Im just having a moan now! I have worked for a particular school for about eight years without any problems and, september comes along with the new PTA. Guess what... new disco booked at a very cheap price! I have never had a complaint from this school and I can almost guarantee what is going to happen.... El cheapo disco will do a couple of bookings, then the parents will complain and then the school will ask me back! As loyalty counts for nothing, then im afraid when this happens, the school will not be getting the same price deal as they have enjoyed for the last eight years - I never put schools prices up - so I am the one who loses out if I have worked for them for many years. However, when they do come back to ask me to work for them again, the new price will be quoted.
New Ptas! When are they gonna learn the motto "if it aint broke dont fix it!"

Kazz that is just plain out of order oh well like you say they will be the ones loosing out in the long run as going by the way you talk about kids dos you are a true pro in a very specialised market.

Yep Kev - it is my speciality - but I KNOW what is gonna happen after the first couple of gigs the new people do...... and its gonna cost them! Eight years with no price increase! Whitton (where the school is) isnt exactly local to me anymore either!

One day they will come running back with their tail between their legs when their new dj either puts the price up or lets them down.........
Then you'll have the last laugh
Spinko

Welcome to the undercut by the cowboys club, and there was you thinking that it only happened to us (poor relations) in the North. The problem is that the school see's it more as a cost saving excercise, and you may be the best kids dj in the land, but give them the opportunity to save a few quid and there will be no loyalty to you. We've got some pretty crap djs in this area working for £30 a night and we keep harping on about how soon they'll go out of business but the reality is that anybody can do a disco these days, and regardless of how bad they are, if they play music and have flashing lights then we'll keep losing out because it seems these days thats all the punters want.

I wonder if the new (temporary) DJ's surname is the same as anyones surname on the new PTA....Hmmmmmm

I occasionally get this with "bringing their own Disco" weddings at my main hotel venue. The Hotel plugs me 110%, theres nothing more that the hotel (or I) could possibly do, and yet still, sometimes people bring their own DJ...and it normally transpires that they're a friend of the family.

Be sure to be parked outside the school hall with something hefty that'll generate lots of interference... A nice electromagnetic bulk tape eraser for instance....

This particular school have got a cheaper dj and have charged more for the price of the ticket..... I will guarantee that they will come back - most schools who just have a dj who produces a few flashing lights and plays the right songs dont go down well..... it is only a matter of time..... you get what you pay for and a group of uncontrollable kids dont make for a good fund raising effort... it puts too much hard work on the adults who come along to supervise... they will have me back but at a higher fee.... watch this space!

Hmmn a school in Whitton hey?
Not the paticular school who's summer fete booking you never got because they wanted a karaoke? and not a disco!!

It happens I'm afraid and I can only assume that you have assumed that they have undercut you in price, the thing with new PTA's is that one of them will always have a friend thats a dj or the case of I know someone who can do it, I doubt very much that the price was anything to do with it and was just more off a personall choice threw a pta member, or if it is the Karaoke school then maybe thats what they want insted.
You know sometimes a change in entertainment is a good thing & if you really do prove a loss then you'll get it back no problem, look as it as having a slight break

But what I'm really trying to get across is that the views of the pta or anyone elses does not make the other entertainment El cheapo disco!
They could be totally oblvious to knowing what you charge or even who you are.

Right again kev! People who want cheap can have cheap - fortunately most people realise that you get what you pay for! You can have all the flashing lights going, charge £30 quid but if you cant keep the kids interested then they wont buy another ticket for the next disco... then you aint gonna make any money for the school.... Its false ecomony and they will soon realise it - then ask me back!

No - the school didnt book me for their karaoke - but have booked another disco. With karaoke I dont think it is suitable entertainment for a school when the average turn out is 300 kids - in a two hour session it is only really entertaining for the few who sing - and in two hours there arent that many singers - so as kids entertainment on that scale I dont think it works very well.

There is one factor unknown in this debate and that is who the DJ is and how good he or she is. We all assume, myself included, that this other Dj is a cowboy or out to undercut you, when in reality we have no idea who it is or their professional standards. It could be that the dj is total crap and charging £40 a night, but it could equally be somebody from this forum with a good reputation, and who says that they have taken the booking on to spite you?, when the phone rings non of us ask if we are replacing other dj's do we??.

Yes, we all consider ourselves to be indispensible and that nobody is better than us and the client will come running back to us begging us to come back, and sometimes it happens and we punish them by increasing our prices - why not punish them even more by refusing to go back at all at ANY price stating divided loyalties and you have already fully booked all end of terms for the next 12 months!.

I'm not getting at you Kazzachi, but as a group we have labeled and hung drawn and quatered the other dj without knowing anything about him or her.

Paula! - its not you is it - is it confession time

My post is not idle speculation - I do know who the dj is - I do know what he is charging - I do know that he does not specialise with kids. I am not under the impression that this has been done to spite me..... My point is that new PTAs try to outdo the last one - I have already received phone calls from parents from this school asking why Im not doing the discos - they arent happy - and have reports that the kids reaction has not been good.
I am certainly not indispensable - but my reputation for kids parties is the highest in the area - allowing me to charge far more than most for a two hour set.
One thing you are right on though mccardle, is that this dj has put in some lovely flashing lights - which he is obviously relying on to be the entertainment - but as anyone who works with kids knows, once the lights have been switched on and the kids have gone "wow" - the lights do nothing to keep the kids entertained for two hours!
I am not trying to sound arrogant here - but I have been in this situation before - and I know what the outcome will be. Perhaps the pta are trying to save money but it is still going to be false economy - tickets wont sell as the kids wont want to go - and the fact that they are getting a cheap disco and putting the ticket price up is not going to make parents want to send their kids anyway.

