The importance of effeciency & reliability

[rob1963]

I recently emailed a couple of local discos requesting quotes. Apart from them both charging more than me, one replied after 3 days & the other took a week!

This afternoon I've been to visit a potential client about a disco in July. She also approached two other companies for quotes and to arrange visits. One emailed to say they would let her know when they could visit. That was a week ago, and she hasn't heard anything since. The other arranged a date & time to visit her, but didn't turn up, and she's heard nothing more from them!

Within a couple of hours of first emailing me, she had my quote (I answer most email queries within a few hours - that's the beauty of not having a day job). A few hours later, we'd arranged for me to visit her this afternoon. I turned up on time as arranged, and it was no surprise that I got the booking.

It's clear that one of the main reasons clients book me is due to my efficiency & very fast replies to their queries.

My website was originally designed by a young lad. When I wanted any alterations done, I'd send him an email with the details, but it wasn't unusual to hear nothing for 2-3 weeks & have to chase him up. I needed better.

My hosting & amendments are now handled by Marc J. When I request a change, it's now done within a couple of hours, which is excellent.

Don't business people understand that they lose work by not being efficient & reliable?

If they DO understand, maybe they just don't care...in which case why are they involved in the business in the first place?

What are you thoughts?

[benlewis13]

aggree entirely

[Danno13]

Yep, same here, I usually respond to emails within a hour, unless of course they send then on friday and saturday nights!

[Dragonfly]

Don't business people understand that they lose work by not being efficient & reliable?

If they DO understand, maybe they just don't care...in which case why are they involved in the business in the first place?

hit the nail on the head they couldnt give a stuff its just money thats the joy of people like Marc j and elite (shaun) they are in the business and understand how passionate people are about what they do and mores to the point .... they give a stuff.

I had an argument this afternoon with the health service ....yes the health service ......I have been waiting for surgery for 2 years now .....4 times they have given me dates .....NEXT WEEK!!!!! I have told them due to the nature of my business I cannot just drop people in the proverbial 7 days in advance I couldnt forgive myself if I potentially ruined someones wedding .... I have tried to meet half way with them but do they give a stuff and try to understand my problem ...... no just shrug because its not their problem ... I am now having to travel across the country to the only other surgeon in the country who can do the job.

most people if its not their business or family or pet or whatever involved couldnt give a monkeys..... why do they do it .......


MONEY!!!!

[rob1963]

most people if its not their business or family or pet or whatever involved couldnt give a monkeys..... why do they do it .......
MONEY!!!!

Ahhhh...but if they DID give a monkey's they'd earn a lot MORE money!

:confused:

[Dragonfly]

Indeed but sadly rather alot of people seem to lack either the intelligence , drive or enthusiasm to do that.

[Mission]

Yep, same here, I usually respond to emails within a hour, unless of course they send then on friday and saturday nights!

I try to do the same Dan but the two I turned round last in an hour I still didn't get the gig. Perhaps they think I'm being to eager :D or I'm doing something wrong :bang:

[CRAZY K]

I recently emailed a couple of local discos requesting quotes. Apart from them both charging more than me, one replied after 3 days & the other took a week!

This afternoon I've been to visit a potential client about a disco in July. She also approached two other companies for quotes and to arrange visits. One emailed to say they would let her know when they could visit. That was a week ago, and she hasn't heard anything since. The other arranged a date & time to visit her, but didn't turn up, and she's heard nothing more from them!

Within a couple of hours of first emailing me, she had my quote (I answer most email queries within a few hours - that's the beauty of not having a day job). A few hours later, we'd arranged for me to visit her this afternoon. I turned up on time as arranged, and it was no surprise that I got the booking.

It's clear that one of the main reasons clients book me is due to my efficiency & very fast replies to their queries.

My website was originally designed by a young lad. When I wanted any alterations done, I'd send him an email with the details, but it wasn't unusual to hear nothing for 2-3 weeks & have to chase him up. I needed better.

My hosting & amendments are now handled by Marc J. When I request a change, it's now done within a couple of hours, which is excellent.

Don't business people understand that they lose work by not being efficient & reliable?

If they DO understand, maybe they just don't care...in which case why are they involved in the business in the first place?

What are you thoughts?

As I mentioned on Rices post the other day if im around and not on holiday-or on my boat--no chance at the moment--we give quotes almost immediately with full details often including PLI and PAT certificates with the written quote.

The sort of service that makes household names look like muppets:D

I agree with others that this gives an image of efficiency and dedication to service--- but sadly in my opinion a larger percentage of people go by the price--otherwise I probably wouldnt be here posting now--id be on a gig!

Very sadly we are often locked into a "cheap culture" brought about by cheap Chinese imports and of course Tescos--what annoys me is when I go to Tescos and buy things they ASSUME everyone wants as cheap as possible and you end up not being able to buy say a decent scourer for cleaning because its wafer thin and lasts two minutes--you then have to go to a proper hardware shop ( if you can find one left ) to buy a proper one.

And then theres cheap Supermarket copies of food like Cornflakes that taste like cardboard, and meat thats not exactly brilliant to eat:eek:

Hey BUT ITS CHEAP!

For some unaccountable reason Joe Public thinks different rules apply to those of us in entertainment--youll get a fabulous, reliable safe Disco for £120

Course you will--the man on the phone said so==doh!

