Last minute cancellations - what to do?!!!!

[eshta amar]

Hi everyone! I have to vent!!!!! Here I am sitting in a gorgeous new costume with fabulous hair and makeup and nowhere to go! Why???? Because I was just cancelled on 30 minutes before a show! GRRRRRRRRR!
I was asked yesterday to perform at a convalescent hospital by a woman who interrupted my class in order to get my business card. Not a good start! I knew that she probably didn't have a big budget. In Los Angeles the standard party rate is $150-$200 I charge between $150-$175 for a 15 - $20 minute show. I offered her a charity rate of $100. This was to be for their candlelight dinner party but she wanted me to perform at 2:30 on a friday - weird. So ok - I'm dressed, packed, ready - eyelashes and all and I get this phone call. Usually when the phone rings before a party I have a feeling something is about to go sour......She says" I can't afford $100 we don't have the budget.....schwarzenegger and his budget/no money....poor seniors....blah blah blah....I can pay you $60 for maybe a shorter show." Seriously peeved am I!!!! I say" Ok I'll do it only because I have already spent the time getting ready but it will be a shorter show." "How long?" she asks. About 10 minutes I said.
She then starts to tell me how many songs she thinks I should do. I explain that I am a professional and that the show will be an appropriate length. So she declines my offer. No apology nothing! I am shocked!!!!!! I call her back. I start in on this whole thing about how it is very inappropriate to cancel like that and how I have already lost time and money preparing for her showing. I suggest a cancellation fee knowing I will get nowhere. She starts laughing at me and says I can get a dancer for less than $50 and hangs up on me. I have written a letter to her boss. Doubt it will do any good!
Moral is STICK TO YOUR RATES!!!! Which I am glad I more or less did! And don't do a show for the Golden State Colonial Convalescent Hospital!
But question is......what sort of contract does everyone use? How do you protect yourself from just this problem with cancellations?
Oh well.....might as well practice in my new costume!

 

[Reen.Blom]

Come on sweeteie, have a hug *hug* That's all I have to offer since I have no experience. So cheer up! I am sure you are looking gorgeous in your new costume!!!

 

[Aniseteph]

:shok: Some people have no shame.

I'm not a professional dancer but if I was I'd negotiate fees and then have a contract for clients to sign that included cancellation fees. Then there'd be no squirming out of it or attempts to renegotiate terms at the last minute.

Hope she gets something really inappropriate for her less than $50!

 

[Kharmine]

Quelle jerk! I suspect she was trying to get you to perform for free in the end.

I suggest that you contact the Small Business Administration in your area and see what kind of contract language they recommend for your business. Or perhaps you could get help from your chamber of commerce. It shouldn't be hard to find just the right thing in Los Angeles!

But always get a deposit which you stress that you'll keep as a cancellation fee if the performance is cancelled by the client within 48 hours of the event. If you are the cancelling party, of course, you must reimburse.

That's just a start -- I have a feeling you'll need more if you're going to cover your most common concerns.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Cancellation

Hi everyone! I have to vent!!!!! Here I am sitting in a gorgeous new costume with fabulous hair and makeup and nowhere to go! Why???? Because I was just cancelled on 30 minutes before a show! GRRRRRRRRR!
I was asked yesterday to perform at a convalescent hospital by a woman who interrupted my class in order to get my business card. Not a good start! I knew that she probably didn't have a big budget. In Los Angeles the standard party rate is $150-$200 I charge between $150-$175 for a 15 - $20 minute show. I offered her a charity rate of $100. This was to be for their candlelight dinner party but she wanted me to perform at 2:30 on a friday - weird. So ok - I'm dressed, packed, ready - eyelashes and all and I get this phone call. Usually when the phone rings before a party I have a feeling something is about to go sour......She says" I can't afford $100 we don't have the budget.....schwarzenegger and his budget/no money....poor seniors....blah blah blah....I can pay you $60 for maybe a shorter show." Seriously peeved am I!!!! I say" Ok I'll do it only because I have already spent the time getting ready but it will be a shorter show." "How long?" she asks. About 10 minutes I said.
She then starts to tell me how many songs she thinks I should do. I explain that I am a professional and that the show will be an appropriate length. So she declines my offer. No apology nothing! I am shocked!!!!!! I call her back. I start in on this whole thing about how it is very inappropriate to cancel like that and how I have already lost time and money preparing for her showing. I suggest a cancellation fee knowing I will get nowhere. She starts laughing at me and says I can get a dancer for less than $50 and hangs up on me. I have written a letter to her boss. Doubt it will do any good!
Moral is STICK TO YOUR RATES!!!! Which I am glad I more or less did! And don't do a show for the Golden State Colonial Convalescent Hospital!
But question is......what sort of contract does everyone use? How do you protect yourself from just this problem with cancellations?
Oh well.....might as well practice in my new costume!

