I know several of our regular members have used the forum to great success to pass on bookings and the details to clients of other members working and covering the same area.

This is especially useful during peak times like the wedding Season and Xmas. So far passing on work is a little bit of a gamble especially if its to somebody who you have never even spoken to, yet alone met.

As the DJU community continues to grow, you are likely to eventually find somebody working the same / close to your own area and whilst this was always regarded as dangerous competiton, this forum is rapidly breaking down these old attitudes and the current positive feedback from people who are meeting / communicating with the local competition shows that it can be benenficial to both parties.

Swapping details of bookings on a public forum, has always been regarded as a no no, and emailing 500+ members with booking requests uses a lot of resources and it's pointless emailing details of a gig to a DJ based in the North for a venue in Southampton for example.

So the idea:-

A password protected area of the forum, to enable you to publish work requests for any gigs that you need to pass on or get cover for. Being password protected - access would be limited to those who are trusted and experienced enough (This can easily be done by references if required although I believe most of the regulars here already fit the criteria) and those who are interested in providing such cover. The forum could also be split up into sections - for instance South, South East, South west, Midlands etc. You could also subscribe to the area of interest to you using the "subscribe to this forum feature" which would mean that you would be emailed as soon as a new post (booking request) was made in that section.

Anybody up for this? then post below

Sounds like a good idea to me.
What would be the criteria for experience?

I am regularly receiving enquiries for dates that I'm already booked on, but would not consider passing work onto someone that I had not met first, so personally I'd be interested in meeting other DJ's that work the same area I do and would gladly pass work on if I was confident that my name/reputation would not be tarnished by doing so.

QUOTE

What would be the criteria for experience?

This is certainly something that we need to discuss since we are all in the same position when it comes to passing on work...and obviously entrusting our own reputation.

I think you can learn a lot about a persons attitude, by how they post, for instance I wouldn't consider passing on work to somebody with the "I play only what I want and not what the audience would enjoy" and neither would I pass on work to a newbie - until they had at least demonstrated a competant level of experience.

I know that several members have already started visiting each other's gigs and this is a great starting point. Where logistically it would be impossible to do this, then I think we have to rely on some form of checkable reference. For instance I know that the manager of the club I work wouldn't hesitate to give a verbal reference for me if asked, and I'm sure that we have all at some point done a resident pub or club where the manager would be agreeable to take a short phone call from a nominated DJU Member(s) who is willing to check out references.

Like you have said, I don't want to be passing work onto some 14 year old bedroom mixer who has never done a mobile gig. Which is why we need entry by password only which will be changed on a regular basis, and of course we need to control the membership who have access to it.

Dan, who originally suggested the idea, mentioned a form of criteria and code of conduct that should be drawn up and a proper (free) membership established. This could be in the form your member number on the forum, and a logo which could be used on letterheads and website etc. I'm not suggesting an accredation of any sort, just a pool of trusted D.J's and of course this could work in your favour since a nervous client could also contact a "Forum Secretary", to check your membership and view the professional crtieria that you have met in order to gain membership in the first place - a virtual reference if you like

What we need here is input from all interested members, and then pool the idea's together to form a criteria which needs to be met in order to gain membership. If you have also visited another members' gig at any point then please drop me an email or P.M to "vouch" for them, so I can automatically sign them up if they apply.

Sounds like a great idea as I said when it was suggested before. Obviously the logistics will take time to work out, but I'm sure it can only benefit each other.

Spin

Nice! very good idea chris...no wonder ur admin

Sounds like a very good idea i would be intrested in becoming a part of it!

yep a good idea... i'm up for it. just say what info you need.

It is a good idea, i started a dj pool up here and went around and checked out the various djs and looked at their cvs.You guys have got a lot of the country sown up so it shouldnt be a problem for one of you or another trusted forum member to check people out. Eventhough i have mostly club djs i got in touch with the other local mobile guys and got the good ones to meet me, we then agreed on prices for gigs so that noone undercuts and we also pass gigs onto each other and give a better standard of service as some djs are better at e.g.weddings than others.We try to make sure that the different djs do the type of gig that they are best at . This works here as its a town with a population of 45,000 so quite small really. It really is a good idea and will work if you manage to get people with the right attitude. One important thing that happened to me was a customer rang to book and i was already booked elsewhere, so i took their number and told them i would get back to them. I then called another jock and offered the gig to him,he took it and did a great job. I have since had 3 bookings from this customer as the customer associated me with getting them good entertainment. So i dont think you guys should be scared of handing on work as long as you know that your replacement is of good quality.Good Luck

Count me in......................if you'll have me

Ere! Listen! I have taken loads of calls for "desperate" clients who have been let down at the last minute, and there are many pros and cons as to passing on work..... What I reckon would be a good idea is maybe to have a "DJ Spot light" page where we can all list our experience and type of function that we are best suited to, prices, areas covered etc. then if a customer calls and wants a DJ we can direct them to this site and then they can choose somebody off here... I am sure we would have no hesitation in putting down one of our phone numbers... most of the people who would use them should be genuine clients.... this way we stop any risk to our own reputations and the deal can be struck between the DJ and the client.... nobody has anything to lose and everyone wont get stressed worrying whether or not they have suggested the right DJ.?

Good Idea Karen, the only problem is in order to make the area accessible to potential customers would be to make the area public (The main forum is only visible to fully registered members ) I doubt that any client would go through the sign up procedure just to view details.

I can easily make the section public, but how many people would be willing to publish their contact details on an unmoderated, unprotected area of the form that anybody could view?. Even if you limit your contact to email, once the Spam Bots get started your inbox will be full of Viagra and car loan emails. Presently they can't access your email from the forum, but if you made it visible, on an unregistered area, then they could and you'd find your email address being added to 1000s of databases.

Just out of interest, how many of you are finding your SPAM emails increasing since adding your contact details to an online directory??.

Good point crispy!... is there any way we could have just a page accessible to jo public just for this very subject? As you know, dunno much about puters! Just thinking it is a bloody good service to office and will get djs united name around!
Hows the sunburn by the way?

QUOTE

Hows the sunburn by the way?

Exactly like my nickname........crispy

You could never believe how much I hate hot weather!

Roll on winter!

oh bless! Im on my way with the aloa vera!

QUOTE (Chris_Pointon @ Aug 4 2003, 10:29 PM)

You could never believe how much I hate hot weather! Roll on winter!

are you crazy i love it hot hot hot

Kazz made a good point,

why not have a picture with some bullet points about ourselves, with contact details etc

we all put our own contact details etc so the booker can make an informed decission.

Chris you would need some sort of disclaimer to cover yourself

DISCLAIMER :

I KNOW I'M UGLY, DON'T RUB IT IN

Would you like us to stroke it on with a paintbrush then ADS ?

Great idea would love to be a part of the team, with using a wedding website regular i have loads of enquiries for up and down the country.

Think the idea is excellent but as said before being able to give a job to a competent DJ who is not a bedroom dj.

Critiera:

1. Experience
2. Do u have insurance
3. what type of equipment do u use
4. Music collection
5. Pricing
6. Area covered
7. References
8. Recommendations from other DJs
9. Play Lists accepted
10. Requests on the evening


Just some ideas but i know there are loads that i havet thought of, but would be really be intrested in joining the pool