Hi all

Just after some advise really with regards to a booking

Had an enquiry a while back for a kids 6th birthday party on 25th July.I told tham the price, which they said they were happy with and wanted to book. Brill.
Took all the details etc (except, stupidly forgot to get the phone number.... der!!)
Anyway, sent them a booking form and Ts & Cs
Form didn't come back, so I thought I'd send another one recorded delivery.
Well, I posted it 2 weeks ago today, and on checking Royal Mail Track & Trace, it has not been delivered.
Fair enough, they might be on holiday, but what do I do now?

Do I hand deliver the form? (they don't live too far from me) or
Just leave it?

But.........last thing I want to do is let a little girl down on her birthday.

Help!!

What do you think is the best thing to do now?

Contact the venue and explain you don't have there number and get the venue to pass on a message or let you have the number.

if that fails go round and see them,just explain you dont want to let them down but you dont want to keep the date tied up if they got someone else.let us know what happens.

I'd personally drop them a reminder, asking to contact you to confirm booking.
If they're not far from you drop it round by hand, and you may see some clues as to wether they're on holiday or not. Knocking on the door and asking about the booking may 'appear' to be a bit confrontational. Just my opinion.
Had this problem myself a couple of weeks ago, and now my letter on the booking forms state that all dates will be reserved for two weeks only unless forms and booking fee are returned. After two weeks the date is released for other work.

Kaz Ask for a contact number

Just a little reminder.

I don't do Kids gigs, however, no returned contract...no Gig!

Did the post office say whty it hasn't been delivered? Was it refused?

If you have the address and a surname, then it's possible to find their telephone number from the phone book or even directory enquiries. They may of course be ex-directory but worth a try.

It does sound a bit convenient on their part, that the first letter went awry, and there have been problems with delivery of the recorded one! .

I agree with the others, no contract / deposit = no confirmed booking it may sound a little harsh but you are running a business and not a charity after all, and as long as you can prove that you've gone out of your way to get the paperwork to them (recorded delivery slip is enough) then they haven't any real cause to complain. In my experience of non delivery they get a card pushed through the door, and they can either collect the letter from the local depot or have it delivered to another address, if they can't be bothered to do that, then that is their problem.

Admin Departments such as banks and local authorities often make charges for duplicate paperwork, I doubt the client would be so cavalier in attitude if this was the case with ours!.

Yooouuuuu idiot!!

Make it a point of asking for home number and mobile number.

Good luck.

Say it to yourself now 20 times................"take down phone numbers". Then you won't forget.

There are two entirely plausible explanations for this:

a) They don't like the contract...either they are going to try and do a runner or they don't sign legal mumbo-jumbo...a lot of businesses do that, if they are unsure about a contact they just ignore it. Remember punters hear all the time about unfair contracts and bad banks and bad phone companies and they MAY think "now the DJs are at it..."....

b) Equally possible, given the recorded delivery debacle, either you took the addie down wrong, or the post office has some kind of systems failure and for example, no postman knows how to deliver it. There is a place in Ireland called Abbeyfeale. Owing to some bizarre bureaucracy, half the addresses in Abbeyfeale have to be put down Abbeyfeale, LIMERICK and half Abbeyfeale, KERRY. Now you might think that if you misaddressed it that they would automatically send it on the other route, but nooooooooooooo, all misaddressed items go to the Abbeyfeale, Kerry sub office to be collected, and er, that's it. If no one knows it's there, then tough. It just stays there for weeks and weeks until eventually it gets returned.

So, you made a mistake, we all do. The calibre of the person is not in not making mistakes, it is the honor you have in this situation. As you rarely make a mistake and as I assume you are an honorable person, just go around there and see what the problem is.

Explain you are not desparate for the business, but that you made a mistake...and they'll love you for it. Unless of course they are trying to do a runner...either way you'll know.

Update on my dilemma.

After a few calls I managed to track down grandma.
Had a really nice chat with her too. She was very apologetic, and said that her grandaughter had been to a couple of my gigs before and wanted me to do her disco, then she went to a couple of parties that had bouncy castles and that is what she is having now.She also said that she thought her son had phoned to cancel.

No gig for me but I know the guy who is doing the bouncy castle.

At least I know that I won't be letting a little girl down now.

Phew!!