I really like this one place I play......great audience, beautiful huge brand new senior independent living complex, incredible Yamaha Grand piano, perfect acoustics in the auditorium, and so forth. I like the place and the people like me. Now the problem.

I've played there 6x in the last 2 years and the AD always gets a good report (I ask her each time).

The problem is she doesn't return my phone calls to book me again. Up to now, I called and called until I get her and it's like "Oh hi Mark, we always get good reviews on you...can we book you again." I just take the booking and forget about thinking is she "all there?"

This time I can't get through at all...no return calls...nothing.

Now, coincidentally, this particularly AD transferred from another place I'm still playing at. I had the same problem there with her. Been there 20 years and I still had to beg for a return call each time.

In short....how would you handle this? My thoughts are

(a) find out who is the head of the "entertainment committee" (one of the residents)and confirm that she wants me back

(b) go over the AD's head and talk to administration about the AD's manner of handling entertainment (not returning calls from entertainers who are asked to come back by the residents).

I'm half annoyed about the above situation and really annoyed about how AD's in general are doing their jobs these days. This is going on a month now and it's draining me with these AD's how they work....if at all.

My solutions are bordering on this is a "lose lose" situation if I step out of line and go over her head.

Before I act, I thought I'd run this past you guys to see if any of you have a better solution (please, no "give up the account" solutions).

Thanks

Mark

Just take a ride to the facility and talk to the AD in person,...let her tell you why she hasn't called back or called you without a call request by you to book your act?
Going to the administrator over her head will lead to bad things,....
then there's the possibility that the AD doesn't like your entertainment act and stays clear of answering yours & hundreds of entertainers requests all day long even tough the residents seem to like you makes no difference,...it's only one of so many NH's out there just move on to the next, it's their loss!..it's all part of the NH gig game that has to be played and endured from booking, calls, waiting for payments, etc, etc, ..

good luck

Mark

Donny might be right. I had the exact same thing happen to me. It turned out this AD had her favorites(young), and in spite of return requests from my friends there for three years,she would dodge me until I pinned her down. She did what she wanted with little regard for the residents wishes.

I solved that problem many years ago by going to the AD and booking all next year's jobs during the month of October during the current year. I walked in with a free, wall calendar with my name and contact information on the bottom, a free pen with my contact information imprinted on it, a big smile and usually got a big hug. I did this with more than 50 ADs every year and most said they wished everyone would to the same because it would save them so much time and hassle. Then after filling in the dates on both my calendar and theirs, I would go home, sit down at the PC and type up a confirmation of appearance letter and a new contract for the upcoming year, listing all the dates on it as well. I NEVER had a problem doing this. Give it a try - it could work for you as well.

BTW: I got both the pens and calendars from National Pen Company.


All the best,

Gary

Same thing used to happen to me all the time.

As expected Gary has the most business efficent approach. I was waiting for his answer when i read the topic. Same thing with me. do a great job, everyone's happy, leave and never hear from them again. Call and chase them down if you can. I'm at the point where I'm not going thru all that for one $100 gig at a time.
As Gary said, sit down one time and get it all done, "IF" the Ad will commit to that much in the future.
Worth a try and if it doesn't work you have a lifetime supply of cheap pens.

Those calendars cost me $1.09 each, and they were full size appointment, wall calendars that had some incredible photographs on each page. The pens were just .39 cents each. However, there was a small setup fee for each, about $25 for the calendars and about $12.50 for the pens. I usually ordered about 50 Calendars and 100 pens. I gave pens away to residents as well, mostly in hopes that they would ask for me when there were special events, such as 100th birthday parties, anniversaries, family nights, picnics and festivals, all of which were longer jobs that paid the same hourly rate, which was still far higher than any nite club or restaurant job I ever played. Imagine getting $125 to $150 an hour for playing in a restaurant or bar.