Ahhh New PTA, and a friend of a friend used to do discos etc etc etc.......I too have been there too, most come back, but after the price goes up as I always put the prices up to teach them a lesson some didn't re-book, but no great worry about that. Bide your time and the phone will ring for you again

Andy

Just another slant on this one, and one which I had never thought of until it was pointed out to me by somebody older and wiser.

'Sometimes being unavailable is good advertising too'!!

I did a school for many many years one a term leavers do's summer fetes etc. Till I took a quiz on the night of the week they always used to have, suddenly I was unavailable for gig after gig......... ok i was'nt worried I was earning elsewhere but I did miss it.

They kept phoning every term only to be turned down until I suggested a change of night to one of my available nights of the week, they said it would'nt work the head would'nt go for it etc etc but after 3 terms of disco's which 'did'nt reach a decent standard' suddenly I WAS required on a night of the week of my choice cos nobody did it as well as i did.

So being unavailable even with weddings and birthdays shows you are in demand and to be booked early or miss out!

Talking of which tonight i got asked to do New Years Eve in one of my residencies I said they should have asked me in Nov 2002 and maybe I would have done it, so then he follows it up with "Can you get somebody in for me" I say possibily so he says " Oh good we have a budget of £150"!! I walked away laughing leaving him asking what was wrong!!!

Spin

Kazza - just wanted to relate my current position with offering Disco Entertainment to my step daughters school.

I have sent a letter or two, dropped in cards and presented myself to the school Head.
My partner works as an after-school playgroup leader at the same school - yet the school PTA and Head choose to use a 'local' DJ that is cheap.

He's been there for years, apparently, as one of my neighbours remembers him when she was at 'Junior school'!!!

I 'gave-up' quite a while back, saying to my partner not to bother mentioning anymore, even though the kids all 'moan' about the disco afterwards.
No games, no interaction, not a lot of requests, no patter, very few lights - literally an upright stereo plugged into the hall speakers, etc.

About 5-6 months ago, my partner mentioned to the school head about how a recent month of hectic gigging by me had caused a fantastic demand for kids parties (during the summer this year), in particular at end of term / school leaving bookings for July, and birthday gigs.
The head seemed un-interested, with polite comments of 'oh right......hmmm'.
My partner then when on to say that my disco service was popular with schools, not only on price, but that the gear I used was totally PAT tested, Insurance covered, and that the service was professional, but the main thing mentioned was that it was a legal requirement to be 'checked-out' before even stepping one foot on to the school premesis.

The Head's attention was gained, when it was asked about what legal requirement does a disco need to work in an education establishment?
Public Liability Insurance, my partner replied, for starters, and being Police referenced and background checked is a confirmation of suitability to work among children!
The Head looked surprised - especially when my partner asked why, hadn't the previous 'DJ' had all that - already????
Now the school hasn't booked me yet, nor any other 'Disco Entertainment for that matter.
It was later 'decided' to drop any future plans for 'School Disco's', due to the lack of attendance and cover. The PTA have been advised not to book any form of outside entertainment until further notice.

This 'conclusion' was a total load of bulls sphericals, as all the previous 'gigs' were in SCHOOL TIME - and not after hours!!!!
The 'easy' solution was to 'sweep' it under the carpet - and move on.
It's funny how these people operate. I feel sorry for the kids!
Educated idiots.

Interesting reading!

I've been DJ'ing for over tens years now, and now I am on my son's PTA.

I did take away business 4 years ago from another "DJ" that used TAPES, had 4 60W ES spot bulbs and odd, home made speakers. Miserable, no games, he hated kid, UTTER RUBBISH.

I have clearnance, PLI and PAT. I don't charge, I get a small allowance to cover bulbs etc. I'm doing it because the funds raised benefit my son. On the plus side, I do get many bookings for childrens and adults parties, in fact many more than my yellow pages advert!

The events we arrange have a sole purpose to raise funds for the school. I know events would not make or loose money if they had to pay the local rate for a disco. Parents will pay only a certain amount for tickets and drinks!

I do know one things that PTA's will not change a good formula. If it makes money and is popular it will stay.

Kazza, I don't know the size of the school you were involved with. Smaller schools have greater finacial challenges. As has been said previous, you may have been replaced in the short time by someone who is close to the PTA, or most likely the new treasurer looking to save.

With the 320 kids who attended the PTA at this school more than covered my fee - and made money into the bargain. I am not worried that they have gone elsewhere... I am in a fortunate position that I have a queue of schools waiting for my services - its just that the could have had the decency to tell me! However, the second disco run buy the "other" dj is on friday.. and from past experience, I know what is going to happen..... the new PTA will see why I did the disco for the past eight years and I am sure I will get the phone call middle of next week to ask me back!

Its only a matter of time now crispy wispy! Paula had a good look - and it was the disco that I knew it to be.... she said it was chaotic! So..... I know it wont be long.. after all, the adults who go along to help want an easy ride dont they!

Another school phoned me yesterday.... exactly the same scenario! I knew they would come back... and they have

Yes... but look how kind she is.... one bottle for her and one for the kid!

I really must change that photo!!! I'll go and get you all the proper 70's wig