently change, if the new venue is further away or has more awkward access, therefore taking more of your time, or if the new times are longer, then common sense would suggest that people would not be surprised if the price increased to account for this.

However, it would not be so easy to increase the price for people like myself with fixed prices (subject to a few bits of basic criteria) in the first place.

[Vectis]

However, it would not be so easy to increase the price for people like myself with fixed prices (subject to a few bits of basic criteria) in the first place.

Rob - there's no-one like you matey :p :D

I like my Ts & Cs to be representative of the issues I've actually faced over the years, and for me venue changes happens a lot. The most common reason is there are a couple of "sought-after" (if you believe their marketing hype), "top-notch" (price-wise) venues locally that are nice as pie until they've got your deposit, after which 'computer says no' prevails and ultimately B&G get miffed off and find somewhere more thankful for their business.

[rob1963]

Rob - there's no-one like you matey :p :D


That's just the way I like it, Vectis.

After all, who wants to be the same as everyone else?

:D :D :D


I like my Ts & Cs to be representative of the issues I've actually faced over the years, and for me venue changes happens a lot.

I'm exactly the same, and that's probably why my terms don't specifically cover venue changes...as I can only think of two occasions over the years when the venue was changed, and with one of those, the disco was cancelled a little while after the venue change anyway, this being due to the bride & groom splitting up!

[PropellerHeadCase]

I'm just wondering how necessary it is to have something in the t&c about a change of venue, or indeed the times.

If the original quote was based on a particular venue or times which subsequently change, if the new venue is further away or has more awkward access, therefore taking more of your time, or if the new times are longer, then common sense would suggest that people would not be surprised if the price increased to account for this.

However, it would not be so easy to increase the price for people like myself with fixed prices (subject to a few bits of basic criteria) in the first place.

But unless you clearly state in the quote and/or subsequent invoice that the location and issues of access are factored into the price and/or that such details form part of the agreement then your contract does not contemplate changes in these as being the basis for a commensurate change in price, as such someone could void the contract by claiming that such changes to the price are outside of the contract (which would be handy for them if they've changed venues and the new venue will include a DJ for free).




After all, who wants to be the same as everyone else?

Yes, Rob, you're unique... just like everybody else ;)

[CRAZY K]

Cheers shaun, i was thinking about putting this into my t&c, after all this, how would i word it...

cheers

You dont need a condition --as Elite pointed out the original Contract is void because of a change of Contract Details---the venue.

So you rip that up and start again:D

Apart from a bit of lugging upstairs surely everything is the same.

Your a young fit healthy guy I assume--if not you need a roadie;)

Unlike me:eek:

Last Saturday I covered the Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent.

15 steps on a spiral staircase--no lift.

I charged standard price--cut back on heavy equipment like subs.

Hard work--but hey saves on membership down at the gymn:D :D :D

CRAZY K

[DazzyD]

Not being funny, but shouldn't your Ts & Cs have been fully thought through for all eventualities BEFORE you sent them out to a punter?

A change of venue isn't the most unusual circumstance after all... happens to me at least 2 or 3 times a year.

As a wedding specialist, I get a lot of provisional bookings where details do change. It is written in to my T&Cs, under "Changes to Circumstances", that venue changes may be subject to a change in price if the new venue is more than 2 miles away from the original. If it's within 2 miles, prices stay the same (assuming I am not using more kit) but it may take a rethink on the rig I need to put together for the event.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Damian, not being funny but I think you are having a bubble mate. Why are you going to change your price just because of some stairs? Deal with it. I personally wouldn't embarass myself and just get on with it if I were you.

If I were the customer I would laugh, not just at you but anyone who decided to increase their prices just because it may be a bit more awkward to set up. I could understand a little bit if the venue was say, 20 or 30 miles away and you wanted to get some petrol money but if the venue is nearby and it's just the stairs that are bothering you then I wouldn't bother and I would just get on with it.

[rob1963]

Why are you going to change your price just because of some stairs? Deal with it. I personally wouldn't embarass myself and just get on with it if I were you.

If I were the customer I would laugh, not just at you but anyone who decided to increase their prices just because it may be a bit more awkward to set up.

I understand where you're coming from, Gary, but I also know from several years on this forum that there ARE quite a few discos who charge more if the gig is not on the ground floor.

Bearing in mind that an upstairs gig will involve more work & more time, I can fully understand why some people would charge extra for this. After all, it's our time & work we're charging for.

For the record, I charge the same rate regardless of which floor the function is on. I only have a couple of upstairs gigs each year anyway, so it's not a problem for me.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Rob, I am the same and believe it or not, I do understand if people want to charge that bit extra if they think it's going to be harder work for them. My problem with this thread is that I think it's out of order to ask for more money when you are doing the same job that you quoted for in the first place. All that is different is that it's a different venue and there may be a few stairs to go up and down.

The other thing, and no'one seems to have mentioned this yet is.... What about the bride and groom? They may have been mucked around by the venue going bust (as Damian explains in this example) and may be down on the whole thing as their plans have gone to pot. How do you think they're going to feel when their DJ starts asking for more money because of the change of venue. It's embarassing in my opinion, both for the DJ and the customer.

It's like me saying..."Well, I quoted you £300.00 to DJ from 7.30pm - Midnight at (example) The Red Lion Hotel but as the venue is now (example) The Golden Pot Hotel, the price has now increased to £325.00"

The customer asks why and what do you say? Do you come clean and explain that you have stairs to combat or do you make up something else? I just don't think it's worth it and it's another reason why, sometimes....just sometimes, I would rather not read some of the stuff on this and other forums because it seems / appears (just an observation), that there are some people out there (and I am NOT pointing the finger at anyone, including Damian), that just try to squeeze as much out of the customer as they can.

[Javlingames]

Damian, not being funny but I think you are having a bubble mate. Why are you going to change your price just because of some stairs? Deal with it. I personally wouldn't embarass myself and just get on with it if I were you.

If I were the customer I would laugh, not just at you but anyone who decided to increase their prices just because it may be a bit more awkward to set up. I could understand a little bit if the venue was say, 20 or 30 miles away and you wanted to get some petrol money but if the venue is nearby and it's just the stairs that are bothering you then I wouldn't bother and I would just get on with it.

I totally agree with you, its called a mobile disco for a reason.


Rob, I am the same and believe it or not, I do understand if people want to charge that bit extra if they think it's going to be harder work for them. My problem with this thread is that I think it's out of order to ask for more money when you are doing the same job that you quoted for in the first place. All that is different is that it's a different venue and there may be a few stairs to go up and down.

The other thing, and no'one seems to have mentioned this yet is.... What about the bride and groom? They may have been mucked around by the venue going bust (as Damian explains in this example) and may be down on the whole thing as their plans have gone to pot. How do you think they're going to feel when their DJ starts asking for more money because of the change of venue. It's embarassing in my opinion, both for the DJ and the customer.

It's like me saying..."Well, I quoted you £300.00 to DJ from 7.30pm - Midnight at (example) The Red Lion Hotel but as the venue is now (example) The Golden Pot Hotel, the price has now increased to £325.00"

The customer asks why and what do you say? Do you come clean and explain that you have stairs to combat or do you make up something else? I just don't think it's worth it and it's another reason why, sometimes....just sometimes, I would rather not read some of the stuff on this and other forums because it seems / appears (just an observation), that there are some people out there (and I am NOT pointing the finger at anyone, including Damian), that just try to squeeze as much out of the customer as they can.

LOL I agree again!! Your on form today..

[Shaun]

The customer asks why and what do you say? Do you come clean and explain that you have stairs to combat

ABSOLUTELY!! That's exactly what I'd say (and have said).

I have a wedding coming up next week which has two functions halls (upper and lower). The upper hall involves around 50 to 60 steps up a long spiralling staircase. During the time of booking and on the contract they specified that the lower hall was the one they'd be using. A few weeks ago they let me know that they made a mistake and it was now the upper hall.

To navigate all the equipment up the stairs is going to involve a awful lot more time and work so I charged accordingly. The extra fee will go towards bringing in an extra pair of hands. The client fully understood the reasons why the extra fee was charged, and returned to the new amended contract to me.

If more work and time is involved I cannot for the life of me understand the reasoning NOT to charge extra....and it has NOTHING to do with trying to squeeze as much out of the customer as possible.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Shaun, apologies if you took it that way and you are definitely not one of the people that I was thinking of when I said the 'Squeezing..' comment. Infact, there aren't any names I can actually remember on here that do that, maybe some do? I don't know? You've explained your situation clearly and that's cool. The way Damian has written his explanation comes across differently, well to me anyway.

[Shaun]

I didn't take it as aimed at me Gary, although it could look that way with my emphasis on the bold words. :) I was just trying to express why I thought charging more was essential in some situations. :)

[501damian501]

Damian, not being funny but I think you are having a bubble mate. Why are you going to change your price just because of some stairs? Deal with it. I personally wouldn't embarass myself and just get on with it if I were you.

If I were the customer I would laugh, not just at you but anyone who decided to increase their prices just because it may be a bit more awkward to set up. I could understand a little bit if the venue was say, 20 or 30 miles away and you wanted to get some petrol money but if the venue is nearby and it's just the stairs that are bothering you then I wouldn't bother and I would just get on with it.

not really, stairs and obstructions get an addtional cost...

[djsteve10]

not really, stairs and obstructions get an addtional cost...

