You Should Take Money when it is Offered to You
Well I know this seems like an obvious lesson, but a lesson C and D had to learn the hard way...that's just how we role..
A few months back we played email tag with a potential bride while trying to set up an appointment. It seemed like we scheduled 4 or 5 meetings before we actually had the chance to meet face to face. We had already gotten some of the details through various emails and phone conversations and we had sent over pricing for packages that fit their needs. We were feeling pretty confident walking into the meeting. That morning we met her and her fiance' and got to talk about their day. We really seemed to hit it off and they told us right then that they wanted to hire us. They were so emphatic about it that the potential groom started pulling out his check book and wanted to write us a check right then and there. Sweet!
Well, we tell them to put their check away (first thing we did wrong) and look over the contract together, ask any questions that might pop up, and THEN send back the contract with a deposit check. The reason for this is not that C and D is rolling in the dough and scoff at deposits....quite the opposite! It is what we use to pay the daily bills/cost of running the business...We just assumed ( never assume...especially in business...2nd misstep) that we would get the contract back with the deposit check in the next couple of days and be able to get started on the project.
We wanted to get on the venue hunt and scheduled something for the following weekend...Mind you we have not yet gotten a deposit or a contract...we really just made these appointments on the strength of their word at our meeting, I mean they were trying to pay us. I go to the few spaces that we scheduled the following Saturday and have a pretty good time with the couple. I ask about the contract and they did not have it with them at the time....I really think nothing of this...I mean we are venue shopping together...clearly we are in a committed relationship...you know going steady or what not....
There were a couple of venues that we did not get to see that day so I spend the next couple of weeks trying to nail down a day that we can go and see those. No day seems to be working out....So I text the bride when I don't hear anything back from an email sent....nothing....strange really...I just chock it up to their personality and busy schedule as it was nearly impossible to schedule our initial meeting.
The next morning we open our email (the hub of our operation) and see an email from the potential groom. To paraphrase the PG (potential groom) said thank you for all your help and we enjoyed hanging out with you but PB and I do not see the need for a wedding planner at this stage in our relationship. If we see that need in the future we will definitely contact you and appreciate all the great spaces you showed us.
......Um....what to say to this...what I wanted to say was something like this.....well for starters we are not a charity buddy...this is not a non profit! It's great that you like "hanging" out with me...but I would have loved to have spent that time with my toddler if I knew you were going to stiff me for the value of my time! It seems a perfect "stage in your relationship" for a wedding planner when your getting MARRIED! Would you rather work with us when you two are buying your next house?.....Furthermore, gas is like almost 4.00 a gallon (it was then) and it's not like my car runs on water....I would really appreciate it if you would pay the deposit that you tried to hand me a month ago.
Instead I told him that I was sorry we would be breaking our business relationship and if they do need a coordinator in the future, C and D would love to have their business. I did explain that we had to charge them for the hours of time, but would just charge the two hours of actual meeting time and forgo the mileage at the moment.
We never saw a penny....odd...you were so willing to throw money at us without a contract before...Lesson learned!
A few months back we played email tag with a potential bride while trying to set up an appointment. It seemed like we scheduled 4 or 5 meetings before we actually had the chance to meet face to face. We had already gotten some of the details through various emails and phone conversations and we had sent over pricing for packages that fit their needs. We were feeling pretty confident walking into the meeting. That morning we met her and her fiance' and got to talk about their day. We really seemed to hit it off and they told us right then that they wanted to hire us. They were so emphatic about it that the potential groom started pulling out his check book and wanted to write us a check right then and there. Sweet!
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| Where was this advice when we needed it! |
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| Aah....the blissful beginning of a relationship |
There were a couple of venues that we did not get to see that day so I spend the next couple of weeks trying to nail down a day that we can go and see those. No day seems to be working out....So I text the bride when I don't hear anything back from an email sent....nothing....strange really...I just chock it up to their personality and busy schedule as it was nearly impossible to schedule our initial meeting.
The next morning we open our email (the hub of our operation) and see an email from the potential groom. To paraphrase the PG (potential groom) said thank you for all your help and we enjoyed hanging out with you but PB and I do not see the need for a wedding planner at this stage in our relationship. If we see that need in the future we will definitely contact you and appreciate all the great spaces you showed us.
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| Breaking up in an email is so cowardly |
......Um....what to say to this...what I wanted to say was something like this.....well for starters we are not a charity buddy...this is not a non profit! It's great that you like "hanging" out with me...but I would have loved to have spent that time with my toddler if I knew you were going to stiff me for the value of my time! It seems a perfect "stage in your relationship" for a wedding planner when your getting MARRIED! Would you rather work with us when you two are buying your next house?.....Furthermore, gas is like almost 4.00 a gallon (it was then) and it's not like my car runs on water....I would really appreciate it if you would pay the deposit that you tried to hand me a month ago.
Instead I told him that I was sorry we would be breaking our business relationship and if they do need a coordinator in the future, C and D would love to have their business. I did explain that we had to charge them for the hours of time, but would just charge the two hours of actual meeting time and forgo the mileage at the moment.
We never saw a penny....odd...you were so willing to throw money at us without a contract before...Lesson learned!