Bloody Stairs!

[aaadisco 0]

So I had a christmas party tonight in a venue where I haven't played before.

 

I called them and explained that I was playing there tonight and if there was easy access and any stairs, they told me that I could park just outside the doors and there were no stairs.

 

When I got to the venue, this was in fact true however I was booked in the room upstairs which was up 2 flights of stairs with no lift and you had to park on a busy road, doh :-0

 

Normally I ask these questions in my booking form but it wasn't returned, I was just given the deposit as it was a friend of my mother in law that booked me for their xmas do.

 

About 30 people there, the night was ok but not great by any means.

 

Oh well, I have a wedding tomorrow where they have asked for lots of House and 90s Club Classics, woo hoo!!!!

 

Hope your xmas parties tonight were a bit easier than mine :-0

[Norfolk DJ 0]

So I had a christmas party tonight in a venue where I haven't played before.

 

I called them and explained that I was playing there tonight and if there was easy access and any stairs, they told me that I could park just outside the doors and there were no stairs.

 

When I got to the venue, this was in fact true however I was booked in the room upstairs which was up 2 flights of stairs with no lift and you had to park on a busy road, doh :-0

 

Normally I ask these questions in my booking form but it wasn't returned, I was just given the deposit as it was a friend of my mother in law that booked me for their xmas do.

 

About 30 people there, the night was ok but not great by any means.

 

Oh well, I have a wedding tomorrow where they have asked for lots of House and 90s Club Classics, woo hoo!!!!

 

Hope your xmas parties tonight were a bit easier than mine :-0

 

If they don't return the contract they are refusing to agee to your T&C. I wouldn't have accepted the booking.

[deejaymitch 0]

I charge extra for stairs, I factor it into my quote.

[stardust 0]

So I had a christmas party tonight in a venue where I haven't played before.

 

I called them and explained that I was playing there tonight and if there was easy access and any stairs, they told me that I could park just outside the doors and there were no stairs.

 

When I got to the venue, this was in fact true however I was booked in the room upstairs which was up 2 flights of stairs with no lift and you had to park on a busy road, doh :-0

 

Normally I ask these questions in my booking form but it wasn't returned, I was just given the deposit as it was a friend of my mother in law that booked me for their xmas do.

 

About 30 people there, the night was ok but not great by any means.

 

Oh well, I have a wedding tomorrow where they have asked for lots of House and 90s Club Classics, woo hoo!!!!

 

Hope your xmas parties tonight were a bit easier than mine :-0

 

 

You should not be complaining with your Athletic body! 2 minute workout surely !

Need to meet up for a beer soon mate,

[Horizon-Events 0]

I charge extra for stairs, I factor it into my quote.

 

Why charge extra for stairs?

 

Its not the clients fault the venue has stairs??

[Norfolk DJ 0]

Why charge extra for stairs?

 

Its not the clients fault the venue has stairs??

 

Yes it is. And it is the clients responsibility to declare these on agreeing to my T&C.

 

Stairs take time to navigate and can take twice as long to get into a venue compared to easy access. This impacts on the starting time and more importantly your time at the venue will increase.

 

Decsions as to whether to take a roadie or not may depend on access stairs. In addition a number of DJ's may decline the booking or take different gear to compensate for the hike up the stairs.

 

Personally I charge £50 extra and the contract must be returned agreeing the T&C. If they fail to declare this, they must pay the £50 extra on the night or I will not work.

[deejaymitch 0]

Why charge extra for stairs?

 

Its not the clients fault the venue has stairs??

 

Using the same logic, it's not the client's fault if the venue is 50 miles away from my house, so you shouldn't charge extra for that?

 

There are a number of factors we have to consider when pricing a job, and we all attach a different amount of significance to each. Some people charge extra to add services (karaoke etc), some don't. The same goes for every single facotr. Some will be more important to one jock than another. Stairs just happen to be one that matter to me.

Edited December 20, 2010 by deejaymitch

[mjmac 0]

there is no way i would be navigating a set of stairs on my own with any dj equipment and as such will take a roadie with me... this will be factored into my cost!

 

health & safety first!