I rest my case :bang:

CRAZY K

[Shaun]

I completely agree with the comments about reliability and efficiancy. On the other hand, those discos that aren't efficiant means there's a larger influx of work for moi! :).

Great customer service goes a long way.

[wensleydale]

yes.
i agree to a point.
but any monkey can reply to an email within an hour.
there's a bit more to it than that.

it's not just when you reply, but what you say when you reply.

[Mission]

yes.
i agree to a point.
but any monkey can reply to an email within an hour.
there's a bit more to it than that.

it's not just when you reply, but what you say when you reply.

That's it then, I'm being a Monkey :rolleyes:

Perhaps I should stop being so :banana: :D

[rob1963]

yes.
i agree to a point.
but any monkey can reply to an email within an hour.
there's a bit more to it than that.
it's not just when you reply, but what you say when you reply.

Thats true, wensleydale, but many companies - even the large expensive ones DON'T!

Replying to emails quickly is an important part of the overall "customer service" package, which as you say is also about HOW you reply.

I always ask people why they booked me, and 2 things stand out a mile:

1) "You had a good website which told us everything we wanted to know."
(This is largely thanks to the MDD forum members who recently gave me advice on how to improve my site, most of which I acted on...with lots of help from Marc J. Since then, my number of queries & bookings has literally doubled).

2) "You came back to us & answered our query quickly."

:)

[Dance FX]

When I first started my balloon decor business I e-mailed 5 local companies asking for a quote for a wedding. NONE of them replied:eek:

Don't they want the work!!

I always reply as soon as I receive the e-mail and 99% of the time I get the job :D

Good customer service is what grows my business (along with fantatsic balloon displays:cool: )

Sarah

[Ricesnaps]

Within a couple of hours of first emailing me, she had my quote (I answer most email queries within a few hours - that's the beauty of not having a day job). A few hours later, we'd arranged for me to visit her this afternoon. I turned up on time as arranged, and it was no surprise that I got the booking.


I think it's important not to forget that some of us do have a job during the week and sometimne it's not east to reply within the hour like those of you who don't have a day job.

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree about prompt customer service. You all know that I've been talking to brides on Hitched and the feedback there is that a lot of DJ's don't reply to them (and I make a point of replying to all my enquiries even if I am booked - and it always helps to say "would you like me to pass you details on to someone I know who may be free" as the client will always remember you did that!). However, some of us quite somply can't reply within the hour.

If I could make what I do from the day job from regular DJing, I'd be there in a flash!

[Dragonfly]

As I mentioned on Rices post the other day if im around and not on holiday-or on my boat--no chance at the moment--we give quotes almost immediately with full details often including PLI and PAT certificates with the written quote.

The sort of service that makes household names look like muppets:D

I agree with others that this gives an image of efficiency and dedication to service--- but sadly in my opinion a larger percentage of people go by the price--otherwise I probably wouldnt be here posting now--id be on a gig!

Very sadly we are often locked into a "cheap culture" brought about by cheap Chinese imports and of course Tescos--what annoys me is when I go to Tescos and buy things they ASSUME everyone wants as cheap as possible and you end up not being able to buy say a decent scourer for cleaning because its wafer thin and lasts two minutes--you then have to go to a proper hardware shop ( if you can find one left ) to buy a proper one.

And then theres cheap Supermarket copies of food like Cornflakes that taste like cardboard, and meat thats not exactly brilliant to eat:eek:

Hey BUT ITS CHEAP!

For some unaccountable reason Joe Public thinks different rules apply to those of us in entertainment--youll get a fabulous, reliable safe Disco for £120

Course you will--the man on the phone said so==doh!

I rest my case :bang:

CRAZY K

Have to say I agree totally alot of my work this year is from previous customers so getting the right money has not been a problem at all but its the new customers you have to convince that being £50-£60 more at least than the closest competition is worth it.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I certainly wouldn't book anything as important as a wedding disco based on who emails back first.

I'd wait for a little while and read what everyone has to say.

Three days is reasonable to reply. I personally don't answer emails from Friday to Sunday, as otherwise I would be working all the time without a day off.

[CRAZY K]

I certainly wouldn't book anything as important as a wedding disco based on who emails back first.

I'd wait for a little while and read what everyone has to say.

Three days is reasonable to reply. I personally don't answer emails from Friday to Sunday, as otherwise I would be working all the time without a day off.

You probably wouldnt book the first one to reply, but you might draw some conclusions from the time it took to reply?

CRAZY K

[rob1963]

I certainly wouldn't book anything as important as a wedding disco based on who emails back first.


That's fair enough, Darren, but here's a fact.....

.....one of the top 2 reasons why people book me is because I respond quickly to their emails (the other being that they like my website & it gives them all the information they need).

:)

[CRAZY K]

That's fair enough, Darren, but here's a fact.....

.....one of the top 2 reasons why people book me is because I respond quickly to their emails (the other being that they like my website & it gives them all the information they need).

:)

And your cheap--no only joking honestly Rob:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

CRAZY K

[rob1963]

And your cheap--no only joking honestly Rob:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

CRAZY K

Crazy K,

I wouldn't say that £45 for a disco is cheap! :p

[Dragonfly]

Crazy K,

I wouldn't say that £45 for a disco is cheap! :p

£45 :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: ..............






Daylight robbery .........my budget for the whole event is only £25 :bang: :bang:

[rob1963]

£45 :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: ..............
Daylight robbery .........my budget for the whole event is only £25 :bang: :bang:

:lol: