Stand Around Time... Do You Charge?

I do a number of events here where they have a Hula Show before me and they want me to do dance music or Karaoke for the last hour..

so to give you an example,,, I have a 1 hour dance/karaoke set coming up on the 30th... the hula dinner show is from 7-9 pm, I play at 9 to 10 pm...

Now I have a 3 hour min, so the 7-10 is right there, but I'm only playing an hour,,,

so I just charged them my normal rate $800.00 and didn't worry about "stand around time"

Now sometimes I have an earyly set up,,, like be set by 5, play 7 - 11,,, two hours of stand around time. I charge 1/2 my overtime rate for stand around.... my OT is $200.00 per hour so I make $200.00 for "standing Around"

The point here is I had a new agent in town tell me that I'm the only one who does this, that other DJ's just set up early and go home or whatever...

What do you do?

What do you do?

I do not charge for stand around time.

We used to factor it into the price when I managed a multi-op. I had a schedule that allowed up to X amount of down time, with anything over being a charge. Now we charge per event; the event fee is $xxxx and transportation is $1/mile round trip. Rarely are there any additional charges.

I enjoy being in the atmosphere of a party, I probably would pay them to stand around:sqembarrassed:

I set a price per gig it covers a given amount of hours from setup to teardown. That price covers standing time playing time getting there early time and whatever other time they want to include.

Policy: "Time starts when the first guest arrives."

Policy can be bent, as needs fit, but it's there for smart practice.

I enjoy being in the atmosphere of a party, I probably would pay them to stand around:sqembarrassed:


:sqlaugh: :sqlaugh: :sqlaugh:

per event works.Too many times the other act has either not shown on time or quits early my way allows me to take control when needed.

Nope, we don't charge for stand around time.......

wow,,sounds like I'm unique!!

What is the party starts at 6... they have other music live and you start at 9, but you have to be set by 6,,, you play from 9 - 12,,, 3 hours, but you stand around for 3 hours.... am I the only one who gets these types of gigs?

Maybe it's a Maui thing :)

This is not meant as an argument. I come in peace. This is what I would do, and I have done similar things.

:sqeek:

If I had to set up by 6, to play at 9, then I would still show up at 3.

I'm not smart enough to get paid for stand around time. :p

I set a price per gig it covers a given amount of hours from setup to teardown. That price covers standing time playing time getting there early time and whatever other time they want to include.

G M T A

I set a price per gig it covers a given amount of hours from setup to teardown. That price covers standing time playing time getting there early time and whatever other time they want to include.

Oh, ya...that too.

G M T A

Give Me Time Advantage?

Either way, I think we agree.

:)

It stands for "Great Minds Think Alike"

Hours of coverage = Consultations + setup time + waiting time + playing time + teardown.

Therefore, a "4 hour reception" COULD be as much as 10 hours, and I charge accordingly!

If they want me to set up very early, they're going to pay me for my time. It's priced into their package as overtime.

Im paid the moment a guest arrives, within reason of course but I also quote a up to package. Anything up to or less than at my current rate. Often times a performer or speeches allow me down time but once I play for that first guest until my time is expired Im payed to be there. Dinner music, cocktail etc included nothing more nothing less.

So it sounds like you do charge a stand around fee, you just don't call it that....

Booking a package with all that time built in is the same as what I do...

Vinyl, I always show up at LEAST 2 hours before my set up by time, so if I'm supposed to be set by 6, I'm there no later than 4....

Yes I find making it very simple without so many stipulations allows peace of mind when selling my gig.

Your time should be considered valuable to you. What happens if in one instance down the road, you learn about a higher paying event you had to turn down because you lowered your rates to include "stand around time". I'd hate to know I lost an extra $600+ becaues I'm already booked with an event with .5, 1, 2, 3+ hours of stand-around booked at a lower rate.

In my opinion (only), I believe you should be charging your full rate for even those hours.

... and don't ever leave your equipment unattended - in the instance given here where it was said that one DJ just goes home during the stand around time.

Hmmm. Has never happened to me but I imagine setting up early could be a HUGE advantage to me. I would charge, but less per hour, I would think. Maybe like $60 per hour?

Robert,, I charge my normal rate, but ad on the stand around time,,, usually 1/2 of my OT rate..

