Same Price On New Years Eve !

[JTRS]

My car was in the garage today for an electrical fault so for the first time in ages I used a taxi, the conversation swung around to New Years Eve and I was amazed to find out that nearly all the private hire companies are NOT charging extra for New Years Eve.

Apparently, the year before last a price war (for want of a better phrase) broke out and one big company announced it was usual rates on New Years Eve, result was that a lot of people were prepared to wait for their cars rather than pay extra for a car straight away, and when they announced the same last year most of the competitors followed suit, so this year it appears everyone is doing it.

That's good news for the revellers but bad news for the drivers. I don't think this trend will extend to the entertainment sector but just wondered if anyone had come across anyone not charging extra for New Years Eve in your area?

JTRS

[Charlie Brown]

As you live in the Midlands, can I ask what firm it is?

I've got a taxi booked for tomorrow night and it's costing a mortgage!

[Danno13]

I didn't think it mattered after midnight as this is a premium rate anyway? Then again I've never booked a taxi on NYE.

[Charlie Brown]

I didn't think it mattered after midnight as this is a premium rate anyway? Then again I've never booked a taxi on NYE.

:confused:

Never heard that before.

Taxi prices don't change depending on what time you take them.

[STEVE HANLEY]

I believe the taxi firms in North Tyneside have had this policy for a few years now.

[Danno13]

:confused:

Never heard that before.

Taxi prices don't change depending on what time you take them.

Yes they do, after midnight it's usually time and a half, if not double. Bank holidays are the same in the daytime too, hence why I was guessing there wouldn't be a difference, but I could be wrong.

[Charlie Brown]

Yes they do, after midnight it's usually time and a half, if not double. Bank holidays are the same in the daytime too, hence why I was guessing there wouldn't be a difference, but I could be wrong.

Well, I'm surprised!

Honestly, in Nottingham, I'm yet to come across that.

I get taxis all over the shot! Especially since the wheels fell off my tricycle. :p

[Andy Goodtimes]

My Mum got a taxi round here on Christmas Day as everyone was drinking and it was usual rate.

I have heard of a couple of local DJs charging £200 and £250 but that is more than their normal rate as they are normally round the £120 mark.

I do res work through December and get £320 per night and a couple of years ago the one venue asked me to do NY and I agreed, they said they were sorry but they couldn't pay more than double rate and would that be ok. I never tried for more as I thought £640 was good and especially as I also provide the cover for the overspill room its more than ok with me. I use my second show and a retired DJ mate who is actually very good to do the second room and he is over the moon with £500 to turn up and just do the job so I'm happy with £780. I think NY should be more money but don't agree with ripping folk off, I don't really feel guilty as I am getting what the client wanted to pay and it wasn't me that asked for it. They do ok though, so far we have 260 booked for the main room and 120 for the overspill at £55 per head, the drinks aint cheap either and the hotel bedrooms have long been all booked.

Also consider that the singer in one room is on £900 and the band in my room are on £2,300, dunno what the table magicians and bag pipers get but they will prob be on a decent rate too.

I have one mate charging £1,250 and another £700 + evening meal, double room and breakfast for him and his Wife...I know loads charging in the region of £500.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Yep as Dan says taxis charge more for different days and past midnight.

[Jonathan Ford]

With the taxi thing, though it's been a while for me, as far as I remember it's usual to charge more after midnight.

Having given it some thought, I can't think of a single good reason why we (as mobile DJ's) charge more for NYE. I'll admit that I generally do charge significantly more on NYE...but if I was challenged on it I'd have to put my hands up and say "blatant profiteering". It would be easy enough to justify charging more after midnight, because New Years Day is a Bank Holiday, but otherwise.....I'm fresh out of ideas!

[JTRS]

As you live in the Midlands, can I ask what firm it is?

I've got a taxi booked for tomorrow night and it's costing a mortgage!

You might want to consider Google Earth, or asking someone at your school who does Geography where I am in relation to you!

JTRS

[Charlie Brown]

You might want to consider Google Earth, or asking someone at your school who does Geography where I am in relation to you!

JTRS

I did Geography but for some reason thought you were Jonathan! :o

[JTRS]

With the taxi thing, though it's been a while for me, as far as I remember it's usual to charge more after midnight.

Having given it some thought, I can't think of a single good reason why we (as mobile DJ's) charge more for NYE. I'll admit that I generally do charge significantly more on NYE...but if I was challenged on it I'd have to put my hands up and say "blatant profiteering". It would be easy enough to justify charging more after midnight, because New Years Day is a Bank Holiday, but otherwise.....I'm fresh out of ideas!

One of the fundamental price drivers is supply and demand.

As demand starts to outstrip supply then prices rise, call it blatant profiteering or call it simple economics, but that's the way our econmomy works with virtually every commodity.

I personally charge more on NYE because it has to be worth my while to go out and DJ, I choose to give up a 'special night', special in the sense that it doesn't happen every week and instead of having a good time with as a reveller I am the one working, and that comes at a price that is way above what I charge for a 'normal' evening.

Ask any landlord what he has offered the staff to work that night and I don't suppose many will say normal rates, because given the choice between working for normal rates on a special evening or being able to be out enjoying it needs an incentive, and the biggest incentive is...........financial.

Landlords know that if they don't have entertainment on NYE then they are more likely to be quiet/empty so they lose out, so I don't think that many of them would see it as blatant profiteering by the DJ, it's just <insert song by Bruce Hornsby and The Range>.

JTRS

PS Just out of interest, given what you said about NYE why is it that you are OK about charging more for a Bank Holiday, I'm assuming you are a self employed DJ ????????????????

