I’ve had people call me up and the very first question they have is, “How much will it be to fix my computer? It won’t turn on.” Obviously at this point I can’t give them an ironclad quote because I have no idea what is wrong with it. I tell them my rates are $50/hr and most jobs usually take no more than 2 hours at most. Then I tell them that I can take a look at their computer and I can give them a more accurate quote and we can proceed from there, however I have a half-hour minimum charge.
I work off a hourly rate rather than a flat rate because it’s impossible to know what will happen with a repair or how long it will take. However I provide a typical time frame so it won’t feel completely open ended and gives the client a price of about $100 to hold in their mind without having to commit to it. I try to see up a meeting immediately because by agreeing to meet the client emotionally commits to fixing the computer. The minimum fee weeds out people who aren’t serious or looking for free help and makes sure I make some money if negotiations break down, if I conclude it isn’t cost efficient to fix the computer, or if it happens to be an incredibly repair I can do on the spot.
Thus as a DJ I would provide a range of prices that’s low enough to show you can accommodate, wide enough to show that the price is highly dependent on the size of the wedding and the level of service, and high enough to give you room to negotiate down from.
I would try to lock in an initial consultation meeting because it pushes out people who are less serious and also tends to set the tone that you are a serious professional and charge accordingly, I feel it gives you a position of power in negotiations. I prefer to cultivate a warm and friendly attitude with an utterly professional bearing and dress accordingly. It puts everyone in the right frame of mind while softening the edge a little.
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