Your time should be considered valuable to you. What happens if in one instance down the road, you learn about a higher paying event you had to turn down because you lowered your rates to include "stand around time". I'd hate to know I lost an extra $600+ becaues I'm already booked with an event with .5, 1, 2, 3+ hours of stand-around booked at a lower rate.

In my opinion (only), I believe you should be charging your full rate for even those hours.


Once my calendar is full for a given date I would never know if another gig would pay more because the potential client is told that the date is full, price is not open for discussion.

Personally I never give a thought to what might be or could have been only to what is. I will let the worthers sit around and hope for the big money call I will go ahead and make money.:sqwink:

I think calling it "stand around time" is probably the problem. Find a better name and you'll see it dissappear (or just figure it into your price and don't mention it).

I call it stand around time with the agents,,, they understand... but you are right, a "pre-set up charge" might be a better name...

It doesn't happen very oftern to me, but I don't call it standing around time. When a client says what time they have to have the equipment set up at until the time they say i can start taking it down is what i quote them for. If there is sometime inbetween those times that they want me to stop, no problem, but those are billable hours. I do arrive 2 hours earlier than my contracted starting time. I would never set up my equipment and leave.


To me, it's kind of like telling a hotel that you want to rent a room, but may only be sleeping in it for 7-8 hours so i don't think you should be charged for the full day. Ask them and see how that goes over.

To me, it's kind of like telling a hotel that you want to rent a room, but may only be sleeping in it for 7-8 hours so i don't think you should be charged for the full day. Ask them and see how that goes over.

Well, I've never had a problem at the motels that I'VE ever stayed at!

:p

I charge a set fee, with all expenses factored in- no itemization. The only exception is overtime added to the END of the event. No extra charge for waiting between setup and start. Any of that time is due to my spacing of setup to start, and not the client's responsibility.

No charge for stand around.
One flat rate...

Chuck,
You Are Kinda In A Unique Environment, Hula Dances Are Not The Norm Around Here Ya Know.
( Maybe A Square Dance But Not A Hula )

I Charge When The First Guest Arrives.
If I Were In You Super Cool Island Environment I Would Charge The Stand Around Time . ( So What If I'm The Only One That Feels I'm Worth It ).
I Bet Ya Stay Booked.( So I Think Your Probably Worth It ).
I Bet The Good Agents Know Your Worth It Too.

Hi Chuck!
I charge per event or per evening.So if I play or stand around or...Thats theyre problem because if i dont need to be at one show i can do another one in the meantime if the destination is close.So i try so say:I take the money for all night or evening and dont need to think how much can i make if i do another show in meantime.But thats me,everyone can do what he want.
Good mix

I'm going to say, it all depends.

I am usually on site two hours before the beginning of the event for set up, etc. This is all factored into my event fee.

All packages are four to five hours. So if I am doing an event that starts at six and goes to ten but they have another entertainer for cocktails and dinner then I still charge my normal rate.

I have had prospects tell me that their event starts at y time but they don't need me till z time so show up at x time (before the start), set up, and leave until I'm needed. I politely explain that I don't leave my equipment unattended and that my time for the event starts at y and goes till z whether I am performing or not. Some get it and some don't. The ones that don't move on.

If the time between y and z is more than five hours, overtime is in play.

If they want me to set up while guests are in the room I explain that is not the professional thing to do and not how we operate. Some get it and some don't. The ones that don't move on.

I charge as soon as they need me setup by... I have a wedding in 2008, where I have to have all my gear in the room by 4:30 because the ceremony is blocking access to the reception room... so they said I need to be in there by 4:30, Im going to charge them as if I start at 4:30 (I did give them a bit off)...

For me personally, it depends on the nature of the stand around time and how long it is...

If the time is dictated by my need to be early or anal retentive, no I do not charge. If the stand around time is dictated by the customers need, I may or may not charge depending on the nature of the event and the tone of the request, as well as what I am initially charging for the performance. If I am making good cash, and the stand around time will be fun or entertaining, no brainer that I dont need to charge, but if my stand around time is for a corporate event and I need to be on call or nearby, yeah, I would charge.

My policy would be event by event analysis.

The "official" phrase is called "standing time", and it is the amount of money most unionized labor charges per hour while being customer mandated to be on-site but not performing their exact work function.

Following unionized labor's ideology, the billing process employed is that if the client demands of event timing are out of line with my normal timing, they pay for the difference, at a rate of 50% of my normal overtime fee charges.

In other words, if a normal wedding begins with intros at 7:00pm with the business policy being to arrive on-site one hour ahead of the contracted start-time, say a particular client wants the setup be completed by 4:00pm. That means arrivial now needs to be 3:00pm. That's three hours of "standing time". The client would be 1) advised of the math; 2) advised of the per hour "standing time" fee; 3) then consulted regarding possible work-around.

If doing a ceremony, not the cocktail hour, then the reception, a "standing time" fee is included in the quoted price but may not be specifically mentioned as such unless it would entice the client's mindset to rethink their cocktail hour entertainment toward my services for an extremely reasonable additional charge.

It is also important to mention that we're not talking chump change fees. If one's overtime rate is like $50/hour, none of this matters. If that's all one values their free (or working) time, what's fifty bucks. Tossing it in as a no charge will have the same mental read on the client, e.g. chump change.

Being one of those arrogant, pushy, nickel & diming, want to be paid for everything I do in business kinda guy, my "standing time fee" is one half my working overtime rate ($300/hour) which thus is $150/hour, the rate proudly quoted to stand around doing nothing because the client made it a part of their demands on my time.

Conversely, if I wish to arrive at a venue 5 hours early for my own personal convenience? No charge. Do a ceremony, go shopping during cocktail hour, then come back and do the reception? No charge.

Every inconvenience has its price. Extra equipment of any kind, extra travel of any kind, extra time of any kind...all billable. I hate wasting time, especially if it's not my choice.

I agree with Cap, but I have to weigh in the factor of what other DJs are doing and how bad I want XYZ gig..

Back in CA, I could be the "arrogant, pushy, nickel & diming, want to be paid for everything I do in business kinda guy"... because I made the money and had so many gigs, it was okay if they didn't want to meet my "demands" LOL

But here, I'm not there, I'm not as busy as I would like and can't afford sometimes to have those "demands"... It just depends on the gig...

It's funny you should bring that up, Chuck. I have no friggin clue how any DJ in my immediate area handles standing time. Not one dit of data or tiniest shred of information.

Standing time demands are very very low (maybe two contracts out of a hundred) so this really isn't an earth shattering business crucial teeter-tauter make it or break it defining policy.

Standing time, to me, is a pain in the arse and I will be justly rewarded for having to deal with it regardless of how the rest of the local DJ world does.

Rock on, brother Love!

Our insurance does not like us to leave the equipment unattended (Not that I would anyway) so we charge a $25 per hour "Sitting fee" to babysit the equipment if we are there before what we feel is a reasonable time before the show starts.

I might have lost a wedding today because of this,,, the ceremony and reception were in the same place.

Wedding at 2 pm, the reception was going to start at 5 pm.

After the wedding the B&G are leaving for "scenic wedding shots" so the guests can go do whatever and then they come back at 5pm. They figure that a lot of them will hang and drink, but they don't want a DJ for that, but they wanted me set befor the wedding.

I quoted them 3 hours for a "pre-set" charge at $75.00 per hour..... we'll see what happens,,,,

its why I have an up to 6 hour package which alleviates setting time during speeches toasts etc.

Our Platinum package (with photos) will give the client "up to 7 hours of my time", all other packages pay by the hour. :sqwink:

I do charge for stand around time. Here's an example.

My wife and I did a wedding where the B&G hired Mariachi's to play cocktail hour and the beginning of dinner. We were hired to do ceremony and the rest of dinner and reception. For us, it was a 2 hour down time. We charged for it. Why not? Just like the photographers and catering staff...you charge for an alotted amount of time.

I booked a wedding last week for November where I need to be set up by 4:45 A band will play until 8:00 and I will play from 8:00-11pm. I basically will have 3 hours of stand around time plus 3.5 hours of performance I took my 5-1/2 hour rate and took 15% off and charged them $1095 for the gig which basically breaks down to 3.5 Hours at the the normal $275/ HR plus the stand alone time I charged $75/Hr. They thought that rate was great (They are in Boston getting married in FLA)...

hmmm where to address this.


If we really must must stand around we do charge for it for the most part but i will tell you this, one of the things that I am adamant about is not setting up in guest view. I allow my guys to load in in street clothes and as you know it can get hot, sweaty and dirty especially now. So I dont want my clients guests to see us lugging in equipment or to get in the way. If we encounter that and can preemptively catch it then we just set up a little earlier and i usually eat that charge to save face.

