Details: A Holiday Party booked in October for a Sunday this month.
As the company/corporate December and January bookings are well below par this year, I quoted a price (didn't say it was a discount or anything like that) I thought would be attractive enough to halt them from shopping any further.
That was Mistake #1.
They agreed to the price and I issued the person a contract. The person signed the contract, paid in full up front as required, and we were all set.
Enter the President of the group who emails me they needed 4 and 1/2 hours, not 4. I agreed to provide the extra 30 minutes gratis for the original price and resent a new contract to the original person. He signed it an returned it. I assumed these two officers of the organization were jointly coordinating the event details.
That was Mistake #2.
A few days before the event, the usual, "Hi, just making sure everything's okay and here are the final details as I have them" call went out. Start at 5, done at 9:30, the 4 1/2 hours. "Oh no", says he, "we want you to stay till 10pm".
"That would be an additional 1/2 hour fee," he was told, payable at the event start. He said he would take care of that. I sent a confirming email to the President so she would also know they will need some additional funds for the additional time.
Event night: Left the house at 2:30pm due the 8" of snow, and was still falling, that covered the 21 miles of travel to the place for the 5:00pm start. Then, at the hotel, the entrances were snowed in. I brought a shovel just in case and dug my way in even though my contract states specifically they (the house/client) must provide a clear, non-hazardous, unencumbered, into and out of the lot, doorways, and hallways.
That was Mistake #3.
Music started at 5:00pm. Met the contract signer, but forgot to mention to him about the additional half hour.
That was Mistake #4.
Cocktail hour was supposed to end at 6:00pm but went to 6:30pm. Awards were to be from 6:00pm to 6:30pm. Dinner, which was supposed to follow the awards, but the awards were held off, was to be 6:30pm to 7:30pm (a buffet for 340 guests), yet went till almost 8:00pm. They demanded non-Christmas light conversational music throughout dinner.
The awards did begin at 7:30 even though people were still eating. They took about 25 minutes. BUT THEN they did a 50-50 raffle drawing giving away a couple of nice prizes and about $280.00 in cash to one lucky winner BUT THEN started calling numbers for company sweat shirts, one at a time, about 100 or more of them, the last one given away at 8:45pm!!
By the time the first track I played was finished, I had received almost ten requests ranging from the Righteous Brother's "Ebb Tide", to Lil Wayne "Lollipop" to the Archies "Sugar Sugar", to Prince "When Doves Cry".
At about 9:30, I decided to continue on my own, hope to get paid, but if not, chalk it up as another lesson in how to get screwed by not following my own better judgment.
That was Mistake #5.
Another request was for something swing/jitterbug and when the song started, this caloricly challenged fella stomped up to the front of my facade, and screamed "You suck!" Twice. Then stomped off. I wanted to take him down then and there. I didn't, tried to put it behind me, and continued.
That was Mistake #6.
At 9:45pm, a person came up and asked what it would cost for another half hour. Like an idiot, I told him the half hour rate which is $150.00. He said okay and walked away.
That was Mistake #7, the biggest of all.
9:55pm, no one approached me, I shut down at 10:10pm.
Now, a really hefty bleached blond woman wearing an outfit at least one size too small (I'm being generous here) said, "Do you really charge $150 for a half hour." "Yes", I said.
That was Mistake #8
She then said, "You suck" with a certain vehement flair, then a second "You really suck." I won't repeat what I said to her.
Here's the re-Cap:
Mistake #1 : Without obtaining more information that normally would be routine to help qualify the event and the event's leadership, I shot a price. $800.00 instead of $995.00) Cheap is what cheap gets and I'm positive I lost credibility by entering the price war market.
Mistake #2 : Never deal details with anyone except the person who signed the contract even if it means a conference call. It even says in the Bible that man cannot serve two masters.
Mistake #3: I should've demanded the hotel clear the way. By me doing it, I lowered myself to "just a DJ".
Mistake #4 : Should've squared away the timing before pushing a button.
Mistake #5 : I violated my own contract policy by continuing. When will I learn that it never never pays???? Good will? You read what that got me.
Mistake #6 : I should've either shut down or stepped outside and got to an understanding. Sometimes it's tough being both a pro and a Christian.
Mistake #7 : Never agree to talk to anyone about finances or timing or anything about the contracted event except with the contract signing person or their appointed representative. I had no idea who this person was, never questioned his purpose and/ior authority, and erroneously assumed by virtue of his asking, he might be somebody. Horrible horrible decision on my part. This was the worst policy f'up I've made in a long long time.
Mistake #8: See Mistake #7. How she knew? Don't know. Do I regret my comments on her size and clothing? Not really.
Thanks for reading. I'm tired.
As the company/corporate December and January bookings are well below par this year, I quoted a price (didn't say it was a discount or anything like that) I thought would be attractive enough to halt them from shopping any further.
That was Mistake #1.
They agreed to the price and I issued the person a contract. The person signed the contract, paid in full up front as required, and we were all set.
Enter the President of the group who emails me they needed 4 and 1/2 hours, not 4. I agreed to provide the extra 30 minutes gratis for the original price and resent a new contract to the original person. He signed it an returned it. I assumed these two officers of the organization were jointly coordinating the event details.
That was Mistake #2.
A few days before the event, the usual, "Hi, just making sure everything's okay and here are the final details as I have them" call went out. Start at 5, done at 9:30, the 4 1/2 hours. "Oh no", says he, "we want you to stay till 10pm".
"That would be an additional 1/2 hour fee," he was told, payable at the event start. He said he would take care of that. I sent a confirming email to the President so she would also know they will need some additional funds for the additional time.
Event night: Left the house at 2:30pm due the 8" of snow, and was still falling, that covered the 21 miles of travel to the place for the 5:00pm start. Then, at the hotel, the entrances were snowed in. I brought a shovel just in case and dug my way in even though my contract states specifically they (the house/client) must provide a clear, non-hazardous, unencumbered, into and out of the lot, doorways, and hallways.
That was Mistake #3.
Music started at 5:00pm. Met the contract signer, but forgot to mention to him about the additional half hour.
That was Mistake #4.
Cocktail hour was supposed to end at 6:00pm but went to 6:30pm. Awards were to be from 6:00pm to 6:30pm. Dinner, which was supposed to follow the awards, but the awards were held off, was to be 6:30pm to 7:30pm (a buffet for 340 guests), yet went till almost 8:00pm. They demanded non-Christmas light conversational music throughout dinner.
The awards did begin at 7:30 even though people were still eating. They took about 25 minutes. BUT THEN they did a 50-50 raffle drawing giving away a couple of nice prizes and about $280.00 in cash to one lucky winner BUT THEN started calling numbers for company sweat shirts, one at a time, about 100 or more of them, the last one given away at 8:45pm!!
By the time the first track I played was finished, I had received almost ten requests ranging from the Righteous Brother's "Ebb Tide", to Lil Wayne "Lollipop" to the Archies "Sugar Sugar", to Prince "When Doves Cry".
At about 9:30, I decided to continue on my own, hope to get paid, but if not, chalk it up as another lesson in how to get screwed by not following my own better judgment.
That was Mistake #5.
Another request was for something swing/jitterbug and when the song started, this caloricly challenged fella stomped up to the front of my facade, and screamed "You suck!" Twice. Then stomped off. I wanted to take him down then and there. I didn't, tried to put it behind me, and continued.
That was Mistake #6.
At 9:45pm, a person came up and asked what it would cost for another half hour. Like an idiot, I told him the half hour rate which is $150.00. He said okay and walked away.
That was Mistake #7, the biggest of all.
9:55pm, no one approached me, I shut down at 10:10pm.
Now, a really hefty bleached blond woman wearing an outfit at least one size too small (I'm being generous here) said, "Do you really charge $150 for a half hour." "Yes", I said.
That was Mistake #8
She then said, "You suck" with a certain vehement flair, then a second "You really suck." I won't repeat what I said to her.
Here's the re-Cap:
Mistake #1 : Without obtaining more information that normally would be routine to help qualify the event and the event's leadership, I shot a price. $800.00 instead of $995.00) Cheap is what cheap gets and I'm positive I lost credibility by entering the price war market.
Mistake #2 : Never deal details with anyone except the person who signed the contract even if it means a conference call. It even says in the Bible that man cannot serve two masters.
Mistake #3: I should've demanded the hotel clear the way. By me doing it, I lowered myself to "just a DJ".
Mistake #4 : Should've squared away the timing before pushing a button.
Mistake #5 : I violated my own contract policy by continuing. When will I learn that it never never pays???? Good will? You read what that got me.
Mistake #6 : I should've either shut down or stepped outside and got to an understanding. Sometimes it's tough being both a pro and a Christian.
Mistake #7 : Never agree to talk to anyone about finances or timing or anything about the contracted event except with the contract signing person or their appointed representative. I had no idea who this person was, never questioned his purpose and/ior authority, and erroneously assumed by virtue of his asking, he might be somebody. Horrible horrible decision on my part. This was the worst policy f'up I've made in a long long time.
Mistake #8: See Mistake #7. How she knew? Don't know. Do I regret my comments on her size and clothing? Not really.
Thanks for reading. I'm tired.
But seriously, folks...
