Thread: spin off: "breaking" holiday prices to a customer

i have noted on my site that the rates are not the same at holiday time, but i wonder what people expect when they see that. do they think of a small mark up or do they realize they should double it? how do you answer when someone is booking you for new years etc and they ask what the price will be?

You answer with your price. Your performance starts there. You must believe that your price is the right one and convince the customer. What are you, a bruised tomato or a dented cabbage that you have to justify your prices?

Actually, the holiday price IS the real price... every other time is off-season discount time. Unfortunately, off-season for belly dancers runs 49 or 50 weeks a year... BUT this is a bagatelle. Shrug it off, my leetle tomato. Hell, do you know what tomatoes COST at Christmas? If they don't want to pay your holiday rate, offer to book them during off-season :)

im just asking for general knowledge. i doubt i'll have to use the knowledge any time soon, so no, it's not that i feel the need to justify it, just looking for pointers on dealing with that shock someone might get from realizing that it's a 200% markup, instead of a 120% or a 150% or something.
but i guess you're right, it's no different than people being surprised at the off season price.

If they ask ...something to the effect of "Bellydance is my job. Like many other jobs holidays pay is higher to compensate for being away from friends and family and working when others do not."

You can also say something to the effect of, "New Years and other Holidays are big booking times, so I need to up my prices in order justify spending New Years eve with only one client." More people want entertainment on the holidays, so that's why we can get away with charging more... there are, supposedly, many more potential clients (and only so much of your time), so you can afford to up the rates.

Have these people never bought roses on Valentine's Day? lol

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

Have these people never bought roses on Valentine's Day? lol

this!

and the company i work for pays double time for the guys who have to work any holiday. when my bf worked for a grocery store in high school, she got triple time for working holidays! its not just entertainers who get paid extra around the holidays.

Exactly Emtink. It's also cheaper to rent a hall on a Sunday and during the off season. Cheaper to get a hotel by the beach in the off season. Restaurants charge double and triple yet serve pretty much the same food- all that extra $ was NOT needed for the balloons. LOL.
We are not the only ones.

question...do "we" charge "holiday" prices even if it is not a holiday to us ? what is ethical in your eyes ladies?..i dance for hmong new years on xmas some times...it is just another day to me.....
z

I charge holiday rates for the holidays that matter to me. My motivation is that:

1. I'd rather spend that day with family and friends, so the payment reflects my priorities
2. he holidays means I'm in high demand, so charging more reflects the market

I mention on my pricelist that there is a mark-up for holidays and I always ask for the date and time of the perforamnce before offering a quote.

sorry, double post

Originally Posted by zamora

question...do "we" charge "holiday" prices even if it is not a holiday to us ? what is ethical in your eyes ladies?..i dance for hmong new years on xmas some times...it is just another day to me.....
z

I don't think ethics need have anything to do with it. Off-season vs full-rate season is how I see it, and we define our seasons, just like other businesses do. And unlike florists, we don't deliver wilted second-class goods at the holiday :)

Originally Posted by maurazebra

I don't think ethics need have anything to do with it. Off-season vs full-rate season is how I see it, and we define our seasons, just like other businesses do. And unlike florists, we don't deliver wilted second-class goods at the holiday :)

Yeah, even retail and food businesses call this time the season and everything else the off-season.