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Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2392 Posts |
How many of you advertise ‘100% guaranteed or you don't pay.’ I’ve been doing this for about a year and have not had a bit of trouble. I guess I waited so long because I was a little nervous that someone would take advantage of me, but it has never happened.
I think the 100% guarantee fosters a relation of trust. I find that most clients understand if small things go wrong. They seem to understand that you are taking a risk and respect that. It also forces me to give it my very best each and every performance, the way it should be. It seems to be a win-win. And of course there is the marketing advantage. Do you advertise a 100% guarantee and have you ever had a problem?
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
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mrmagic9112 Regular user 138 Posts |
I have been doing it for nearly 30 years and have never had anyone take me up on it. I agree with you, I think it does foster a trust relationship with the client and I have heard more than once from clients about other entertainers and performers they have had who were horrible and they were not happy at all with their services. In fact, one lady told me she had a magician come for her son's birthday party and he was drunk. She could smell booze on him and he was staggering all over. She satated she had to ask him to leave because he couldn't even get his equipment set up without dropping everything. I have found especially in children's shows, that the clients want someone who is fun, entertaining, likes kids and SHOWS UP! If your not confident enough about your act, then maybe you shouldn't off er a guarantee. When I purchase something I want the store or manufacturer to stand behind it. So I want people to be happy with my services or they simply do not pay.
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Matthew W Inner circle New York 2456 Posts |
I don't do a guarantee. People are always going to try and find something to complain about.
The one time I gave someone a break was because it was a store opening. I was hired for two shows. A family, and a kids show. The woman hardly advertised the opening and less than a dozen people showed up. I would not be able to do two shows, so I combined the two shows into one slightly larger show, and could not even get through that. I had her unplug the bounce house before the show so that kids would watch, but a parent walked up to it and turn it back on! All the kids left! I gave her a discount because I was not able to give the two shows we agreed on.
-Matt
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
I guess the question is why would you need to do such a thing? I simply would not want to put such an idea in the head of the client. That is just me though.
I mean does this "guarantee" actually net you more business? I don't work kids shows ever so I have no idea but do parents compare and say to themselves, "wow, these guys both look good, but this guy offers a 100% money back guarantee!"? I can't imagine the thought process. I mean once you have a reputation, once you have client lists, once you are booking through word of mouth it seems a mute point. It seems to me that this may not be the best way to build trust. But again, this is just me. I can definitely be way wrong as I never do kid shows.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Other performers besides kid show performers offer guarantees.
- Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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mrmagic9112 Regular user 138 Posts |
I think of the scene in the movie TommyBoy in which they are trying to sell brake pads to a client and the client asked if there was a guarantee on the box. He stated people want that reassurance to know that they are guaranteed. For me as an entertainer I don't make a big deal about the guarantee and it certainly isn't the main selling point, but it is a policy and it is kept low key and simply mentioned in my sales letters and website. As a stated earlier, I have been doing it for 30 years and I think it really is more of a psychological thing then anything else. I have never had anyone ask for their money back. That's my take on it. I agree with you Danny if you have a good rep & client list it really is a mood point. Thanks for your perspective.
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Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
I'm with Danny here. I travel across North Carolina and Virginia doing kid shows and private parties. I can't imagine traveling 300 miles (or 25 for that matter) for an event or party then having the client invoke the guarantee and I'm left without recourse. My reputation speaks for itself.
That said, we all have bad days. If I'm displeased with my performance and I can tell that a client is dissatisfied, I'll offer a reasonable discount. I reserve the right to decide the amount of that discount based on the situation - rather than leaving it to the whims and integrity of the unknown client. To each their own, but I have never understood those who are established in their market taking this risk.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
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tparrett62 Regular user New York 171 Posts |
I've done a guarantee since 1994 and haven't had anyone take me up on it yet. For certain markets, I agree that it is probably meaningless, but for school assemblies, libraries and other family markets, I think it may make some clients feel more secure. There are MANY birthday party magicians who don't deliver what they promise, and letting a parent know in advance that they only pay if they're satisfied removes one more barrier to the sale. For a parent reading through the ads in one of the family newspapers, it's hard to tell just by reading an ad is one performer is better than another, so offering a guarantee is sort of a vote of confidence in yourself for a potential client. You're putting your money where your mouth is. I'd be curious to see how many performers who offer a guarantee have ever had to give their fee back.