Ironically, I only had one AD that balked when I asked her to book a year in advance. She called one afternoon to book a job and I didn't have an opening. She actually changed the date of the event to accommodate my schedule, then while I was there, she pulled me aside and asked if she could book out the rest of the year, which I did. After that, she booked the year in advance every October, just like all the other ADs in my area.

Now, there are folks on this forum that sincerely believe that word of mouth is all the advertising they need, and maybe for them, it is effective, though I seriously doubt it. Mail outs, cards, news letters, pens, calendars, CDs, and personal visits are very, very effective. If they didn't work, then why do the largest corporations in the world use these same tools to advertise their wares every day of the week. When it all comes together, you can command the highest prices, book top dates such as New Years Eve, Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and others years in advance.

Others on the forum have taken the course I charted and have been extremely successful. Bill in Dayton has made a very good living performing the senior circuit, and although I have not seen many posts by Bill lately, I assume he's still out there doing more than 500 jobs a year. Helmut Licht in Baltimore is also performing about the same number of jobs per year, and he's booked nearly 2 years in advance now. In addition to his senior circuit jobs, he also has a weekly Ballroom Dance Class that he teaches at one of the American Legion Halls that draws about 50 couples each class. If I recall he charges about $25 per class and that includes soda pop, snacks and a sandwich, all of which are provided by the Legion at a minimal cost to him. If the dancers want anything stronger to drink, they must purchase it from the Legion.

Keep in mind, this is a business, just like any other business, and if you want to be successful you will have to take every approach necessary in order to bring about those successful sales contacts.

Good luck,

Gary

Donny…..this is one time I agree with everything you say.



After I did this post, I remembered what I used to do years ago (when I was imaginative) and it worked every time. Since I always got an answering machine, I would leave a message something like: “Hi Susan, I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks with no success. It’s not like you to not return a phone call because you’re very professional. So I’m assuming you’re probably not even getting my calls. Since I’m playing in your area next week, I’ll stop in personally to make sure we touch base and if you’re not around I’ll leave a message with administration that your machine might possibly be malfunctioning.

You can bet the rent money, to avoid a direct confrontation, I got a call the next day from the AD! It worked every one of the few times I had to do that. It’s called “fight fire with fire” (or fight BS with more BS!).

That we both agree on, but if it comes down to losing the account, I’m going to march myself right into the office of the top honcho there and tell him how she ignores the residents request for music and particularly how she doesn’t return phone calls from a musician who’s worked with her for some 15-20 years. If there’s one thing that really irritates me to no end, it’s “man’s inhumanity to man!” Don’t think about anyone else but yourself and ignore the needs of others (the residents in this case)!

It doesn’t matter if SHE likes me or not. She works for the residents……not for herself. And if the residents tell you to your face they want you to come back, then that's what counts.

I agree they must get hundreds of calls a day. Still that’s no reason for bad manners! Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.

I have no problem doing that, but I just love this place. And the residents are always asking me when I will be returning. And......that Yamaha grand piano makes me sound like Arthur Rubenstein. I’d play that piano for nothing.

I guess I wasn’t looking at it that way. Life ain’t fair and, I can now see, neither are AD’s. A friend said to me many years ago……”one of my biggest problems is I expect people to act like I do.” I would never dream of abusing people like she does.......both me AND the residents!

I tend to look at the world (and AD’s) through rose-colored glasses. Thanks for reminding me that it’s nothing but a free-for-all out there. Something like the World Wrestling Federation mega-matches where they throw 50 wrestlers in a ring about the size of a refrigerator and wrap it with barbed wire.

Mark

Bernie, and everyone else here, thanks for posting your own experiences. I'm not taking it so personal now that you guys told me you go through the same thing even when you do a good performance.

Bernie.........you said exactly what I needed to hear: "She did what she wanted with little regard for the residents wishes." But, man, does that burn me up!

Mark

In all fairness(or unfairness), I learned she relied on volunteer musicians(?), and was using that savings in her budget to bolster other activities. I will volunteer for bonafide charities or truly worthy destitute groups when it's warranted, but not when there is a budget and others are being paid.