Karaoke Forums

A few months ago I started a job in an Italian restaurant/pizzeria. I’m there Thursday evenings from 7-10 pm.

It’s been touch and go but he number of singers has been growing, I am now averaging between 13-18 singers throughout the entire length of the show.

There are 10 tables of karaoke regulars, on average, which accounts for about 30 spending customers, including most of the regular singers. Some of those attending regularly arrive at the start of the show and leave after an hour and half or two. Some come later and stay till the end of the show.

During the last few weeks there have been four newcomers that come together. All four of them sing. They order a pizza and a pitcher of refillable soda for the table. While they are present for the entire show, their total bill, I am told, never exceeds $20.

Personally, I don’t care what anyone spends and I don’t keep track of such things. It’s not in my job description. However, 4 couples that are regulars at my show since the beginning pointed out what that groups spends and are upset that they are now losing turns at singing during the few hours they are in attendance to the “table of cheapskates who come just to sing and don’t really spend much money” (their terminology)!

The four couples tell me that they spend at least $30 a couple during the few hours they are around and don’t understand why a singer who spends $5 during the entire evening should receive the same turns at singing as one of them who spends $30 in just 2 hours! They are really mad and are getting other regulars mad at the situation. In short regulars who were with me since the start of the show are now threatening not to come back.

If they do stop coming I don't think the show will survive?

While I've not experienced the situation you explain, I can only imagine what I might do. And that is to sympathize with the offended customers and politely ask them to state their concerns to the manager/owner (which ever applies). This way the management will plainly understand what their clientele wants. Then the ball is in their court. It will be up to the management to determine which type of patrons they wish to attract and maintain. I don't believe it's the KJ's responsibility to take any action in this case.

I do understand the possibility of losing the venue if the customers aren’t happy. But unless I were to have some creative way of pleasing everyone, I think I’d have to rely on management’s talent.

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

Then answer is to stop the "refillable" and also sell bottled water.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Is there ALCOHOL served at this place?
Because if there's not ...HOW DOES 2 PEOPLE SPEND $30 ON PIZZA AND SODA?

Tell those WINEY regulars that KARAOKE is not about how much money you spend otherwise you would just charge per song to sing

Was it JUST pizza & soda though. I know I can spend $30 on a large pizza, box of wings, breadsticks & dessert pizza with soda & easily me & my wife spend $30. Sometimes more if we get a second pizza to take home for the kids.

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Must've been ericlater....
As long as people are buying something - be it high grade Scotch or fountain soda, they get to participate. It does not matter that one group spends more, that doesn't mean they get more turns as the other group that spends less.

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In America, people have the right to do pretty much whatever they want. Telling someone how much to eat or drink is no different than telling them where to live and what kind of car to drive.

It is not my concern as a KJ to play favorites because of the total amount of money one spends in the course of the night. I run a fair rotation based on everyone being equal human beings. Regardless of race, nationality, religion, singing ability or whether or not someone thinks someone didn't spend enough according to their rules. Get over it or get out. That's how i look at it.

Think about it. Are they saying because i have more money than you and spend more, i deserve more privledges. More respect. More anything.

You deserve to shut up and be respectful to everyone else. It's not about you and your money. Not that it matters but we are in hard economic times. Maybe they just lost there jobs and don't have a lot of money at this time. Maybe they are out like everyone else trying to forget how bad things are right now for them and their family with a little bit of FUN.

You have no control over the crowd. If the big mouths decide to stop coming and you lose the show, move on. There will always be crowd issues regarding this and that. I can't control how anyone feels about things that i can not control. I can't worry about someones feelings over who spent how much and it's not fair. My show is based on fair treatment of all the patrons in the bar. No special favors or treatment for anyone. That's how i get my jobs from being fair to all equally.

My advice is to start looking for other possible jobs in case the crowd stops coming. It's business and things like this happen everyday. You may not like it and it doesn't seem fair but you need to survive too.

No free refills during the entertainment.

Get on the phone and call your B.A. from the Karaoke Union!

MrD

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[highlight=midnightblue]MrD - KJ/DJ Specialist
Visit MrD on facebook - mrdsentertainment
& on myspace - larrynance[/highlight]

On a Friday night (like tonight for example) I'll start at one Karaoke bar and end up at another one near my home. I usually frequent as few as 3 and as many as 5 during this time period on a Friday night and sometimes during the week. The shows have different start and finish times but the last one is my favorite. It does a $1800 to $2600+ register night on average Friday night. Saturdays are almost as good and I attend only that bar on Sat night.

I drink Chevas scotch/whiskey at the first ones except for the last one as there is a big difference in pricing for that particular drink at this particular bar. Instead I'll usually bring 4 to 10+ people with me who do drink alcohol while I just sip on a diet Coke that evening. The owner doesn't mind as he knows I'm always bringing people from the other Karaoke places I also frequent into his upscale bar. Sometimes I even set up an open tab for all at my table to use. He usually doesn't charge me for my Cokes either and he even on occasion 'buys' me a Chevas as his way of thanking me. Other customers are quite frequently wanting to buy me a drink as well.

Anyway, owners are certainly interested in trying to put paying customers in their bars seats and for the most part they succeed (in my area anyway). Some people spend little and more spend a good bit more. But just because a certain person isn't necessarily spending a lot he/she could well be influencing the bars business in other positive ways as I usually do.