I don't recall where I read this- it may have been Brian Voile's "Magnetic Marketing"- but the point was that if a client really is unhappy with your show, and you don't have a guarantee, what would you actually do? If the fault is yours, and I think in a majority of cases, a bad show IS our fault, then I think the correct thing to do would be to give your fee back. |
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Magical Dimensions Inner circle 5001 Posts |
"You are guarantee to laugh or pay nothing"
This is a safe way of doing the guarantee and getting paid! LOL Because people always laugh! I have had a guarantee for YEARS and always got paid. ray |
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tacrowl Inner circle Maryland 1633 Posts |
I wonder if David Copperfield has a money back guarantee. Before you say we aren't on that level - agreed. But I'm willing to bet he didn't have one before he reached his current status.
If you trying to set yourself apart from the competition, why in that manner? The client should want you - not simply choose to hire you over another because of a money back guarantee. I'd recommend working on your show resume, so when the client sees what you've done and realizes the depth of your experience, they have no desire to work with the other guys. Its okay to have the policy written into a contract, but I personally wouldn't advertise it or use it as a selling point. |
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Matthew W Inner circle New York 2456 Posts |
If there is a guarantee, it is going to be challenged.
-Matt
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tparrett62 Regular user New York 171 Posts |
Matt-
Why do you say that? I've had one for 14 years and no one has ever tried to cheat me. Read the above posts- some have them, some don't. If you asked the guys who offer one, I'd be willing to bet not one of them has ever gotten hosed by a client looking to rip you off. Tom does make an excellent point- there are some levels and some circumstances where offering a guarantee makes no sense. For some markets, however, when a buyer is booking your show sight unseen, removing as many obstacles as possible to making a sale gets you one step closer to booking the program. In the school assembly field, there are some excellent perfomers and some horrendous ones. Offering a guarantee is just one way of telling the client that you stand behind your work. Again, in some markets, this is not a big deal. When someone is booking you with someone else's money, they are worried about several things. Among these concerns is the fact that they are putting their reputation on the line by hiring you. If the show doesn't go as well as planned, they can at least point to your guarantee as one of the reasons they booked you, and have the consolation of not having wasted money on a bad show. Again, if you do a good show, this is not going to be an issue, but we all know that there are a few guys doing paid gigs who shouldn't be. If your client has seen you before, agreed, the guarantee isn't a big deal. But hiring you off the internet, or from a sales letter or postcard? It's one more little step that makes saying "Yes" easier. Whether you offer one or not is a personal decision, and it may not fit in with your business model, but don't assume every potential customer is just waiting to take advantage of you. That's a very difficult way to start a business relationship, IMO. |
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Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-11-12 10:58, tparrett62 wrote: Agreed. That is the crux of this. Do you actually care about unsatisfied customers, and do you try to do something about it? A business should think about having some sort of satisfaction guarantee or policy ("I will make it right", or "We can negotiate a discount" if things don't work out as agreed upon, or ...), even if it isn't a money-back guarantee. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-11-12 13:44, tacrowl wrote: This is sort of what I was getting at. If you are centering your marketing on the idea of what happens if you fail, I simply think this may not be the right center of attention.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
I've had a satisfaction policy in place for many years, and it's been worded as a guarantee for the past few. However, I've never had any problems that weren't worked out.
It's not just about having a quality show. It's also about how you offer your guarantee, or how you stand behind your work. Do you offer it as a challenge towards the customer? It doesn't have to be offered that way. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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Matthew W Inner circle New York 2456 Posts |
I did not say that everyone is going to take advantage of the guarantee, most people will forget about a guarantee.
I am just saying that someone out there is going to be looking for something to get out of it. This is why you sometimes see 23 hour towing and 'kills 99 percent of germs.' People complain about stupid stuff, especially in the US. In fact, I saw on the news that a woman is suing her DENTIST for botching a breast reduction surgery. -Matt
-Matt
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tparrett62 Regular user New York 171 Posts |
I definitely wouldn't suggest making it the focus of your marketing. In my phone script, it's always one of the last things I mention, and if they've gotten that far, it's usually a done deal anyway. In my sales letters, it's near the end. The focus of the pitch is never the guarantee; it's just one more element in the mix.
I wouldn't book a performer JUST because they have a great guarantee, just like I wouldn't buy a car just because of the warranty. However, I would think twice about buying a car that DIDN'T have a warranty (or one that is comparable to other cars), even if it fit my needs in every other respect. |
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Destiny Inner circle 1429 Posts |
Customers must be just so nice here - they are usually wanting things to go well, not bad, and while I don't offer a guarantee, I couldn't imagine them trying to take advantage of it.
I would, of course, make amends if a customer was unhappy with a show, through behaviour of mine. I'd love to hear more about the breast reduction law suit. I'm very happy with my dentist and just the other day he mentioned I have some of the best teeth he's ever come across. Destiny |
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Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Here's a previous thread on the topic:
Cafe thread titled... Guarantee We even talked about warranties on cars. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Thank god we talked about warranties on a car. How could we not have covered that here?
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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