Who among us hasn’t experienced both of these scenarios? #1 – You bend over backwards to please a client and are offered only a sincere thank you at the end of the night. #2 – Something goes wrong during an event and you expect nothing but instead are handed a $100 bill by a smiling groom.
One thing is for sure and that’s that nothing is for certain when it comes to receiving tips. Most mobile jocks who have been in the business for awhile have realized that in order to earn them, we should not worry about getting them, rather focus on providing superior customer service and let the “tips fall where they may.”
Here are ten things you can do to better your chances of getting tipped after an event:
1. Add Gratuities Information to Your Entertainment Agreement
You might try inserting language like this. “Gratuities are at the client’s sole discretion. 10% to 15% is customary for an excellent performance.”
2. Provide an FAQ List to Clients
Provide a list of frequently asked questions to your clients. In it, include questions such as: Can my guests make requests at the event? Should a table be provided for the DJ? Should a meal be provided for DJ? Is it customary to tip the DJ?
3. Turn Down the “Free” Meal
As nice as it is to enjoy a good meal during an event, have you ever thought about the possibility that you may be eating your tip?
4. Greet Guests as They Arrive
Greet guests as they walk into an event. Show them where the bar, gift and name card tables are located. This will make a positive impression on the guests, the client and the venue.
5. Go the Extra Mile
While some DJs may think of themselves as “too good” to be a “servant” at an event, others see service as an opportunity to totally impress their clients. If service is one of your top priorities (and it should be), then releasing individual tables for the buffet line, picking up someone’s sweater that has fallen off a chair or anything else that you can help with by going the extra mile will often be appreciated via a hefty tip at the end of the evening.
6. Make the Venue Look Good
Acknowledge the catering manager, bartender and servers on the microphone. When you make a venue look good, you’re likely to get referrals from them. Your client may also notice your class and professionalism and financially reward you for it.
7. Bring an Emergency Care Kit to Every Event
Bring along safety pins, needle and thread, bandages and even nylons in your emergency care kit. How about giving soft towels to the bride and groom when they come off the dance floor for the first dance? It’s these little touches that no one expects from a DJ that add up to the overall impression you make.
8. Provide the Groom with a Rose to Give to the Bride
Just before the first dance, try sneaking a long-stem red rose to the groom (thornless, of course). Have him hide it inside his jacket, then, when he presents it to his bride at the start of the song, the guests let out a big “Ahhh!”. You need to set this up with the florist ahead of time but the groom is usually the tipper, so if you make him look good, hopefully he will express his appreciation in the form of $$$.
9. Be Prepared for the Awkward Tip Question
At the end of an event if a client asks if they should give you a tip, what do you say? How about, “That’s entirely up to you. Generally clients tip me about 10% to 15% depending on how much they feel that I’ve contributed to the success of their event. Thank you for asking.” Then turn your back and continue loading up your gear.
10. Use Overtime to Remind Your Client About Tipping
Some companies split overtime money booked at an event in half with their DJs, others let their DJs keep it all. If a DJ lets a client know that all overtime money goes directly to the company, this is a subtle way of also letting them understand that overtime money is earmarked differently than a tip.
Under Promise & Over Deliver
What it all comes down to is making people happy by under promising and over delivering. Many people tip when their expectations have been exceeded simply because they just feel that it’s the right thing to do.
What are your best kept secrets to being tipped? We’d really like to know!
Stacy, although tips when received, are nice, frankly I seldom get tipped. My contract says, tips are not expected. I charge what I think I am worth for the event and consider myself a professional vendor. I have no expectation of a tip because I personally do not tip professional people. I have never tipped my attorney, CPA or doctor. That being said, I have received tips from $20 to $200 in cash, and once received a $300 bottle of single malt scotch from the grooms dad. (I really like good scotch) I always go out of my way to provide extraordinary service to every client and do far more than I am contracted to do. It has always paid off in the long run for me with referrals and other benefits. I am a single operator and always have been. I can understand why the DJ’s in multi-ops would want or expect to be tipped since they generally get a much smaller percentage of what is actually being paid by the client.
That’s my .02 worth anyway.
DJ Alan Dodson
Very good advice. Now here’s $1.
The only one I do not get is this one under Number 7…
“How about giving soft towels to the bride and groom when they come off the dance floor for the first dance?”
Why would they need a towel if they just did a slow dance… 9 times out of 10 they are going to do a slow dance not a fast one… Save that for later on in the night when they are actually starting to get Sweaty and need a towel! Great idea, just wrong placement.
If you are NOT doing ALL of these, you are just setting yourself up for Failure.
Very good tips! I just re-posted this on my facebook wall.
Tip or no tip, these are some really great service ideas! I always try and find new ways to give better service and now I have a few new ones.
Thanks, Matt VanDJ
Only $1?
You make a good point about there being a difference as a single vs. a multi-op, Alan.
I DJ a lot of Indian events. It is culturally accepted in India to tip the DJ by literally throwing money at him from the dance floor when he plays a good song or does a good mix. I’ve never made large amounts of money that way, but I’ve sometimes made $20-30 in tips for an event.
-DJ Craig