By Ray Martinez, “Unbridled Inspiration”
There is an old adage that “Time is Money,” but in a society where mediocre work, taking shortcuts and settling for the status quo seems to be acceptable in the workplace, how do you conduct business with your clients?
Earlier this year, I had a bride whose father passed away one week after Father’s Day, which was four months before her wedding. Needless to say she was devastated because she had visions of her Daddy walking her down the aisle.
The situation was brought to my attention by the bride’s cake vendor. I felt it was necessary not only to offer my condolences, but in what small way could I offer to make her wedding day a joyous occasion with her mind thinking about the memory of her father.
Going the Extra Mile
I gave her a call and we wound up speaking for close to an hour. Together, we came up with a plan to play the song that she would have danced with her father, followed by a love letter to her dad which I read afterwards. Needless to say there was not a dry eye in the house.
Now, I want to be clear. I did this because I felt it was the proper thing to do, and because it’s my job – not for the hope of earning a tip.
With that said, the policy at Ray Mar Productions is to receive final payment three weeks before an event. When I got her final payment, I was surprised that she overpaid me by $300.00. I called her to let her know.
She told me, it was not an overpayment, but rather an expression of her gratitude for the time I took with her to make her wedding day everything she wanted it to be.
Seeking Customer Service Opportunities
One other thing that I’d like to mention is that after the wedding ceremony I took a photo of the bride looking up at the clouds, and she told me that her Daddy was looking down on her on her wedding day.
I obtained a photo of her and her dad and later was able to Photoshop his face into the clouds. I sent it to her and she and a number of guests who saw the photo were thrilled by it.
The bride called me after returning from her honeymoon and again to thank me for the extra things I did to accommodate her and her husband at the wedding.
It’s Not Just About the Money
It’s the small things such as a thank you phone call that make me proud to be a DJ/Entertainer. It’s not just about the money only.
When you do quality work from the heart, and with all the enthusiasm and passion, your bottom-line will eventually reap rewards.
Remember there are no shortcuts in life. The only way to make an honest living is with hard work. No more entitlement mentality, because the world owes you nothing, but you do actually owe it to yourself and your clients to give them your very best.
Now go out there and do the right thing…just because it’s the right thing to do!
