From: RkyMtnTrls@aol.com
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 10:07:26 EDT
Subject: Re: Send in (another) the Clowns !!
To: clowns@yahoogroups.com, childrensentertainer@yahoogroups.com,

This is another good thread to share with y'all ---- and to start a thread on 
---- regarding sending in substitutes so that a better gig can be 
worked......  Applies to balloon twisting to face painting to about anything !

Sher
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"...were two separate discussions... first  one dealing with making yourself 
unique for the purpose of marketing yourself above the competition.  The 
second discussion was about making your sales pitch generic enough so that if 
you...could not...make the performance, and had to send a substitute,  the 
customer would...accept the substitute without crying 'Foul'  So far so 
good..."

"...Anyone  see the obvious conflict here? ... I had several birthday parties 
booked for a particular day, when  a long term customer  (last minute...) 
asked me to cover a company picnic for the entire afternoon.  What would YOU 
do under the circumstances ?...."

This is a hard question that a lot of us have to deside on.  I am a member of 
an entertainers' co-op that feels it's ok to send in substitutes if you 
decide not to keep the agreed upon bookings.   But personally, I feel it's a 
disservice to the client.  For example --- if a client has booked me because 
they heard such a good reveiw about how *I* do my performance, the type of 
activities I am going to bring --- that's what they put a deposit down on, or 
what they signed a contract for.  They did not sign up for JoeBlow the 
Substitute who may or may not do a good job ---- but even if "Joe" does a 
good job at whatever performance he gives, it is still not the performance 
that the client contracted up for.

More than once I've have two birthday parties (these are under $200.00 
dollars per party type income) and along comes a last minute planner company 
picnic for around $1,000.00.   Yeah - some folks might say I'm a dunce - but 
I politely tell the company picnic that I am already booked - but I do have 
these dates (nearest dates to their request open) that I can offer you at 
(whatever) dollars off.  If they are still not interested, or if I have 
NOTHING open at all on a weekend  (that's what June & July is looking like 
for weekends right now!)   then I pleasant offer them the phone #s of the 
other companies that do what I do.  Since I do pony rides, petting zoo, face 
painting & balloons animals ----- and I'm the ONLY company in central 
Colorado who does that ---- I give them 4 ph #s of pony/zoo companies *and* 
then give them 3 ph #s of clowns I know do a good job plus the ph # of the 
entertainers' co-op that I'm a member of (although many of those clowns are 
pricey and not very good.)

See --- I can not send in an equal value substitute even if I wanted to do 
that --- what I charge for live animal and clown type combined entertainment 
- they can't get that seperately for anything close to that.

So in answer to what would I do in that situation --- I'd have to say "sorry, 
can't service for you" to the long time client calling late.  Now, someone 
who does just clown activities (no animals) has a bit more lee way --- but 
you have to ask yourself, is it fair to all your clients to send in a 
substitute when it was you they booked?

Sher