Come off it, What if you have arrived at a venue you have never been to before and you see a flight of steps, Do you say to the client "£25 extra due to the stairs please"


... I don't think so.

Honour the booking and the client will see your hard work and what you have put in to make their event go well.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I don't generally charge more for stairs - in fact 2 of my regular venues have them. However, I totally agree with Shaun that if I quoted on something and the access changed dramatically and it took more time, effort and staff, then yes I would charge more.

[501damian501]

Come off it, What if you have arrived at a venue you have never been to before and you see a flight of steps, Do you say to the client "£25 extra due to the stairs please" .

clearly you DONT check out venues before gigging at them!

this wouldnt be a problem, as we try to check out all places we gig at!

[Mark Wild]

clearly you DONT check out venues before gigging at them!

this wouldnt be a problem, as we try to check out all places we gig at!

Even if it was a 2 hour drive?

[[email protected]]

Even if it was a 2 hour drive?

Can't it be as simple as a quick check on their website or phone call to the venue?

[Mark Wild]

Can't it be as simple as a quick check on their website or phone call to the venue?

I doubt there would be pictures or content on a website which would be helpful, "This is the stairs" lol. Maybe a phone call yeah, but not really getting much of a personal visual or feeling of the certain obsticles. Personally I just thinks its a bit of a bummer if you get a few flights of stairs, wipe your brow and get on with it. Not something I want to charge more for. I guess if the venue was called "The Lighthouse Penthouse" I might need to rethink it a bit. lol

[rob1963]

Come off it, What if you have arrived at a venue you have never been to before and you see a flight of steps, Do you say to the client "£25 extra due to the stairs please"


... I don't think so.



I could, as this is covered in my terms & conditions...although in reality I wouldn't just because of one flight of stairs.

My terms state that if there are access problems which we were not previously advised of, we can make an addition charge of up to £50, payable in cash before we remove any equipment from our vehicles, and that this might also delay the starting time.

An unexpected flight of stairs COULD be seen as an access problem.

[[email protected]]

I doubt there would be pictures or content on a website which would be helpful, "This is the stairs" lol. Maybe a phone call yeah, but not really getting much of a personal visual or feeling of the certain obsticles. Personally I just thinks its a bit of a bummer if you get a few flights of stairs, wipe your brow and get on with it. Not something I want to charge more for. I guess if the venue was called "The Lighthouse Penthouse" I might need to rethink it a bit. lol

i haven't been caught out yet with taking a look on the venues website, especially now with venues having to be disabled friendly, they are normally quite upfront as to whether there are lifts etc etc. They'll usually mention if it's a 1st floor suite etc etc.

But i do have to agree with you, if i did get to a venue and the load in is slightly challenging then i'd just get on with it.

What would others do if it was a marquee job, do you work a fee out on the distance from van to marquee (ie you can only park in the front garden and the is in the back garden), or do you just get there 20 mins earlier to allow for the extra few steps?

[rob1963]

What would others do if it was a marquee job, do you work a fee out on the distance from van to marquee (ie you can only park in the front garden and the is in the back garden), or do you just get there 20 mins earlier to allow for the extra few steps?

If I didn't know better, I might think you were being a bit sarcastic there! ;)

[[email protected]]

who me? :whome: :beer1:

[Bouncy Dancefloor]

do people charge extra for lifts? i find them a total bugger, all that lifting, putting down, cramming into the lift, then unloading it all again

often if its one set of stairs, ill just tackle them and be done with it

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Damian, once again you talk a good talk etc etc but still no evidence of a website or anything matey. Not having a go or anything but don't you think it's about time you got one up and running to maximise your bookings etc? I know that's going slightly off topic.

[Bouncy Dancefloor]

im starting to think hes just an "enthusiast", which is fine, but you have to admit it and stop being so cocky. This probably explains why hes got so much free time to go along to Penmare (pikey mod) gigs

[flatliners]

Were you happy with your original fee?...

...if so just do this one for the same price and look at it as a lesson learned, that way you look good in the eyes of the client, you won't loose the gig and you can change your T&C's so if it happens again you are covered.

That's what I'd do, I'd rather do the gig than loose it over a little bit more cash, you never know the new venue may have there own DJ and might try to push for your clients to use him/her, don't give them any reason to not use you. :)

EDIT: I wouldn't really call this a 'Major problem' tbh Damian, more a minor hassle.....:D

i agree with tony.
you could send a contract with change of venue on it saying that normally there would have been a charge of x for stairs ect but say you will not charge this makes you look good

[Shaun]

i agree with tony.
you could send a contract with change of venue on it saying that normally there would have been a charge of x for stairs ect but say you will not charge this makes you look good

I disagree. Stairs equate to more work. Charge extra for the stairs, and 'knock 'em dead' with a fantastic performance - you'll still look good, regardless!