when will they learn?

[gaza]

answer = never.

well some people anyway, just had a lady ask if i was free this saturday, i said sorry i am booked on saturday and i asked her why the short notice, she said that a freind of a freind is a dj and he said that he would do the disco for a few drinks but now he can't do it. when i asked what the party was for, she said it was a surprise party for her dads 50th and i said " it will be a surprise when everyone turns up and there is no dj, even when she called me the first thing she said was how much instead of " are you available.:mad:

[Jason]

I've had a few availability checks for this Saturday... I wonder if she tried me! lol

Normally, I'm sympathetic and don't kick the boot in.
I do try to be as helpful as possible, as the word on the night will be "the DJ let her down", so "DJ's let people down" = we'll all be tarred with the same brush.



But... if I get the "how much" call and they really don't want to talk, I just quote 7-12 with set-up & packup included so it'll never be a low fee.
I'm not going to throw a "best case" figure at them if they can't spare 2 mins to cover the basics.

So, sadly not surprised either..

[Shaun]

when i asked what the party was for, she said it was a surprise party for her dads 50th and i said " it will be a surprise when everyone turns up and there is no dj, even when she called me the first thing she said was how much instead of " are you available.:mad:

Did you really say "it will be a surprise when everyone turns up and there is no dj"? I don't think there was any need to make the enquirer feel uneasy or worry even more than she is already with the comment you made. Sorry.

She's no doubt worried about finding a DJ at short notice after the 'friend of a friend' has let her down. In these hard times a lot of people are on fixed income and the thought of trying to find money that she didn't think she would need to pay for another DJ might be a major deciding factor on who she hires as a replacement - in that case I see nothing wrong with her asking "how much" as her first question. I also don't get your "when will they learn" comment. Some clients are more focused on the cost more than others. Some are more focused on getting the best service they can, with cost being a less important factor. I don't think the more cost conscientious have anything to "learn" though. Different strokes for different folks.

[gaza]

Did you really say "it will be a surprise when everyone turns up and there is no dj"? I don't think there was any need to make the enquirer feel uneasy or worry even more than she is already with the comment you made. Sorry.

She's no doubt worried about finding a DJ at short notice after the 'friend of a friend' has let her down. In these hard times a lot of people are on fixed income and the thought of trying to find money that she didn't think she would need to pay for another DJ might be a major deciding factor on who she hires as a replacement - in that case I see nothing wrong with her asking "how much" as her first question. I also don't get your "when will they learn" comment. Some clients are more focused on the cost more than others. Some are more focused on getting the best service they can, with cost being a less important factor. I don't think the more cost conscientious have anything to "learn" though. Different strokes for different folks.


I did not say it in a nasty way, it was said in a jokey way and she did actually laugh, but the bit about people on a tight budget, sorry Shaun i disagree with you., if you cant afford to have a party then don't have one. as for the " when will they learn" bit why do people book someone with no paperwork involved.

[Shaun]

but the bit about people on a tight budget, sorry Shaun i disagree with you., if you cant afford to have a party then don't have one.

Some people aren't looking for a great service with all the bells and whistles. All they want is someone cheap that can play some music. Those people will never be my clients, but if there's DJs out there that want to work for peanuts to provide that service to them then fair play. There's all different markets for all different budgets.

[gaza]

Some people aren't looking for a great service with all the bells and whistles. All they want is someone cheap that can play some music. Those people will never be my clients, but if there's DJs out there that want to work for peanuts to provide that service to them then fair play. There's all different markets for all different budgets.


Yes i aggre with that bit, but even when people hire very cheap djs with no paperwork it must be a worry about them turning up.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I'm with Shaun on this one.

I know customers do and say things sometimes that annoy us however you have to remember most of the time its the first time they have booked a disco so price is the first question that pops into their head.

If I had a friend say he would do a job for me I'd rather use him/her than someone else so I see why people do that.

[chrisj]

I had a telphone enquiry today for a 13th birthday disco on Easter Saturday and the mother said 'Oh I never realised discos were so expensive' before asking if I am available just to be told I am already booked.
I didn't ask but I have an idea she is looking at paying £100 or so as when I mentioned £300 she gasped.

