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discoTECH
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Performance
Agreement and DJ Prices
Contact DiscoTECH
Mothers Influence
This was a genuine email received from a client after our response &
investigation of a complaint from them. It has been edited to keep
both the client and DJ anonymous. It makes very interesting reading...
12/12/05
Dear Stewart,
Thank you for looking into the wedding music for me following my
(initial) email to you.
I did express my satisfaction to (the DJ) on the night, and this was a
genuine response to his work. I had a ball and was up dancing most, if
not all, of the night.
I understand that this is a contradiction of what I emailed.
My original email was sent from numerous suggestions from my mum that
I complain about (the DJ).
I feel as if I am fighting a battle that I do not want to be involved
in or believe in. For me there is no better outcome than the great
night we have already had. She was not happy with so many aspects of
the night and I'm afraid she will pick holes until the dawn of time!
Unfortunately this realisation has come since my email to you about
(the DJs) work.
I guess I was passing on her dissatisfaction of the evening instead of
telling you what I felt personally.
Where does this leave us?
With an extremely satisfied bride & groom and a never-to-be-pleased
mother-of-the-bride. I am sorry and embarrassed to have not realised
sooner.
In other words a big waste of your time and (the DJs) time following
it all up.
Feeling like a six year old instead of a married woman, (Name Withheld
By Request)
Things
that will effect people's interest in dancing at a wedding:
It may surprise you that it's more than just the music that will
effect how many people dance in the course of an evening.
Unfortunately many of these things are beyond the control of the DJ so
it is appropriate that we let you know what to be aware of when
organising your wedding:
Guests from overseas and/or far afield in New Zealand:
If a significant number of guests are from overseas, or even just more
than a few hours drive from Auckland then it is likely that they will
want to catch up with other friends and relatives that are present.
This means that there will be lots of talking and therefore, less
dancing. This is especially true if it's the Bride & Groom that are
coming back to New Zealand. In extreme cases there may only be talking
and no dancing.
If there is the possibility of this happening at your wedding please
let your DJ know, and discuss the best way to handle the situation -
options
include:
Some Brides & Grooms would prefer it that the DJ switch to background
music (and therefore a lower volume) more suitable for talking and
catching up, whilst still having a vibrant and celebratory atmosphere.
Some Brides & Grooms on the other hand want their DJ to be vocal in
encouraging people to get up on the dance floor. It is easier if we
can tell them that there is an after-wedding get-together as this
means that there will be ample opportunity to talk in relaxed
surroundings where there is no DJ trying to get them to dance. You may
also want to consider leaving the present opening till then.
Opening the presents and other activities on the night:
If you choose to open your presents on the night please be aware that
this will virtually guarantee that the dance floor is empty for that
time. Your guests will almost always be interested in seeing your
response to the gift(s) they have given you. If people leave the dance
floor for extended periods like this it can be very hard to get them
back on the dance floor.
Any other activity that will draw people away from the floor will have
a similar result. The longer people are away from the floor, and the
less enthusiastic they are about dancing the harder it will be to
encourage them back onto the floor after the activity is over.
Guest enthusiasm:
Some people are less interested in dancing than others - be it because
they are self-conscious about their ability to dance, or just that
they don't enjoy it very much. The more of these types of people there
are amongst your guests the harder it will be to get people dancing.
Other factors that will effect the more self-conscious dancers are
large, empty-looking dance floors, and competent, showy dancers.
If a dance floor looks big when it is empty then the more nervous
dancers will be slower to get up on the dance floor. If the dance
floor looks empty even when half of your guests are already on it then
those not already dancing (likely as not the nervous ones we've
mentioned) are likely to remain seated. A dance floor doesn't have to
actually be big to appear big - a high ceiling can give a false sense
of size. Likewise a large dance floor can be made to look small with
the clever use of pot plants, tables, and other furniture around the
edges.
If there are even only a couple of people amongst your guests who are
proficient dancers (such as Rock 'n' Roll or Ceroc dancers) they will
usually be very quick to get on the floor and show off their moves.
Whilst this is great fun to watch it can be a little off-putting for
the less proficient dancers who feel uncomfortable about being
compared with the "good" dancers.
Temperature:
No matter how enthusiastic your guests are, if the room is very hot
then people are less likely to dance, and if they do dance it will be
for less time. The heat can be due to unexpectedly hot weather, or
just poor or non-existent air-conditioning. Some venues have noise
control issues which require that certain doors remain shut during the
dance. If these doors are also the principle sources of ventilation at
all other times then there needs to be alternative temperature control
available such as air-conditioning - or even just a fan.
Generally speaking venues are very good at keeping guests warm so a
cold dance floor is a relatively rare occurrence - but if your wedding
is in a marquee, or a converted barn, or similar, then, almost
regardless of the time of year, allowances should be made for
appropriate heating. Remember that even in high summer it can be very
cool by 10:00pm, especially if you are by a large body of water or on
an exposed piece of land - spare a thought for those in strapless
dresses and three-quarter pant tuxedoes.
Explanation of Out-of-Town Charges
A client asked us to explain why we were charging an extra $350 for
a trip that involved the DJ travelling from Auckland to Tauranga
Here's the question:
Can you please tell me how you would work out $350 for travel and
accommodation as its about $60-$80 (petrol) and you can get a room
for about $60-100 a night, they would only need to travel down that
day for the night.
Here's the answer:
That's a good question which I will explain.
For events in Auckland the DJ's are required to be there for the
standard 4 hours, plus about an extra hour or 2 for set-up, travel &
pack-down.
When travelling to Tauranga or anywhere outside of Auckland, they
are required to be away from home for a much longer period of time,
often up to 24 hours.
If I was to pay them based on the equivalent number of hours spent
working for Discotech as the usual five/six hour day this would work
out to a lot more than I actually do charge.
In your case they are looking at about 2.5 hours travel down, then
performance time, then an overnight stay, meals, and travel back to
Auckland the next day. If they leave Auckland at say 2pm to be there
in time to setup before the guests arrive, and then return to
Auckland the next morning to arrive home by midday, that's almost 22
hours away working for Discotech.
If the DJ is paid $400 for an Auckland gig that is the equivalent of
about $66 per hour (for 6 hours work). For Tauranga at the
equivalent rate, this would be $1452 (22 hours x $66). This rate
doesn't even yet include meals, petrol & accommodation.
So I have to come to a compromise for out-of-town functions that the
DJ & the client are happy with. If the DJ wants too much, the client
will find it too expensive, but on the other hand the client can't
expect to get the DJ at his usual Auckland rate.
I hope that helps explain where the extra charge comes from. It
would probably be cheaper for you to hire a DJ based in Tauranga,
but then you might not get the good service you will receive from
us.
Performance
Agreement and DJ Prices
Contact DiscoTECH
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