Hi,
I’ve been in quite a few situations where the actual thing turned out to be different from what it was portrayed to be.
Being a nice guy, always willing to help, in the early days I’d just say “sure, no problem”. But in effect that is making someone else’s problem my problem and taking responsibility for the solution.
I think part of being a professional is being creative in helping figuring out a way out of an impasse, but not for free.
The most professional people I have met in my life (not just DJs) are all very well capable of solving issues without them putting in their money or their time for free. That is not to say you can’t help out somebody once in a while if you are certain that it will enhance your business in the future. The main thing is you have to act from strength rather than from fear (of losing work for example).
Especially if this is through someone else you work with on a regular basis, I think you should check with him and get his opinion on it. He might feel misinformed himself and want to go back to the venue owner and renegotiate the price, in which case you can get the extra pay you deserve.
I wouldn’t bother the venue owner with it, after all it is not your commercial contact. You should however consult with your booker and tell him that you are expected to do something way different than you were originally hired for.
I am assuming your booker really didn’t know about this.
Worst case: your booker didn’t know, but does not feel like he can go back and renegotiate with the venue. In order to keep your booker happy you could say you feel that although it isn’t really your problem but his (since he hired you for 10-2 playtime and that is what you have agreed to do), you want to help him out because he helps you all the time.
I think I would suggest the following to him: I’ll go and do the gig as expected by the venue. Since he can’t get any extra money from the venue, there is nothing to do about that. Would he consider refraining from taking his fee this time, so I at least get compensated a little for all the extra hours I need to put into this one? And I would tell him that I consider this a one time thing to help him out as well as myself, but let’s make sure this kind of situation doesn’t happen again.
Chalk it up as the cost of doing recurring business and making a deposit in his favor bank. Perhaps you can push him to find you an extra, bigger, better paying gig by way of making up to you in the near future.
Remember, they hire you because you are good at something they have a need for. And as long as you are not overcharging your customers, your efforts are worth getting paid for.
Greetinx,
C.
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