I tell clients though that setting up during the event makes our company look bad and it makes them look like either they didnt want to pay for the extra time or we were just crappy and wouldnt set up before guest arrival.

If its a local job we will have our weekend ops team set it up and leave.

Kyle,,,, "stand around time" would be when the clients wants to make sure that you are set up before their guests arrive.

Like tomorrow 6/14 I have a wedding that they are going to have a strolling soloist play the first 1.5 hours... Now I could set up during that, but they want me set before, so there is "stand around time"

I don't give a "C" about stand around time. I charge a flat rate for the entire event. Whether or not I have to be there at 3pm or 10am, it still ruins my day, and I cannot even grouch about it in my tin can.

If you were employed as a cashier, yet not a single customer came through your register all day - do you think you're employer should forego paying your daily wages?

Book your downtime with a similar expectation.

If you were employed as a cashier, yet not a single customer came through your register all day - do you think you're employer should forego paying your daily wages?

Book your downtime with a similar expectation.

The cashier gets paid their nomal hourly wage even if they do stand around and do nothing..... as then I should get paid my normal hourl;y fee if I play music or not.

So in my example of last week-end I had to be set by 5pm and not play untill 6:30 and go to 10:30... So I should charge them my normal rate $800.00 for 4 hours... 5 - 9pm then my OT rate of $200.00 per hour for the last 1.5 so another $300 so the total would be $1100.00

That's not what I did, but I like your thinking! :sqlaugh:

If you were employed as a cashier, yet not a single customer came through your register all day - do you think you're employer should forego paying your daily wages?

The ONLY way you could compare a DJ to a cashier, when it comes to stand around time, is when the typical cashier stands behind the register all day, only to be handed a few hundred dollars at the end of it. And, even then, we'd start bickering about why a DJ should not be valued higher than a cashier, even though they both are a couple of button pushers.

I say we go back to the "DJ Is Like A Secretary" analogy.

If I were a drug-dealer, and I stood around for too long, waiting to make my deal, then I would shoot my customer.

The only problem I see with the DJ/secretary analogy is that there is not enough bonding time in order for good affairs with our employers to happen.

[I][B]

I say we go back to the "DJ Is Like A Secretary" analogy.

I'm sorry, I am NOT wearing a skirt for you and bending over.............................................. .................................................. .................................................. ......... again! :sqlaugh: :sqerr: :sqwink:

Hey, I dropped my wallet...

The way I look at it. People are renting 2 things. My equipment and my time. If I was able to rent my equipment and or my time during this "stand around time, I'd have no problem not charging them for it.

Anytime you rent anything or anyone's service(legally), there is a set amount of minimum time due to the fact the the equipment or service won't be available to anyone else.

Would a rental car company let customers say, "I only want to rent the car to drive 4 hours and then drive it back tomorrow, so i only really need to rent it for 8 hours"

I can understand giving a deal like ray's and I certainly want to work with the customer. But it's just not practical for a customer to not expect to be charged while the equipment and service has become "unrentable" due to their requirements.

The way I look at it. People are renting 2 things. My equipment and my time. If I was able to rent my equipment and or my time during this "stand around time, I'd have no problem not charging them for it.

Anytime you rent anything or anyone's service(legally), there is a set amount of minimum time due to the fact the the equipment or service won't be available to anyone else.

Would a rental car company let customers say, "I only want to rent the car to drive 4 hours and then drive it back tomorrow, so i only really need to rent it for 8 hours"

I can understand giving a deal like ray's and I certainly want to work with the customer. But it's just not practical for a customer to not expect to be charged while the equipment and service has become "unrentable" due to their requirements.

If I understand you correctly, then EXACTLY!

I see it like this (another one of those things that I have said before, only to get shunned by the "real" pros): if I have to stand, or sit, or nap in between the ceremony and the reception, I don't give a "C" as in "crap," because it's not like I can go out and make money doing something else (except for selling drugs). But I WOULD want to charge if I like gouging people.

I DO, however, have a "discounted" package for events that end before 6pm or start after 6pm. Why? It's fair on many levels, but, in my case, there is always that potential of tutoring/teaching in the morning or in the evening--an event that goes from, say, 1pm to 9pm really crappifies this possibility for me (in other words, these people have taken me for the ENTIRE day).

I love the rental car deal... exactly!

I prefer the secretary rental.