[StarZSoundS]

when i asked what the party was for, she said it was a surprise party for her dads 50th and i said " it will be a surprise when everyone turns up and there is no dj,


Nothing wrong with that....its actually quite funny.....shows you have a personality.....folk like and expect that!!!:beer1: :beer1: :beer1: :beer1:

[Shaun]

folk like and expect that!!!:beer1: :beer1: :beer1: :beer1:

Some people may, yes, but I think there would be just as many people that wouldn't. Different people find different things "amusing". A stranger on the other side of the phone....why take the risk? I always think it's better to err on the side of caution even if there's a very small chance of causing offence; but that's just me. Different strokes for different folks. In the context of the OP when I first read it I thought it sounded bad, but gaza has explained that it was said light-hearted and the customer took it in the way it was intended. So no harm no foul.

[gaza]

Some people may, yes, but I think there would be just as many people that wouldn't. Different people find different things "amusing". A stranger on the other side of the phone....why take the risk? I always think it's better to err on the side of caution even if there's a very small chance of causing offence; but that's just me. Different strokes for different folks. In the context of the OP when I first read it I thought it sounded bad, but gaza has explained that it was said light-hearted and the customer took it in the way it was intended. So no harm no foul.


That's it Shaun, i could tell that the lady was quite laid back and that she was not the straight talking type, if she had sounded like the no nonsense type i would not have said it.

[Shaun]

That's it Shaun, i could tell that the lady was quite laid back and that she was not the straight talking type, if she had sounded like the no nonsense type i would not have said it.

That's fair enough. :) :) :beer1:

[DiscoMagic]

I have to say that I am always surprised when DJ's take this kind of stance... Do remember that we ourselves all started out way back when and I very much doubt that anyone a few grand out of the bank and bought amazing equipment, PLI, and 20,000 odd tracks of music over night set up a new disco business with fully fledged terms conditions and booking forms etc etc.

I am not ashamed to say that I started of (like most) with some basic equipment charged £100 and gave out no paper work etc etc. The clientele back then was happy with the service they got and I never let anyone down.

The majority of us on the MDD now aim our services at the higher end of the market, but should we sneer at DJ's starting out or the clientele who can only afford the cheaper options...? I think not.

Moreover I rather think that there is very little information for the general public to find when choosing a DJ which makes it even more difficult for them.

What do find most obtuse, however, are the clients who insist on paying rock bottom prices and then moan like crazy about everything expecting the disco to be like the one they saw at the Corporate Xmas Party function...

My opinion.... :D

[Digital Jack]

My opinion.... :D


Very well put , that's my opinion :sofa: ;)

[COOL HAND LUKE]

I had a telphone enquiry today for a 13th birthday disco on Easter Saturday and the mother said 'Oh I never realised discos were so expensive' before asking if I am available just to be told I am already booked.
I didn't ask but I have an idea she is looking at paying £100 or so as when I mentioned £300 she gasped.

I would gasp at £300 :eek: for a 13th party, 2 hours of chart music, way too expensive. No offence. Just my oppinion ;)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I would gasp at £300 :eek: for a 13th party, 2 hours of chart music, way too expensive. No offence. Just my oppinion ;)

But you don't know what Chris's running costs are etc etc, so how can you say someone else is too expensive? :confused:

[chrisj]

I would gasp at £300 :eek: for a 13th party, 2 hours of chart music, way too expensive. No offence. Just my oppinion ;)

Just for info,
The venue is in North Norfolk, 53 miles from my base and it is for 4 hours 7.30 until 11.30pm on Easter Saturday.
It would take me 1hr 15 mins to get there, I have been there before and used 2 gallon each way as they are not best roads, almost 3/4 hr to unload and set up with my assistant who I would also have to pay.
I am full time and would rather work locally for £200 as I would appreciate the same profit.
Chris. www.abracadabradisco.co.uk

[COOL HAND LUKE]

Just for info,
The venue is in North Norfolk, 53 miles from my base and it is for 4 hours 7.30 until 11.30pm on Easter Saturday.
It would take me 1hr 15 mins to get there, I have been there before and used 2 gallon each way as they are not best roads, almost 3/4 hr to unload and set up with my assistant who I would also have to pay.
I am full time and would rather work locally for £200 as I would appreciate the same profit.
Chris. www.abracadabradisco.co.uk

Ah. that puts it into a different bracket. 4 hour job, that is not really practical for me to take on, but put a quote in to cover costs and if they accept, all well and good, so yes I can understand where your coming from Chris :)

[DazzyD]

I have to say that I am always surprised when DJ's take this kind of stance... Do remember that we ourselves all started out way back when and I very much doubt that anyone a few grand out of the bank and bought amazing equipment, PLI, and 20,000 odd tracks of music over night set up a new disco business with fully fledged terms conditions and booking forms etc etc.

I am not ashamed to say that I started of (like most) with some basic equipment charged £100 and gave out no paper work etc etc. The clientele back then was happy with the service they got and I never let anyone down.

