Black Tie DJs - How To Hire Your DJ

There are major issues you want to know about before calling or interviewing prospective DJs. Know the date, time, and exact location at the bare minimum. Rates can vary on ALL of these items, and without these, a price quote may not be accurate. Surveys show that 80% of the success of your event will depend on your entertainment. So ask yourself - how much should you budget for something as important as your DJ?

Now, some clients start to interview their prospective DJ with a question such as 'tell us what you do'. Assuming he tells you what you want to hear, what is the guarantee he will do it? Prior to interviewing ANY DJ, save yourself a lot of time by finding out how they work FIRST, then get a WRITTEN guarantee they will do what you ask. The more detailed his questions, the better chance that company cares about the success of your event.

SALES, DISCOUNTS AND HIGH PRESSURE TACTICS
"We are having a sale that ends soon." Trust me...there will be another "sale" within a week. If you feel your DJ plays an important role, don't try to save money on the lower end service. Discounted rates mean inexperienced DJs who are both the lowest paid in the industry and who are the lowest in demand. If a DJ claims to have nominations or awards of distinction, why would they have the lowest rates? If they are that good, their rates will be among the highest.

"We do not give quotes over the phone". While there are many factors which determine a price quote...and it can all be done online or over the phone! If the pricing is so complex that it cannot be given within a few minutes over the phone, you can assume the service will get a slick salesman coming to your house to give you the high pressure sales pitch. They are always overpriced and you will not receive services that are any different than ours.

HIRE A DJ THAT HAS EXPERIENCE!
Do not risk hiring an inexperienced DJ just to save a few dollars. A polished professional can calmly deal with the nervous family member, or a crowd that just won't dance, while keeping the event enjoyable. Your DJ should be experienced at YOUR type of event. A DJ whose resume accentuates night club experience may not be best suited for the professional atmosphere that is necessary for weddings. And, ask how the company trains their DJs-you may surprised at their answer! The inexperienced DJs are usually packaged with the companies who pressure you to use their service.

DO NOT RELY SIMPLY ON AN INTERVIEW WITH YOUR DJ
Although it is important to speak with or interview your DJ before the event, don't let the interview be your only criteria! Customers often make the mistake of hiring a DJ they "liked" only. You can like your neighbor - that will not make him a good DJ. Most importantly, an interview will NOT tell you anything about their personality (how much a DJ will interact on the microphone). Just because he talks alot in NO WAY means he will be talkative on the mic at your event! It will NEVER give you insight as to the DJ's ability to read a crowd, their organizational skills or reliability to follow instructions at your event.

So, why do customers still have complaints after an event where they interviewed their DJ? Complaints vary from "I told him to do something and he didn't do it", "he didn't play the music I requested/ignored our request list", "he wasn't cheezy when we met him, but at the wedding he was over the top/obnoxious". Obviously, a meeting never solves these problems. What is more important is the guarantee you will get such as music and personality. You can meet with our DJs before or after you sign a contract - just don't let that be your only criteria.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CHOICE OF PERSONALITY
Some events require a heavy interaction, while others need a DJ who will remain in the background. Many prefer someone in between or - a moderate personality (also described as a master of ceremonies). The type of personality should be your choice. Watch out for words like "fun" and "good"- these are very subjective. Always be as specific as possible regarding what you want your DJ to do at your special event. Most independent (single operation) DJs have one personality...their own. So, they will do the same thing at EVERY event and cannot be flexible with your needs! Also keep in mind that definitions of personality vary from one DJ to the next. OUR PERSONALITY DESCRIPTIONS ARE IN WRITING!

MAKE SURE YOUR HAS NOT ONLY BACKUP EQUIPMENT, BUT ALSO A BACKUP DJ
If there is no backup, a common response you may get is: "We have NEVER had a problem," or "I work with several DJs (network of DJs) that will be on backup for me." Both of these answers means they do NOT have backup! Make sure it is written into your contract. What if your DJ is sick or is involved in an accident? Is that a gamble you want to take on your special day? Independent DJs and small companies with less than 5 DJs on staff are the highest risks since they will usually book all their DJs, leaving you without a backup! If it is not an issue, it will be in their contract without the need for you to ask.

PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD
It is important that you are able to pay with a credit card. If the DJ does not comply with the contract agreement, you can dispute it with your credit card company and get money back. Second, it shows the credibility and seriousness of the business with which you are dealing. If its customers are important, the DJ company will eat the very small cost involved with credit card transactions and will let the customer have the convenience which credit card transactions provide. Any DJ company which is in the business as a professional service organization, will likely accept credit cards.

THE DJ FACTORY - DO YOU WANT TO BE JUST ANOTHER NUMBER?
Some companies will boast of having hundreds of DJs! This is misleading because NO DJ company has that many employees (however, they may subcontract a large number). These huge companies do not formerly train their DJs. "Training" is memorizing a script, then asking him to play music for an hour to see how he interacts to a room of 3-4 or their DJs. Their focus is so much on quantity, they are more concerned about hiring DJs to fill the slots (even if they are not qualified). We know this because those SAME DJs have applied with us thinking the interview process would be easy, and we have rejected their applications.

The other end of the spectrum is the individual DJ trying to dazzle you with exaggerated numbers and boosting their highly inflated ego. Check their math! If they claim to do 3000 weddings per year and have 15 DJs, that means each DJ is doing about 200 weddings per year (4 per week)...HIGHLY unlikely!

DO THEY HAVE A WEB SITE?
Believe it or not, some DJs do not have a web site! If they are serious about their business, a professional DJ should have professional material, equipment and just as important - an informative web site. If they are not "good with computers" they probably cannot troubleshoot the complex DJ equipment and that can be a major issue.

WILL YOU BE PROMISED THE "BEST" DJ?
Why would anyone EVER want anything less than the company's "best" DJ? Be cautious of services who package their DJs as "SUPERB" or "DELUXE". This is a tactic to have you pay more money for the same service. Don’t be suckered into their idea of what is a "good" - it may be drastically different than yours. Conversely, if only a handful of their DJs are labeled as "BETTER", just what does that really say about the remaining ones? You may even see things like "Best wedding DJ in the US". There is no national gauge or even a standard that can measure this subjective description. Any DJ who could fit that description would never need to advertise and would be booked every weekend for years in advance.