Rain Cancellation Policy! Urgent

Reposted here for Member.


Hello everyone,
I have an event this weekend which may be canceled due to rain - A first for me!
Wondering how you all handle such situations.

Do you keep the deposit?
If you are booked on their preferred rain date?
Do you arrange for another painter?

This client has the potential to be a great repeat client, and I will not charge them if it is canceled. However, looking forward i would like to present to them what my policy is.. and I would like to be in line with other face painters out there.

A QUICK response is greatly appreciated

Best,
Avigail

Philly FACE Painting
Http://phillyfacepainting.com

I don't have a policy at this point, but if it were completely cancelled with no rain date, I would probably give back the deposit...

If they have a rain date, I would try to hire another painter to work under your banner, with your contact info given out. I do this with my mentor clown if she hires me to work a gig for her, I give out her business cards instead of my own. As a beginner, I'm getting her overflow gigs that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

No policy yet. I've been indoors so far for all my gigs.

I would maybe keep deposit and try to reschedule with the new date if there was one.

If this was a 'one shot' deal and there was no way to reschedule for them or me...I'd give back the deposit in hopes of good will towards rebooking me at a later date.

Good luck with this one Metina!!

Deposit policy on all my services reads:
we require a non-refundable* $20 deposit for all bookings. Please do not submit your deposit until we have confirmed that your event date, time, unit and/or service are available.
*Deposit will only be refunded in the event of inclement weather (rain or high winds over 15 mph) for a jumper rental only. Deposits for all other services are non-refundable.

We try to work with their rescheduling but its subject to our availability.

I have a policy of $50 deposit on all jobs. If it is cancelled then no refund, if they reschedule it still goes towards the final fees as long as I available.

When the client has signed the contract and then cancel: If three weeks before, they get half back. Else they have to pay the full amount. If it is through an event company, they are charged the full amount no matter what. My unofficial policy is, that if they book for another day, then they don't have to pay for the first (if it is within weeks and I'm available). And with pregnants that give birth before time, they don't have to pay.
Only had a use for the last so far.

(What is a rain date?)

I really like LoneWolf policy about this. I'm defenetely putting this next to the contract, now.

I've had cancellations because of rain, lately. So I really needed to put a policy about this.

Thanks!

Wow, I've been fortunate enough not to have had issues with rain cancellations thus far... (knock on wood). But if the client cancels we have a policy written in the contract that they must pay at least half. Last year we had one woman call us the MORNING OF THE GIG to say she couldn't afford us and we wouldn't be needed... (my mom and I). Well, we were already in the process of getting into clown and had turned down another gig for that same day because they had called later. Well, we told her that she would have to pay half (apparently she didn't read all the not-so-fine print when she signed the contrac) and she got upset. So, she decided if we were going to get paid anyway, she wasn't going to pay us for doing nothing so she had us come anyway. But the guests I guess had caught on to what had happened and the environment seemed hostile... not fun at all. But that's a risk you take sometimes I guess. It's just of vital importance that you have that kind of thing IN THE CONTRACT... or else you won't have a leg to stand on.

I have a non-refundable deposit in my contract. If rain is an issue I will, within the best of my abilities reschedule. I've even had my husband drive my daughter out to fulfill the changed date.
I showed up yesterday & the client had changed the time of her daycare graduation & was about to say she didn't need us(people were leaving). She said she tried to call me, but I couldn't find her # on my phone(I think she lied). Then she wanted me for only 30 minutes (no, my base rate is the same for 30 min. as it is for 1 hour). I was able to convince her to let us stay (if I walk in the door I get paid, I took the time & gas to come & you signed a contract)for the remaining parents(which was an hours worth of work & what she hired me for... I think she was lying again about having me only paint one classroom of kids & not the whole daycare). It all worked out in the end & I even sweetened her up w/ some henna I had w/ me for a later gig. This is a repeat customer & has a habit of lacking org skills & wanting everything for free
She said she was happy & wanted to book me for a future event....
Sorry, this maybe belonged in Where's the Beef?

Psalmbook wrote:Sorry, this maybe belonged in Where's the Beef?

Haha, yeah...now that you mention it I think mine did too.... Sorry to get off-topic everyone!

LOL! I forgive you if you forgive me

I think I'd keep the deposit and just try to reschedule. You held the date for them and presumably did some preparation work to get ready. So it's not like you're trying to cheat them.

I have a no refunds for cancellation, My deposits are 50-150 depending on the event. However, for rescheduling, I have a rescheduling fee of $30-$75 (less than a deposit). If I can't offer service on the date or a replacement in my local network, which I do my best to do, they get 50% back. The rescheduled date must take place within 30 days of the original event to avoid someone trying to say the event is rescheduled for next year. I only implemented a deposit a couple years ago. Since implementing it, I've had far fewer cancellations. It seems like every time I don't take one, like the party is in town or really close to the date, I get canceled on. I
I will under specific circumstances waive the rescheduling fee, like for a company party where it's during the week and they give me advance notice of a rain date. I don't even require deposits for repeat customers. I have a family that has had me 4 times and recommends me to people all the time and a party-happy financial firm that has me for like every event they put on. I doubt they'd cancel on me, and if they did, I'm not going to be pissed after all of the work they have given me (plus, I wouldn't want to upset a good customer!)
am also careful with allowing personal checks. I take them from anyone for a deposit, because if it bounced, I could require cash or paypal to move forward. I only take checks in wealthy areas (I live in CT, there are lots of wealthy areas, but not everywhere) or if I know the person. I had a check bounce once after 3 hours of service, so I didn't get paid, could have booked something that did pay, plus had a $20 bank fee. I called their bank weekly for a couple months. How do people get away with this. That is technically fraud! This person probably does this all the time. I'm sorry, but if I can't afford something, I do something I can afford instead.

My deposits are non-refundable. In the case of inclement weather, I will work with the customer and allow them to use the funds as a deposit on another date.

For all other cancellations, deposits are not refunded and for cancellations shorter than 72 hours from the start of the event, I charge $100 (the deposit goes towards this amount) OR half the entire gig cost (whichever is less)

CHECKS UGH!!
I accept checks but it's written in my contract that I require that the whole gig balance is paid 5 business days in advance to allow for processing (to make sure it doesn't bounce.) Otherwise, I accept PayPal (I require PayPal to be paid 72 hours in advance to ensure processing) or cash.

I got burned with a bounced check once when I was running a gift basket business which is why I put this policy in effect before starting my FP business.