[Jonathan Ford]

One of the fundamental price drivers is supply and demand.

As demand starts to outstrip supply then prices rise, call it blatant profiteering or call it simple economics, but that's the way our econmomy works with virtually every commodity.

I personally charge more on NYE because it has to be worth my while to go out and DJ, I choose to give up a 'special night', special in the sense that it doesn't happen every week and instead of having a good time with as a reveller I am the one working, and that comes at a price that is way above what I charge for a 'normal' evening.

Ask any landlord what he has offered the staff to work that night and I don't suppose many will say normal rates, because given the choice between working for normal rates on a special evening or being able to be out enjoying it needs an incentive, and the biggest incentive is...........financial.

Landlords know that if they don't have entertainment on NYE then they are more likely to be quiet/empty so they lose out, so I don't think that many of them would see it as blatant profiteering by the DJ, it's just <insert song by Bruce Hornsby and The Range>.

JTRS

I fully accept your point, but I'm not sure that demand even comes close to outstripping supply....but perhaps clients aren't aware of that.

I've never bought into paying staff an enhanced rate for NYE either; when I was a hotel GM, my staff worked for flat rate until midnight, and then either time and a half or time off in leiu after midnight. The incentive was having work in January; with a finite number of casual hours available. Of course, full timers worked for flat rate regardless.

[JTRS]

I fully accept your point, but I'm not sure that demand even comes close to outstripping supply....but perhaps clients aren't aware of that.

I've never bought into paying staff an enhanced rate for NYE either; when I was a hotel GM, my staff worked for flat rate until midnight, and then either time and a half or time off in leiu after midnight. The incentive was having work in January; with a finite number of casual hours available. Of course, full timers worked for flat rate regardless.

OK well speaking personally I get lot more enquiries for NYE than any other night of the year, hence why I said that demand was higher, certainly many venues around here that don't have a regular DJ or entertainment want one for NYE.

I can see your point as well, but I'm curious about your Bank Holiday comment, you seem to accept that Bank Holidays justify additional money, and for employed people I fully accept and agree that because they are statutory holidays, but as a self employed person (which as DJ I assume you are) how does that then apply to you?

JTRS

[Penfold42]

Everyone is entitled to earning a crust.....depends if you want to give them that crust!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I think most venues accept that DJs charge more on NYE. I'm sure most of them don't keep their prices the same.

[Jonathan Ford]

OK well speaking personally I get lot more enquiries for NYE than any other night of the year, hence why I said that demand was higher, certainly many venues around here that don't have a regular DJ or entertainment want one for NYE.

I can see your point as well, but I'm curious about your Bank Holiday comment, you seem to accept that Bank Holidays justify additional money, and for employed people I fully accept and agree that because they are statutory holidays, but as a self employed person (which as DJ I assume you are) how does that then apply to you?

JTRS

Sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean.

As I said earlier, I charge more for NYE (though as previously stated would struggle to defend myself if challenged as to why) and I do for a statutory holiday.

[JTRS]

Sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean.

As I said earlier, I charge more for NYE (though as previously stated would struggle to defend myself if challenged as to why) and I do for a statutory holiday.

It was something you said earlier, about you couldn't honestly say why you charged more for NYE, but you felt OK about charging more for a Bank Holiday.

That to me doesn't equate with a self employed person, and I just wondered why you saw it that way?

JTRS

[Jonathan Ford]

It was something you said earlier, about you couldn't honestly say why you charged more for NYE, but you felt OK about charging more for a Bank Holiday.

That to me doesn't equate with a self employed person, and I just wondered why you saw it that way?

JTRS

Dunno. Dirty double standard I suppose. However, I don't entirely see what employment status has to do with it? Surely a self-employed plumber would charge more to come out on a bank holiday?

I will fall on my sword, and admit that public holidays, Xmas, NY etc., mean absolutely nothing to me.

[JTRS]

Dunno. Dirty double standard I suppose. However, I don't entirely see what employment status has to do with it? Surely a self-employed plumber would charge more to come out on a bank holiday?

I will fall on my sword, and admit that public holidays, Xmas, NY etc., mean absolutely nothing to me.

Hey I wasn't trying to have a go, it just seemed odd that you weer OK about a bank holiday surcharge but not a NYE one.

Employment status has everything to do with it, an employed person has certian rights that an employer must comply with, ie bank holidays are statutory so everyone can insist on not having to work (certain exceptions like Emergency services obviously), so an employer has to make some incentive to get staff in, however a self employed person does not have those rights. In essence a self employed person sets their own rates for whenever they work, and that seemed at odds with you not being comfortable charghing more for NYE but OK with doing so on a Bank Holiday.

That's what I was trying to understand.

JTRS

[Jonathan Ford]

Hey I wasn't trying to have a go, it just seemed odd that you weer OK about a bank holiday surcharge but not a NYE one.

Employment status has everything to do with it, an employed person has certian rights that an employer must comply with, ie bank holidays are statutory so everyone can insist on not having to work (certain exceptions like Emergency services obviously), so an employer has to make some incentive to get staff in, however a self employed person does not have those rights. In essence a self employed person sets their own rates for whenever they work, and that seemed at odds with you not being comfortable charghing more for NYE but OK with doing so on a Bank Holiday.

That's what I was trying to understand.

JTRS

I didn't think you were having a pop, mate :beer1: :beer1:

I wasn't aware that there is any requirement for employees to have statutory holidays off. I can't remember exactly as it was some years ago, but as far as I can remember we used to give leiu days and that was all.