6:30am Wake Up Call

[Jim Casey]

Well...
It was 6:30am, everyone was very peaceful and fully asleep in the Casey household. Suddenly I hear the phone ring for my business. My reaction is of course to take the call.

It is a familiar name, but different. It happens to be a clients mom. Yesterday, I'd given the client herself 24 hours for the retainer fee or I was going to move on to another.

First thing mom says, "Sorry for the early call, I'm a busy woman" (While I'm thinking I'm pissed, I stay pleasant and five miniutes later have her credit card payment for the retainer fee)

Would you have taken the call, how would you have handled the situation?

[mp3jrick]

Sounds like a "last minute annie" to me.
Certainly she played it down to the wire for a reason, absent minded???? I don't think so.
I'm sure she would have tried back had you not answered the phone, she was desperate enough to wait to the last minute and panic.

She is not a planner based on the last minute call. Most would have had the check in the mail if they were planning ahead and were financially secure, imo.

Let me guess....its not a wedding or mitzvah..hmmmm, my guess is a 25th birthday or aniversary for a relative or office person....put 10 bucks on that....

[Jim Casey]

Thanks for the 10 bucks Rick [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]

It is a wedding reception for Sunday October 10th.

Mom has control of the finances for the wedding and has been a real PITA for her daughter.

The original contract was sent February 13th. She has singlehandedly changed the venue location twice but has finally settled on one.

I seem to get difficult clients from time to time, although the bride herself has been pleasant to work with.

This will be one of thise stay tuned type of events.

[John Allo]

Jim, betcha can't wait until October 11th! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

[mp3jrick]

That's the 10 bucks I'd pay NOT to do the wedding.
I don't know how you guys do some of these weddings, it would take all the fun I get out of it away for me.

Good luck with that one, do keep us posted.

[Rob Peters]

As someone who's office line rings at my home, I am reminded of some valuable advise I was given last year: "The business will still be there." I was given it in response to a similar situation that happened to me last year.

My business line ringer is shut off at night after 10PM, and I turn it back on in the morning after 8AM.

You landed the job though...But is there a better solution. When are you going to review the final details....at 5 in the morning ?

[Jim Casey]

Actually I was thinking at about 3 at Denny's in Portland.
:fool

No, my initial reaction was one of fear. Being awakened by a phone call ican be one of the worst things possible. Could be a death, someone is hurt, etc

Because I knew who this was, and it was a Sunday booking, I decided to play nice and take her money

I feel very sorry for the daughter (bride herself)

[DJMC]

To some people 6:30am is completely "normal"

Me and my wife are used to waking up at 6am and people know they can call us early.

I wouldn't read anything into this other than "the bride's mom is very inconsiderate....."

sounds like you need to communicate thru bride in all further dealings, as it is normally the gal in the white dress who rules....at least that's how it is here in Cali...

[John Daniels]

I get up every morning between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.!

But, I usually don't answer the phone that early!

That's what voicemail is for!

I just don't understand why people would be shopping for a DJ at 5:30 in the morning!

Would they call the bank at that hour about opening a savings account?

I still am trying to figure out why I get lots of calls on Saturday evenings for gigs . . . at the very time when you would think that someone shopping for a DJ might expect that, perhaps, a DJ might be DJing!

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif[/img]

[djdonny]

John,

Absolutely. I wish I had a dollar for every client who could only meet me on weekends b/c they work weekdays.