brianmole 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Last night, a bride calls me and says 'hi it's Jemma, you're doing our wedding on 11th August, I wanted to have a chat about the party'. As I was doing something, I said 'I'll cal you back in 5 minutes'. Now I have a good idea of who booked me, but I don't recall dealing with a Jemma. This was confirmed when I pull my bookings file, and again by checking my diary. The only thing which pops up is 2 inquiries from my agent, none of which are from Jemma http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wacko.gif I have the date free, so not really a problem. At this stage, mild panic sets in, have I somehow missed this one? So I check through all my emails filtering the date and name - still nothing. I check my money in/out file for a deposit or payment entry, still nothing. I call Jemma back. Now, before I tell you what happened, what do you think of this situation, how would you react? Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisPointon 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Ask her to quote the booking confirmation number on the form http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif Link to post Share on other sites
DJ Marky Marc 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Just be polite and get some more information.... and maybe look in the diary for 2007 / 2008 cos the 11th is a friday this year... <a href="http://www.djassociates.org"><img src="http://www.djassociates.org/anims/compres_banner.gif" alt="Join the DJ Associates Disc Jockey Association" border="0" width="468" height="60"></a> Link to post Share on other sites
spinner 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Marc and Chris have it right. Just act normally and ask for the contract number so that you can check the details. Could it be someone who thought they'd made a booking ( but hadn't )? If you have the date free then she's in luck! Link to post Share on other sites
BigBen 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 It has to be another year. Booking numbers...there's something I don't do...yet. [insert quirky comment] Link to post Share on other sites
Gary 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 (edited) Hmmm, I'd check the year as mentioned above - I'd be a little surprised that anyone would be calling so far in advance about the "finer details" of a booking over a year away, this early - so maybe the "next year/year after" suggestion isnt the solution. Having said that, alot of B2bs do plan things way in advance (from about the age of 5, off and on, in some cases) - and if they've been to a friends wedding recently (Tis' the wedding season), her own wedding however far off, may have been brought to the forefront of her mind. This aside, I'd go with the honesty is the best policy route. By all means check "Did you mean 2006?" but... other than that I'd go with a nice simple, honest "I dont have any fully confirmed booking showing for that 11th August 2006". Have everything to hand - pen, paper, diary etc,etc ready to radiate "ultra efficiency" if its really, really you that she thinks that shes booked - not some other local roadshow with a plaguised name. Edited July 26, 2006 by Gary Link to post Share on other sites
brianmole 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 No, it's for this year http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fear.gif I also checked my 2007 AND 2008 bookings and inquiries. Any more thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites
short skirt high heels 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 It's obvious really. You alluded to a little project you are working on, but maintained the air of mystery about the nature of said project. I've sussed you out. The cloning experiment that you have been carrying out has been successful, however one of the other Brians has escaped and is running riot in Horsham. For some peculiar reason Carry On Screaming comes to mind (There is more than a passing similarity between Mr Mole and Odd Bod!). More than one Brian Mole running around. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fear.gif They don't show Thunderbird 2 reverse parking as it doesn't make good television. Link to post Share on other sites
brianmole 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/071.gif Link to post Share on other sites
Gary 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 QUOTE (brianmole @ Jul 26 2006, 02:50 PM) No, it's for this year http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fear.gif I also checked my 2007 AND 2008 bookings and inquiries. Any more thoughts? Its Partychris's other 'arf winding you up, getting you back for that Camberley Night Club/Girl incident... Link to post Share on other sites
spinner 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 You're not performing some other duty are you - like best man, perhaps? Link to post Share on other sites
desperatedan 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Bet it was someone who enquired re a disco and has presumed it's booked cause she spoke to you once on the phone with a enquiry (i've had that one before luckly I was still avaliable for the date they had in mind when it happened to me) Dandy Discos & www.theweddingdjs.co.uk Link to post Share on other sites
Paul Smith 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 (edited) She thought you were the Rev Brian Mole and were performing her marriage ceremony or that you were from Mole in the Hole caterers and were providing the buffet or you were from Brians Balloons http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/533.gif Edited July 26, 2006 by 5star Link to post Share on other sites
wizard 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 errrrrrrrrrrrr dunno ...put us out of our misery and tell us how the conversation went. Had she booked someone else and phoned you by mistake http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif The oldest swinger in town....... probably. Happy Easter.. well I have seen easter eggs in the shops Link to post Share on other sites
C.S 0 Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 you messed up and double booked http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fear.gif I will try anything,once! The Cornish will arise again ! Manager of the Andy Harris Fan Club. Keep pasties Cornish Link to post Share on other sites
brianmole 0 Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 QUOTE (wizard @ Jul 26 2006, 05:34 PM) errrrrrrrrrrrr dunno ...put us out of our misery and tell us how the conversation went. Had she booked someone else and phoned you by mistake http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif Yep, I'll elaborate later when I get to work... Link to post Share on other sites
brianmole 0 Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 OK, this bride for some reason thought she had booked me to do her wedding. When I called back, I politely said that I have no trace of any previous contact with her, is it possible she had made a mistake? I asked her if she had a contract to refer to. She replied that her dad had the agreement, turned out to be with an agent I have worked with in the past, so I gave her his number and suggested that if there was a problem, she could always call me back as I was not working on this date. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif I hate episodes of concentrated stress like this although it makes me question if my paperwork and procedures are up to the job. The thought of the possibility of screwing up does not go down well with me. So, what have I learned from this? Well, our esteemed leader posted: QUOTE Ask her to quote the booking confirmation number on the form This has led me to implement a simple quote numbering system which will ensure I can confidently deal with issues like this in the future without stressing out. The other thing that has gone through my mind is what happens if this Bride had been let down on the night and decided to call me at 8pm asking where I was? What if I was away from home not near my paperwork? http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/hits_the_fan.gif Link to post Share on other sites
DJ Marky Marc 0 Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 QUOTE The other thing that has gone through my mind is what happens if this Bride had been let down on the night and decided to call me at 8pm asking where I was? What if I was away from home not near my paperwork? would not happen... you would look at your PDA to find that there is infact no booking and then quote the lady for your services and tell her how long it will take for you to get there... <a href="http://www.djassociates.org"><img src="http://www.djassociates.org/anims/compres_banner.gif" alt="Join the DJ Associates Disc Jockey Association" border="0" width="468" height="60"></a> Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisPointon 0 Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Implementing numbering systems is easy, and takes minutes. Where clients send an enquiry by email, I give each enquiry a reference number and file it in a folder with the ref number in the subject field - the number is always prefixed with the letter "E" - ie. E13462. If you average less than one booking / enquiry per day you may like to use the date as the reference number - so today would be "E270706". You could still use the same system for multiple enquiries, but add a "-1, -2" or a letter after the date - thus "E270706-1, E270706-2, or E270706-A" - this way you even have instant traceabilty of the date the original enquiry was sent http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif When I reply to the client with my quote, I note the reference number and ask them to quote it in all future correspondence. Thus, I can match enquiry with any future email / call or booking that I get from the client. Non confirmed Enquiries are kept for 90 days before being deleted. The same applies to booking contracts. If a client goes on to make a booking, then I keep the same reference number, but the prefix is changed to a "C" - thus "E13462" now becomes "C13462" , and this is stated on both copies of my booking forms and written in the diary above the booking information. Again, I ask my client to state it in all future correspondence. Not only does using a numbering system make tracking easier, but it also catches out those clients who think that enquiry means booking http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif . And by using the same reference number on enquiries and bookings you can easily track the booking right back to your initial enquiry. Incidentally, i've also started sending out contracts by recorded delivery now, and I also note the rec delivery tracking number on my copy of the booking form!. Link to post Share on other sites
brianmole 0 Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 QUOTE (Chris_Pointon @ Jul 27 2006, 01:15 PM) Implementing numbering systems is easy, and takes minutes. Where clients send an enquiry by email, I give each enquiry a reference number and file it in a folder with the ref number in the subject field - the number is always prefixed with the letter "E" - ie. E13462. If you average less than one booking / enquiry per day you may like to use the date as the reference number - so today would be "E270706". You could still use the same system for multiple enquiries, but add a "-1, -2" or a letter after the date - thus "E270706-1, E270706-2, or E270706-A" - this way you even have instant traceabilty of the date the original enquiry was sent http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif When I reply to the client with my quote, I note the reference number and ask them to quote it in all future correspondence. Thus, I can match enquiry with any future email / call or booking that I get from the client. Non confirmed Enquiries are kept for 90 days before being deleted. The same applies to booking contracts. If a client goes on to make a booking, then I keep the same reference number, but the prefix is changed to a "C" - thus "E13462" now becomes "C13462" , and this is stated on both copies of my booking forms and written in the diary above the booking information. Again, I ask my client to state it in all future correspondence. Not only does using a numbering system make tracking easier, but it also catches out those clients who think that enquiry means booking http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif . And by using the same reference number on enquiries and bookings you can easily track the booking right back to your initial enquiry. Incidentally, i've also started sending out contracts by recorded delivery now, and I also note the rec delivery tracking number on my copy of the booking form!. Excellent advice, thanks... looks like a 100% solution http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif Link to post Share on other sites
Eskie 0 Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 QUOTE (brianmole @ Jul 27 2006, 12:54 PM) OK, this bride for some reason thought she had booked me to do her wedding. When I called back, I politely said that I have no trace of any previous contact with her, is it possible she had made a mistake? I asked her if she had a contract to refer to. She replied that her dad had the agreement, turned out to be with an agent I have worked with in the past... About 3 weeks ago a mate of mine called me to say someone had called him about a booking I was doing asking questions about the night etc, which left us both completely confused as to how on earth she had got my friends number http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wacko.gif The answer was this; this particular friend is an electrician and always does my PAT testing each year and so his company details are on the top of my PAT certificates. The venue for this particular booking asked me to fax my PLI & PAT paperwork through to them. So I had done this a few weeks before. The brides mum was then talking with the venue about various issues relating to the wedding and the conversation apparently led on to discussing the entertainment and she'd asked a question relating to that which they were unable to answer and so they suggested she called the DJ and provided her with my number!... ...only they didn't, they simply grabbed my PAT certificate and gave her the phone number on top of that, which was obviously the electricians http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wallbash.gif ... ...it took quite a while for that all to come out though when the brides mum called me (my mate gave her my number and asked her to give me a call. She called a few minutes after he'd called me to let me know what had happened) and I was completely mystified for a while before all the pieces came together http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/excl.gif ***** As for booking numbers, the system I use is the date/surname in the format of yyyymmddSurname, i.e. 20060727Mole that way everything is automatically filed in date order. Anthony Winyard Entertainment www.awe-dj.co.uk, Entertaining London & the South-East! Click here to LIKE The Funky Penguin on Facebook. www.facebook.com/awe.dj Link to post Share on other sites
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