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Several places I've been to, the books are in a binder that you can put a clear, zippered pencil bag at the front with slips and either golf pencils or a pen. I've also seen the slips and pencils/pens in trays or little wicker baskets near where the books are stacked up near the front where the KJ stands.

So. any other good ways to do it?

I'm always looking for new or better ways to do things. Thanks

I just keep the requests & pens in a box - actually it's an old napkin/straw dholder the bar wasn't using anymore,so the slips sit in where the napkins would & the pens sit where the straws would. Right next to the books so people can grab them. I used to load & reload (rinse & repeat) the books nightly, just easier this way, you grab a book, you get a slip. I don't spread all the books out anymore either, they are in a front cubby on the host booth.

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I have the clear zippered pencil containers in the front of my books but as people STILL ask where the slips are, I'm going to pull those out and just put a plastic container with pens and slips in it where the books are. Not going to put the books out anymore - going to carry 6 books, put them on a table up by me (since people ask me questions anyway) and let people find the books if they wander. It's just quicker for me to tell someone yes or no, I have or don't have a song, do you want to sing it, and by the time they tell me, I've got it in the queue.

I have thought about not putting my books out anymore, either, because they get beer spilled on them and they get tattered so quickly. I may start giving them out when requested. I'm sort of like Karen; it's easier for me to just do it for them if they know what they want to sing. If they start "What do you have by Johnny Cash?", I direct them to a book. One thing I have started doing that my customers really appreciate is saving slips for them. I save slips ONLY for my regulars that are there very often. I bought a couple of those inexpensive "receipt sorter" things at Wal-Mart. They are like checkbook size in length, but they have about 10 or 12 divisions in them. My singers know which "folder" they are in, and when they get there, they just come get their slips and hand me the ones they want to sing. That way, I don't have to print slips quite as often. (I am a stifler about wasting.) It also helps them remember which songs they may have tried last week that they would like to try again. It's easy to keep track of. I save their slips during the night and return them to the appropriate section at the end. I don't save slips for one of my regulars, because he hardly ever repeats a song. I also like the method, because I can manipulate their choices to fit the crowd better. They don't have to look up the same songs over and over. And they feel a little like VIP....so it's great.

WHITEBOARD!!! works as both the rotation and the request slips! !

have a box by the books close to me - I'll hand out the books sometimes at the tables with some slips an pencils

Seems like there is a finite number of ways this can be done:

- Pencil case attached to each songbook
- Put them out on each table when the night begins
- Have a basket/receptacle near the KJ where they can be picked up

Put me down for #3...I have a couple of large neon orange cups and put pens and slips in both. Unfortunately I see people take wads of slips which get wet or dirty and wasted on the tables at the end of the night. Which I guess would also be the problem with #2.

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I keep my books and supplies on a table by the stage. I use gifts that were given to me by patrons to hold pencils and slips. The pencil holder is a large plastic skull cup. I also have magnifying glasses and a pair of reading glasses in there. The slip holder is a plain black container. One of the patrons brought in 2 of them. I use one for slips and one to keep the singer's index cards in.

The skull cup has a history. The first one was given to me on halloween. It was so cool I had to use it, but it was ceramic and got broken by a stumbling drunk. That one was replaced by another one which was also broken by, guess what?, a stumbling drunk. So when I was given my third one it was a joke that it was made out of plastic, so no one could break it.

I too used to put pencils and slips in binders years ago, but found people just over looked them. It's easier just to keep everything in one central place.

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When opening my book, the first thing they see is a see through pouch with slips and a pencil in them along with a big note "Please return the pencil to the pouch so others can find it". Since I have done that, I've only lost one pencil total out of my 6 books combined.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I use the little cardboard trays we use for the self-serve popcorn out of the popcorn machine. Cheap, easy to use and plenty of them around. Slips and two pencils per tray and they move around. Funny thing is I keep the pencils to a minimum. The fewer you have out the more likely people seem to be to put them back. If I have lots of them out and they just end up scattered around the room.

I put a pencile case in the front of my books with song slips and pens. As stated above, even though each book has this and a Karaoke Announcements sheet that states the pens & slips are in the books, I still get people asking for pens and slips. This number is definately smaller as my crowd has become more familliar with my and my way of doing things.

Like Dan said, there are only so many ways to do it. It's not rocket science, so I don't give it much thought. The idea I got here about puting my phone number and website on my slips has worked out great.

Felix the KJ

Thanks everyone!

I've had my website and phone # on mine since I started. A few weeks ago, I took my phone number off the bottom and put a line in for customers to put their email address on. Have only gotten about 5 email addresses so far.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I really makes no sense not to. I have my website, email & phone on all slips. As far as getting customer emails, I ask them personally to write it down and explain it's only for promotional purposes of letting them know when, where, new music coming, etc.. You'll get more that way.

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I use a computerized sms system together with Compuhost. The sms system allows singers or the audience to send messages to the big screen or to vote for their favorite singers. By using a special prefix like "+KJ" or "KJ" in front of a normal sms message from a cell phone, these messages get routed to a special folder which I access often and not displayed as a chat message on the big screen. I then request the singers to make use of this prefix with messages to send me their name & song requests. The system then notifies them the moment I have read their message. I then queue the name & songs in Compuhost.

This reduces the usage of slips and enables faster queuing of songs - less clutter around the table.

What is this "books" thing of which you speak?....

I guess thats the Compuhost I've seen, that I've enjoyed from a KJ. The Songs can be searched on the computer, enter your name, and its on the screen with the minutes counting down till I sing.

Hello All,

I still use the clear pouch w/ pens and slips in the front.

Your name and phone # should be on them as well as your website and a place to collect emial addresses. You'd be surprised at the amount of people who will keep a song slip that they didn't have a chance to sing this time with them. It's a cheap business card and it will direct them to your website.

Jason

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Jason Christopher
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I use the pouch in the book. I have my slips in pads of 25, bound by the print shop.with my info on the slip. I keep two pads and one pen in the pouch. more of my requests are verbal than written these days.

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

This is where we keep ours. It's all together and people come up. A great way to greet people.

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