BTW. I'm retired and attend Karaoke usually on Wednesdays, Thursday, Fridays and Saturday evenings as well. This time is typically spread between 5 an 8 Karaoke bars in my geographical area throughout the week.

These new people appear to be loyal regulars coming to buy food and beverages.
Not free-loading with free water. They buy stuff. It is a RESTAURANT. They are there buying the restaurant food.

KJ leave em alone and welcome them to the place. KJ just do your KJ job. You are not the FOOD POLICE or LIQOUR or BEER POLICE.

Im sure the MGMT is glad to have these new people patronizing thier RESTAURANT REGULARLY. Most likely they will bring more BUYING persons with them in the future.

If MGMT wants to do something about it its up to them.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Man. How nosy are you when you know what other people are spending at the bar?

Smile. Make sympathetic noises. Try not to make it obvious that you're smiling to keep from laughing at them. Tell 'em it's the owner's call.

Hopefully he won't start laughing at them until they leave.

Edit: Just how hammered are these people when they start whining?

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Dave's not here.

Food for thaught.
Corny or what.
How do you think it would go if karaoke request slips were given out by the purchase of whatever.
The big spenders would get what they want and the small spenders will get what they want only smaller.
You do your normal job and no-one can complain.
Can they ???

I would tell the whiners you run a fair rotation and you consider everyone as equals regardless of everything i mentioned before. They need to understand that is how you run YOUR business. Everyone takes their turn and you are not and will not be giving anyone special treatment. If they stick around good, if they leave good. You can not let the customers run your show. Be firm and fair. You do have to tell them, the sooner the better. Before they get everyone thinking like them including the bar owner.

Angel and some others

You are missing the point of my question
I don't want to lose the gig and if the whiners stop coming the "gig is up" most likely. I say that because the owner recently mentioned that the show is marginally providing a benefit and that on some nights he doesn't believe it is paying for itself!

It was asked whether alcohol is served. Beer and wine are available.

The cheapest entree is lasagna at $9.95, many other local restaurants charge more for that same dish. Some veal and shrimp dishes approach $17. So a $30 tab for a couple isn't unusual.

I would guess that the Pie/Pitcher special draws lots of families. It is a 16" pie and comes with a refillable pitcher of pop. I would also guess that the owner wasn't expecting that groups would order this selection and then hang around for three hours. There is a limited number of tables. And since this is a popular selection the owner probably wouldn't want to stop the free refills.

One of the points made by the whiners is that they only hang around for about two hours and would like to get to sing twice each while they are there.

I realize that before the group of four starting coming the rotation averaged 13 singers and could be turned over about once an hour.

Hope the additional details help with suggestions as to how I should react

Average of 13 singers. Are there non singers in attendance spending money?

This sounds like a tough and touchy situation.

Sounds like someone in the group of whiners has some type of experience in karaoke (maybe knows a host or something?) or dj of knowing people need to spend money. But to actually point someone out as being below average in money spent?? That's a bit crazy.

Sorry, no advice here. Maybe they should show their recepts before they sing each time.

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

At these type of venues we "repel" whiners, drunks or those there just for karaoke and expect old karaoke rituals.

My reaction would have been "We are running the entertainment. If you have a problem with your food. service or any thing else let me introduce you to the manager" Then I would introduce them to the manager.

If they persisted I wouldnt want them back. Personally I might go into a venue one night and not spend anything but greet everybody and maybe sing one song. Another night I might sit there and spend $100 and not sing one time. Both nights I am welcomed and treated the same. You cant change or get excited over one incident.

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I would have been totally taken aback by people acting in such a fashion. I'm shocked these people actually think about the business dynamics so much that such a thing would even come to their minds and that they would have the nerve to express these ideas. I would have been at a loss for words and then began to stew and become angry at their selfishness and arrogance.

I don't care how much money they spend, people with such attitudes aren't all that great a thing for your show. I appreciate you sharing this so that I can think about what I'll say if it ever happens to me. I don't want to lose my cool.

If it were me, I would start looking for a new club. Obviously this one really isn't going to be a great turnaround & not going to be worth your effort/reputation especially if people are actually tracking what other tables are sepending & EXPECT more singing time because of it. As a host everyone should get equal treatment.

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What do these people expect you to do? Kick out the people who stay longer. That is rediculous ! The only thing I can see that you can do is explain to the complainers in the nicest way that it is impossible to run a rotation by keeping track of what people spend. If they would like to sing more, tell them they are welcome to stay longer also.

People get mad and whine at karaoke about not being able to sing more. That is just part of it. When they say I'm never coming back or I'm leaving, I usually see them again. You can't give special treatment to whiners and that is what they are asking for. They can sing more if they stay longer.

I'm sorry you may lose them as customers, but it's silly to think any karaoke venue lets people sing more because they spend more. You can't rely on only these people to keep your job. They could stop coming for many reasons. What if they go on vacation, have other plans etc... Your problem shouldn't revolve around keeping these whiners. You should focus on new customers or another venue.

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It's your decision on how you handle this problem, but I think what you are overlooking is YOUR reputation. Even if this is your first gig, if you become KNOWN as someone who caters to a certain group, just because they spend money, then WHINE about preferential treatment, you won't be around long. Your credibility, and reputation will be as someone who can be bought and sold at will. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather keep my reputation than some gig that MIGHT last a few months, at least people will respect you for standing up for your principles. After all, we're talking about FAIR treatment for ALL.

Rosario
Serenity Now Karaoke