Longest time between enquiry and booking

[wensleydale]

I was having a chat today with another DJ who quoted on a job last week and hasnt heard back- he was convinced he had lost it but I pointed out that I have had quotes confirmed to bookings - one springs to mind that was 6 weeks between enquiry and booking and another today where there was 2 weeks between emails as if it were 2 minutes.

Whats the longest you have had and at what stage do you send a gentle reminder?

[Steve the DJ]

The longest I have had was just short of 3 months, in fact when they got in touch it took me a while to work out what they were going on about as I couldn't remember quoting them as it had been so long... :o

[DJ Jules]

Whats the longest you have had and at what stage do you send a gentle reminder?

The longest I have had was for a wedding I did back in March. The original enquiry came through in June 2009, followed up by an email from the Bride to be on the 22nd Jan 2010, the actual hire was on Mar the 26th!

6 Months from enquiry to booking, and then just 3 until the gig! I don't normally chase enquiries after the initial contact if I don't get a response to my quote, unless there was something in the initial enquiry that makes me think that it is appropriate to pursue the booking (i.e. the contact came by recommendation or it is from a customer I already know).

Julian

[rob1963]

The longest I have had was just short of 3 months

I've had something similar.

I had an enquiry last summer about a wedding disco this summer. I confirmed I was available on the date they wanted & answered their questions, but assumed I'd lost the booking when I heard nothing back.

Then, two or three months later she emailed me again so apologise for not coming back sooner & explained it was because she'd been in hospital having a baby.

She also confirmed she wanted to book me, which made me laugh, as she didn't even ask if I was still available! I normally wouldn't have been, but in this case she was lucky, as I was.

[Corabar Entertainment]

We've had enquiries we assumed were long gone, then months and months later (without referring back to us) the deposit and booking form arrive.

It always amazes me that people will do this without checking whether or not you are still available!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Same here and on one occasion I had to call the customer and inform them that I would be sending back their booking fee because I had no availability. They weren't too happy at the time but I informed them that I had been emailing them to see if they wanted to go ahead. It was then that they informed me that they had changed their email address without telling me.

Yes, I could have called them but at the time I thought a gentle reminder by email was the best way. I don't do it like that now. If I get an enquiry and haven't heard from it after giving the quotation for around 10 days then I will chase it by phonecall first and then email.

[Jonny Boy]

Ha! I trump with a 9 month hand!

I met a couple at an autumn wedding fayre, took their details and emailed a price for a wedding a year ahead. Heard nothing back.

Met them again the following spring and chatted. Discussed that the old quote was no longer valid and due to <various reasons> the price had now gone up quite a bit. Gave them a new price there and then. Held no hope, heard nothing.

Then in the early summer they got in touch with me again, their wedding now 1-2 months off, asking for current price and saying they really wanted wanted to go ahead anyway. I held the 2nd price. They booked.

So - aprox 9 months. They just needed a really good think, obviously.

[Vectis]

I had a gig in 2008 that almost went totally pear-shaped.

Basically, in January I had an enquiry for an engagement party in March, and "if we like you we'll book you for the wedding on Xth December".

Anyway, the contract went off for the engagement and was duly returned and the gig went ahead. It was a cracking night and as the B+G-2-B were last to leave I tried a bit of fishing for the wedding gig. They said they'd get in touch once they'd decided on the venue (it was to be the same one but they weren't happy with the catering). So I left it at that.

Sure enough, no contact so I presumed I'd blown it.

As December Saturdays do, it soon booked up in any case with Xmas parties.

It wasn't until about the last week of November that I received an email confirming the first dance and asking what time we'd be on-site :eek:

That was a difficult phone call :o