The majority of us on the MDD now aim our services at the higher end of the market, but should we sneer at DJ's starting out or the clientele who can only afford the cheaper options...? I think not.

Moreover I rather think that there is very little information for the general public to find when choosing a DJ which makes it even more difficult for them.

What do find most obtuse, however, are the clients who insist on paying rock bottom prices and then moan like crazy about everything expecting the disco to be like the one they saw at the Corporate Xmas Party function...

My opinion.... :D

I would think a lot of us have been in this situation. Although, thinking about it, I never had really basic equipment but I had DJ'd for others for a number of years before I started on my own so I knew the kind of kit that I wanted. I also knew that the service I provided was worth a lot more than the other operators were charging their clients. But my starting prices were around the £120-£150 mark (so not too much has changed, really! :eek: )

As for the comments about there not being much info around for first-time clients to help them choose a DJ and decide what it is they really want, I think I do sort of agree with this. Maybe there's a gap in the market for a "comparethedj.com" (darn, just checked and it's already been done but just who is "Tony Compare"??? Ah, I get it - Tony Compare, Compare the DJ!! Clever!!).

There is some good info out there on choosing a DJ but I think that some people just don't take the time to look for it. A quick Google search can be all it takes.

[Takeiteasy]

But you don't know what Chris's running costs are etc etc, so how can you say someone else is too expensive? :confused:

Doesn't matter what his running costs are the fact is he's pricing himself out of the market, no one in there right mind would pay £300 for a 2hour kids party.....

[Corabar Entertainment]

Doesn't matter what his running costs are the fact is he's pricing himself out of the market, no one in there right mind would pay £300 for a 2hour kids party.....
Did you read the whole thread?

:bang:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Doesn't matter what his running costs are the fact is he's pricing himself out of the market, no one in there right mind would pay £300 for a 2hour kids party.....


Pricing himself out of whose market exactly? Yours?

It depends what you are supplying for the money too.

I know there are people who would pay that for a kids party and they are of sound mind, I'm sure.

[chrisj]

Doesn't matter what his running costs are the fact is he's pricing himself out of the market, no one in there right mind would pay £300 for a 2hour kids party.....

If you had read the original it is a 4 hr party on Easter Saturday 53 miles, 1 1/4 hrs from me. I am a full time dj and also a children's entertainer. My Saturday rates start at £280.

Try reading the original threads and not what others have put.

[Takeiteasy]

Did you read the whole thread?

:bang:

Once i posted quite a few other pages / comments were made which now makes sense why he was changing such an amount.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Once i posted quite a few other pages / comments were made which now makes sense why he was changing such an amount.

No - the comments / posts were all made L-O-N-G before your post.

It's never a good idea to post before you've read the whole thread.

[DiscoMagic]

I had a telphone enquiry today for a 13th birthday disco on Easter Saturday and the mother said 'Oh I never realised discos were so expensive' before asking if I am available just to be told I am already booked.
I didn't ask but I have an idea she is looking at paying £100 or so as when I mentioned £300 she gasped.

FYI, I recently did a 13th Birthday where costs were as follows...

Venue £500
Food and drink £250
DJ and Disco £250
Total time 2 1/2 hours on a Saturday night...

Total cost £1000 (not inlcuding the £90 bar tab for the parents.

Ok so the clients were minted and the kids were all from private school, but it does go to show that people are willing to pay ALOT for their little darlings :D

[Larry B Entertainment]

Doesn't matter what his running costs are the fact is he's pricing himself out of the market, no one in there right mind would pay £300 for a 2hour kids party.....

I think you're out of your mind claiming someone is pricing themselves out of the market if you dont know what they are offering or anything about the service they deliver.

I know someone who paid considerably more than that for a 2 hour disco for their 5 year old son. They had all the bells and whistles.

[djtrev]

FYI, I recently did a 13th Birthday where costs were as follows...

Venue £500
Food and drink £250
DJ and Disco £250
Total time 2 1/2 hours on a Saturday night...

Total cost £1000 (not inlcuding the £90 bar tab for the parents.

Ok so the clients were minted and the kids were all from private school, but it does go to show that people are willing to pay ALOT for their little darlings :D

I would hazard a guess that part of the costings for that might,I repeat ,might have been down to one word in your post.MINTED.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I did an 13th last year which came to £1200 just for my services and Dan's dancefloor and starcloth backdrop for 2 hours. Yes the chap was clearly well off but also wanted to pull out all the stops for his daughter.