Booking etiquette - two customers same date

[charlie]

Wow....I have been on a posting frenzy. It's dead at work and so I fill my time posting to my fav forum. Well, here we go.
We got an E-mail from a prospective customer after she saw us at a gig we played for the 4th of July. We talked and she said she was interested in booking us to play for her husband's 60th birthday on August 23rd. No price was given. No contracts signed. Well, a few days later, we got another E-mail from a very good customer who was wanting us to play on August 23rd also for a birthday party. Here's the problem, we cant be at two different gigs on the same day. If we turn down the first customer, she will feel like we are not trust worthy even though we have not signed a contract to play her party. She is most likely going to be upset if we tell her we have another offer to play the same date and most likely will never call us again. Now, if we turn down the second customer (play their Christmas party every year) he is going to feel like he is not important to us and that we dont care about hepling him out when he needed us. Mind you, no contracts or promises have been made to either customer as of yet. So, what do we do? Play the safe game and go with the good customer and somewhat bend the rules of booking etiquette? Or, do we play the first customer's (new-first time) party should she committ to the date she wanted. After all, she did call us first. The good customer called later, as mentioned above. How would you handle this situation?

Thanks!

Charlie

[weegeo]

Hiya Charlie
Well for me this 1 is easy,me personally i would always look after existing work first this means saying `sorry to your new client`What i would suggest to them is that you would gladly play for them on any other night that suits both them and your diary. I`m sure the majority of the members here would agree,it is however your call

Regards
Weegeo

[JohnG]

Hi Charlie,
Always a stinker this one isn't it?
My own approach has always been total honesty here. I'd have told the 2nd one I already had a tentative booking for the day when they first asked but with no contracts signed etc. and offered alternative dates. Then, if thats a no go, I think I'd ask the 60th if there was any chance of moving the date of the party forward a night to the Friday or maybe back or forward a week.

If not I think I'd get the regular to sign up pdq. The 1st customer may only be a one-off and you risk losing the 2nd (regular) customer's business for good. So I think I'm with Charlie on this one. If you play your cards right you may end up with both.

It's often been the case with me that if you're totally honest, explain about the regular customer, explain that you are in a business and that you have to make a living. Maybe, if you can, offer them a discount (just for this date) for messing them about by changing the date, or try to put a special number or two in the set for the "birthday boy". Try to think of something special for them.
I've always found that using phrases like "I really want your business", "I'm really sorry that I'm messing you about and I'm trying my best to make things up to you" and stuff like that, especially when you mean it and they can see that, has worked for me 9 times out of 10.
But you said that prices hadn't yet been discussed so you don't know yet whether they can afford you. So you may not have a problem at all. My own rule, ALWAYS discuss the price at the first meeting, learnt during the first few months of my first year trading. 1. Can you do the job. 2.Can you make the dates. 3.How much will it cost. 4.How and when will they pay.5.Contract.

If the actual date of the birthday isn't the 23rd they may be able to move the party date. Unless, that is you're booked on the 16th, the 22nd and the 30th too!
Good luck,
JohnG.

[charlie]

Thanks Weego & JohnG,
As always some very helpful comments being rendered by seasoned vets in the music biz...thanks! This is what we thought we'd try. Offer the first customer Friday night at a discounted rate for having to move their party date. Express to the first customer that since we did not have a confirmed contract for Saturday nite (Aug 23rd) for her party, we really didn't know how to respond. It just so happened that during the waiting period for things to be settled we were offered another job on the same night and that customer was ready, willing, and able to sign a contract and committ to Saturday night. This is a business for us, and so therefore we must run it as such. However, due to the extinuating circumstances...we will offer you a 10% discount if you can move your party to Friday night instead. We apologize for any inconvenience and will work with you in any way we can to make your party the special event you had hoped for. As John said, maybe we will be fortunate enough to book both parties as long as the first customer will concede that her date was never finalized and confirmed. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks guys!

[charlie]

Hey John...just a quick update on this thread. We talked to the lady who contacted us first about playing her party on Saturday (Aug 23) and told her that since we did not hear back from her confirming the party, we had no choice but to assume something had changed and therefore could no longer hold that date open as we were contacted by someone else to play that date. We were cordial, honest, and she was very understanding. SHE asked if we could play that Friday night instead....LOL...and of course we said sure! She said her husband really wanted the party on Friday night so that he could go fishing with his friends on Saturday...LOL. Strange how things work out sometimes, but we are very grateful how things turned out.

[weegeo]

Thats good news Charlie and proves the point honesty always works glad you now have 2 gigs instead of 1 good luck with both of them

weegeo

[JohnG]

Hey Charlie,
That's great news. Hope they both go well. Honesty is usually the best policy IMHO. Sometimes, if you're honest, even though you may lose one booking, people remember the honesty and straight dealing and come back later anyway.
JohnG.