Dear Eshta,
Unfortunately, especially at such short notice, there is little you can do. If they had hired you months ago, you might have required a nonrefundable down payment, but mostly that just throws people off.
For these kinds of shows I do not usually use a contract, but I also have never been burned in all the time I have been dancing, except twice when other dancers undercut me.
There is little you can do under the circumstances except tell such customers that the belly dance network in your area will hear about them.... a pretty empty threat considering how many will stab you in the back for a few measly dollars, but still satisfying to say in a really snotty tone!!!
Now, I am in a position to give you the name of a very good Karmic Hitman. His name is Vito the Snake and he has come through for me more than once. My religious convictions do not allow me to pursue any type of revenge but there is nothing that says I can't feel just a little smug if one of those who has treated me poorly happens on a bit of bad luck. Whenever such an event is brought to my attention, I chalk it up to Vito taking a moment out of his busy Hitman day to even up the Life Score!! (Maybe if we get together and go to him as a group, he will give us a Bellydance discount.)
With sympathy and best regards,
A'isha

 

[belly_dancer]

Dear Eshta,
Unfortunately, especially at such short notice, there is little you can do. If they had hired you months ago, you might have required a nonrefundable down payment, but mostly that just throws people off.
For these kinds of shows I do not usually use a contract, but I also have never been burned in all the time I have been dancing, except twice when other dancers undercut me.
There is little you can do under the circumstances except tell such customers that the belly dance network in your area will hear about them.... a pretty empty threat considering how many will stab you in the back for a few measly dollars, but still satisfying to say in a really snotty tone!!!
Now, I am in a position to give you the name of a very good Karmic Hitman. His name is Vito the Snake and he has come through for me more than once. My religious convictions do not allow me to pursue any type of revenge but there is nothing that says I can't feel just a little smug if one of those who has treated me poorly happens on a bit of bad luck. Whenever such an event is brought to my attention, I chalk it up to Vito taking a moment out of his busy Hitman day to even up the Life Score!! (Maybe if we get together and go to him as a group, he will give us a Bellydance discount.)
With sympathy and best regards,
A'isha

oh my F'ng G... you (& VITO!!!!!!) are Hilarious!!!!!! I too have been lucky enough not to have the TOTALLY last minute cancel thing happen (KNOCK on SERIOUS wood!!!)..... but damn.... how rude!!!..... how UN cool..... HOW TELL EVERYONE!!!!!....... & hopefully they will get.... WHAT was that chick's name from the other thread????? the "goddess" dancer?? the 3 steps from stripper dancer????? go Vito GO!!!!!
oops.... am I being BOB????? (I hope so!!!!!!)

 

[Shanazel]

May Vito spill red wine all over her white dress in the fanciest restaurant in town. Further more, when she jumps up from her seat in order to yell at Vito, may her flailing arms hit a waiter who is bearing a steaming caldron of red sauce, causing him to dump it on top of her freshly coiffed hair. AND FURTHER MORE- may the photographer from the local newspaper be there with both his camera and a serious personal grudge against the reneging-person.

 

[janaki]

Dear A'isha,

Does Vito, travel to HK??? LOL.

Dear Estha Amar,

My sympathy and hugs for you!!!

I does happen from time to time. I have been through this once. I always make sure I do a contract agreement with them and take the down payment before hand. With internet banking, there is no excuse for not paying the deposit. Even if it is a last minute gig, I email the contract to the client and ask them to deposit 50% via internet banking. Many people do internet banking here. If I don't know the client, no money no show!!!

Don't feel too bad. It is part of being a bellydancer I guess.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Janaki

Dear Janaki,
Being Karmic and all, Vito can be anywhere in the blink of an eye... AND he LOVES to travel!!! However, do not try to find him at the airport. You never really know what he is going to look like until the very moment he does the job.
Regards,
A'isha
(who clearly is on an all too intimate basis with her imaginary friends when she starts introducing them around!)

Dear A'isha,

Does Vito, travel to HK??? LOL.

Dear Estha Amar,

My sympathy and hugs for you!!!

I does happen from time to time. I have been through this once. I always make sure I do a contract agreement with them and take the down payment before hand. With internet banking, there is no excuse for not paying the deposit. Even if it is a last minute gig, I email the contract to the client and ask them to deposit 50% via internet banking. Many people do internet banking here. If I don't know the client, no money no show!!!

Don't feel too bad. It is part of being a bellydancer I guess.

 

[janaki]

Dear A'isha,

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

I see the other side of A'isha, the funny side!!! You are a cool lady!!!

Tks for introducing Vito to us and I feel soooooooooooo safe and secure as a bellydancer now!!

Vito on demand and Vito and command!!! Now I am LMAO!!!
Hugs
Janaki

 

[Aniseteph]

Vito rocks! Love it :lol:

 

[belly_dancer]

Dear Janaki,
Regards,
A'isha
(who clearly is on an all too intimate basis with her imaginary friends when she starts introducing them around!)

so while we are bringing our "friends" into the light.... mine is Guido... & he has my (our!) back(s)!!!!!
ok... are we weird???? strange??? oh well.... certainly would not want to be accused of being normal!!!!!

but back to reality.... I LOVE karma.... my grandmother (who I think has gotten more rep for me on this forum than me!!!) used to say... "give 'em enough rope & they'll hang themselves".... keeping this in mind I have actually gotten to sit back & watch more than one devious/mean-spirited/or just simply clue-less but totally self-centered person be bitten in their own backsides,
ultimately as a result of something that they put into action....
when "bad" stuff happens to me... instead of planning revenge... (ooops ok... w/ my very best friend I may indulge in a revenge planning session.... but so far I've been to lazy to go to follow through:lol::lol::lol...
I try & sit back & watch.... & act (oh god... by TRY to act!) in an impeccable fashion... & lo & behold, people's deeds DO usually catch up with them... although w/ Karma... it is not always "an eye for an eye" (meaning that the "lesson" they need to learn (when they screwed you) hardly ever comes thru you, but another source).... but still, it is fun to know that "they got theirs"
however... if I notice some bad situation KEEPS happening to ME.... I try to analyze MY part in the situation.... as in... what lesson do I need to learn from this???
ok.... I need to STOP analyzing now.... & go to work... happy weekend!

 

[Gia al Qamar]

I'm coming out of Oriental Dancer hybernation to offer you consolation and advice!
First...very sorry that this happened to you. Most EVERY dancer on her way to pro-status has had a story JUST like this to tell. It smarts...but...it's part of the dues we pay and, really, a small price for the BIG education it gives.
Contracts DO scare aware clients...they scare away the kind of clients who cancel at the last minute, hang up on us and treat us badly. That's EXACTLY why we make contracts and do business with people who have no problem signing them!

I have NEVER had a SINGLE client ever refuse a contract who was serious about hiring me at the amount of money we negotiated. I always take a 50% non-refundable deposit and have never had a reason to refund ever.
Those folks who balk at signing a contract are the same ones who are trying to get away with something for nuttin.
Find a good online source for a basic contract and use it with pride!
Meanwhile...I hope the Karma hit man gets this dame good!
Gia

 

[Kharmine]

Maybe it depends on the region -- in some places a handshake still really is enough -- but as someone once said, "A verbal contract ain't worth the paper it ain't written on."

 

[Eshta]

Dreadful just dreadful

I think this is the risk you take/price you pay, especially with short notice bookings. Doesn't make it alright, but man, it's rude and just plain insulting! sadly, other than warn dancers with integrity to avoid them like the plague, there's little you can do... I'm all behind Vito!

Is there a local paper you can sell your story to - I'm talking REALLY small scale local, but it might be enough to leave a small scar!

 

[charity]

aw

my heart breaks for the poor seniors in a convalescent home

i like old people, i would have shown up just because all the time to get dressed and made up. but that is conniving/manipulative of her to try to force you into being charitable.

me, i'd have done it for free and i'm afraid they would have gotten what they paid for...:shok: i would have been a dancing fool, dancing on table tops, whirling about, swinging my hair, and that would have been fun to put make up on the ladies and make them feel pretty. and the guys could dance with them.

ahh, to me it sounds like you missed a fun opportunity to just enjoy what you do and allow others to enjoy it.

trust me, I KNOW how naive and lame that sounds especially when you are trying to make ends meet by dancing. and i dont know if you had to miss work or take off, so...

i would agree to a contract too, but like already mentioned that would discourage some customers, even a few good ones.

 

[Shanazel]

Hi, Gia! I've missed you.

A'isha, is introducing your imaginary friends as odd as those of us who immediately try to hire them?

 

[Reen.Blom]

SHanazel, who said they are IMAGINARY.....shhhhh that's a BIG secret!

 

[Aisha Azar]

Vito, etc

Hi, Gia! I've missed you.

A'isha, is introducing your imaginary friends as odd as those of us who immediately try to hire them?

Dear Shanazel,
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whew....( wiping my eyes).... I love this forum. It's a place where I can go and have positive proof that actually I am not alone in my... er... altered state of consciousness, shall we say!
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Gia al Qamar]

Hi, Gia! I've missed you.

Thanks dahhhhling...good to be missed!
Gia