Would you strand your client for entertainment at a gig?

The client waited to the extreme last minute to finalize her reservation. Her call ended up just minutes before the start of the event. She ignored the normal booking process. She was still expecting the entertainment to show up and still called during the event. Can you just imagine this phone message . . . “We are waiting for you. Where are you?” Uggh!

What would you do?

Here’s the story that’s told from my friend who runs a local entertainment company. I’ve been long-time friends with this owner. This odd story is told from last weekend.

On Friday morning, this client requested same-day service when calling about her evening event. She didn’t book then. Although the customer had been sent a few reminders by email and by text on how to complete the reservation throughout the day, it was never finished. She was reminded a couple times about the requirements for reservations, which included a deposit, an agreement, and available office hours.The client actually agreed and said it would be done “within the hour.” Even after the reminders, it turned out like this. Five minutes before the start of the event, she responded to the email with few details, but still did not pay the booking fee nor sign the contract. She did not express earlier how she wanted to complete her reservation otherwise. After the office closed, she sent some jumbled information by email. She was reminded throughout the day that she had to follow up, but did not. 

The entertainment company employed her staff artist to prepare and suit up for the event. But as the event time approached, the artist backed off of going to the booking because there was no final confirmation.

People do really need to follow the agreements – especially when given time constraints. Sometimes the clients feel the rules don’t apply.

Why not just show up without the agreement?

Well, you can ask other entertainers or event people what has happened to them in this situation. You might hear about some ugly double bookings.

Why would a customer wait so long to reserve?

Is she too busy? Not caring? Too lazy? What kind of person is she? Actually, these questions do not really matter at all. There is absolutely no need to second-guess the intentions of the customer, as it’s not a helpful discussion. If they really wanted the event service, they may have done it sooner. My friend’s entertainment company was solid enough with communicating what is needed for reservation. In the long run, it’s the business owners that unfortunately lose out by not getting the gig and experience a great waste of time and effort. And a crowd is waiting with a “no-show” for the entertainment. The biggest factor is that the client waited far too long to complete the reservation, and not follow the rules of hiring.

Yeah, I get it. Party planning is chaotic. Life gets in the way. The truth is that there will always be that strange booking to deal with! And as a business owner, your requirements will prevent being taken advantage of by customers.

Our Booking Solution
GigBase Pro is a booking system that assists greatly in last-minute bookings. Speeding up the contract creation process and the information gathering will help out incredibly during the rush. GigBase booking app does all the busy office work for you.

Learn how to easily book gigs online here:
https://www.eventlightning.com/booking-gigs-made-easy

TL;DR

Contracts and deposits are how businesses do their bookings. Without those, the customers can’t expect normal delivery of service.

What you have stranded the customer for the gig?