[Dukesy 0]

I think DJ's on the whole have the right to charge for whatever they wish, the problem begins when its considered by the client to be a 'hidden' charge or they get lumbered with a fee at a later date, that wasn't disclosed on the original contract.

 

I don't see how any client would have an issue with it, provided it was clearly explained and pointed out to them at quote stage BEFORE they committed to a booking. This way, they are free to continue to find another DJ who doesn't levy such a charge, if they really do not wish to pay it.

 

So in order to stay on the right side of the client, you should be asking any such 'extra fee' questions of the client right at the quote stage, whether its a verbal conversation or via an enquiry form. So if you charge for stairs, then you should ask the yes/no question when taking the enquiry, and ideally, also itemise it on the quote if it is a chargeable factor in the overall fee.

 

Hotels used to do the same several years back, in relation to single supplement charges which back then, were often 'hidden' where a single person had occupied a double room, and only found out and got stung for it when they came to pay the bill. Thankfully the law clamped down on these practices and they now have to be clearly stated on their website / quote engines like laterooms etc, at the time the client obtains the quote. The same applies with us and any of our charges discussed here.

 

Of course, clients are apt to be 'mistaken' about certain facts or 'overlook' them on occasion which may led to the DJ turning up expecting an easy access to the venue and finding a winding, narrow two floor staircase in front of them. This is why copies of contracts, completed and signed by the client are important in case crucial facts have been withheld and from that point certain terms have to be enforced. Often the only effective way for clients to be more careful about what they read and less selective about the material facts they indicate or disclose on a booking form is to levy a higher fee / penalty if the information is found to be incorrect upon your arrival at the venue. Clients do seem to become much more careful with paperwork 'honesty', if for example, your fee for stairs changes to £80 if you discover the fact upon arrival on the night, rather than the £50 if its disclosed to you at the start. This policy works very effectively at recouping parking fines early by all of the local councils, and it can be just as effective for us here :ads: . Of course visiting a venue prior to the function date will also prevent client Amnesia, and give you time to rectify the situation. Although I appreciate that this isn't always possible at every function.

 

I never used to charge for Stairs, then I worked at Manchester Town Hall :scared: . This is a massive venue in Central Manchester where you have a long walk from the private side road entrance, up some stairs and down a long hall to a lift, then out of the lift on the 2nd floor and about 1/4 mile walk around a huge circular balcony to the function room. Normally this type of set up would take about 45 - 50 minutes to set up with groundfloor access, this time around it took more like 1 hour 40 - each way. £50 for what is additional lugging around and effectively the best part of 4 hours out of my life is a bargain. There are also other reasons why a DJ may charge for stairs - needing and carrying additional handling equipment is one valid chargeable point, or employing the services of a roadie, where they would normally work alone, is another example of an expense which has to be recouped. I notice that very few of us are actively running a registered charity :pro: .

 

However, I must admit there have been, on some occasions a few "no no's", DJ's turning up here, and making their post along the lines of 'i've misquoted this booking two months back and now I need to charge the client more'. Sadly, if you don't ask the correct questions and ascertain ALL of the facts for yourself at the point of producing a quote, then that is real tough luck on your part, and one huge kick up the ar$e to be more prepared in future. In examples like this, the client should not be then made to pay for the fact that you are totally unprepared, or have simply made a **** up with your quoting. To change the fee after contracts have been issued, because you simply didn't ask the right question or include it on your terms, would be unprofessional, its also something which is likely to win a small claims case.....in favour of the client.

[mjmac 0]

Totally agree Dukesy.. As always be upfront with your clients and have your generic question list to hand when someone makes a booking, saves lots of bad feeling later on!

 

Asking for extras on the night will only put a bad vibe on the night... and your hardly gonna get a recommendation with these antics!

 

i always go an check the venue before the night (if ive never worked there before) just to ensure everything will be ok, and do a quick risk assessment of the place... and this will normally take place before i agree a price... if i need a roadie, extra kit etc..etc.. it all gets factored in upfront!

[jay jackson 0]

I always charge more for stairs unless it's a january/Febuary booking I'd climb 5 sets for a descent wager in these months' Forget the big bins though' I usually pay a roadie 35 a night & Kebab :crap: Thats the nearest to a kebab i could find :moon: