Availability Calendar?

[Sheldon Blais]

Can anyone tell me where I can find one of these to add to my site?

Thanks!

[Steven Davis]

http://www.rentcalendar.com/

Just googled your question. I thought of doing this as well, but sometimes I get referrals off of people who call me and I'm booked for. I don't like to thrwart the contact. :}

[Sheldon Blais]

I googled it too and could only find the ones that display the entire calendar. I'm looking for the one that comes back with a "yes" or "no" answer.

[Steven Davis]

Ahhh, well, if you can't find it, I bet you can have someone program one for you. It shouldn't be that expensive.

[Peter Jefferson]

Originally Posted by Steven Davis

http://www.rentcalendar.com/

I thought of doing this as well, but sometimes I get referrals off of people who call me and I'm booked for. I don't like to thrwart the contact. :}

what he said.. ;)

but anotehr point is.. do u really want your competitors to know how much work your getting? or not getting ...

[Steven Davis]

Originally Posted by Peter Jefferson

what he said.. ;)

but anotehr point is.. do u really want your competitors to know how much work your getting? or not getting ...

Yes for the record, I'm booked up for the next 20 years. :}

Or am I available for the next 20 years. :}

[Kit Hannah]

I would suggest NOT doing one for a variety of reasons.

1. Like mentioned above, do you want your competitors to know what you're up to?
2. Potential clients may not call.
3. It looks bad if you don't have anything booked. People will ask themselves "WHY" does this person not have all these things going on? Are they not any good?
4. You want to look and sound as big time as possible, without lying to your client. This won't help your case.
5. It's not professional.

I don't see how this would help you unless you're an event center or something. You being booked or you not being booked can both be bad things in your customer's eyes. What if your customer has a flexible date? Or there is something that you can help them with later? The customer interaction is very important. Even if you are booked, and you were nice to them, they may call for something else. Them seeing you're booked on a website gives you nothing.

[Rick Steele]

Originally Posted by Kit Hannah

I would suggest NOT doing one for a variety of reasons.

1. Like mentioned above, do you want your competitors to know what you're up to?

I've been looking into this myself. With a WeDJ.com membership you get their Gigbuilder Event Management System. You can limit the number of times an ISP can check your dates within a 24 hour period. You can also allow it to take double bookings so the client won't move on.

It's not professional.

You're kidding, right?

What if your customer has a flexible date?

For a wedding?

[Kit Hannah]

Why would you want to put a cheesy calendar up? I think it's totally cheesy, and completely unnecessary. Who cares if it limits how many times it checks?


I will say it again. It's not professional. IMHO


Why in the world would you not want the client to call you? This business is a sales and service business. Most people are not going to just fork over their thousand + dollars to you just because they see that you have an opening on your calendar. I know I wouldn't. You want them to call, whether you are booked or not.

We do school and corporate events - Never done a wedding video in my life. But of all the wedding video websites I've seen, not one has had a calendar. If I did, I would probably skip to the next one anyways.

[Sheldon Blais]

Originally Posted by Kit Hannah

Why would you want to put a cheesy calendar up? I think it's totally cheesy, and completely unnecessary. Who cares if it limits how many times it checks?


I will say it again. It's not professional. IMHO


Why in the world would you not want the client to call you? This business is a sales and service business. Most people are not going to just fork over their thousand + dollars to you just because they see that you have an opening on your calendar. I know I wouldn't. You want them to call, whether you are booked or not.

We do school and corporate events - Never done a wedding video in my life. But of all the wedding video websites I've seen, not one has had a calendar. If I did, I would probably skip to the next one anyways.

Kit, I've gotten at least 20 calls asking if I'm available on 7/7/07. The answer is "no". How is this person's call helping me get business? I've seen this calendar on many photographer's websites and I think it just cuts down on the tire kickers and potential double bookings. Once again, I'm not looking for a calendar that shows all of my booked and unbooked dates----I'm looking for the one that says "enter your date" here. The person enters the date and they get a message that says "yes, this date is available" or "sorry, this date is not available".

[Rick Steele]

Who cares if it limits how many times it checks?

I though you did? It was #1 on your list of concerns.

I will say it again. It's not professional. IMHO

Then I guess the the Waldorf-Astoria and Ritz-Carlton have been doing it all wrong. :)

Most people are not going to just fork over their thousand + dollars to you just because they see that you have an opening on your calendar.

Who said they would? But most will not wait until you return their call before they continue shopping for another vendor. If a bride keys in her wedding date she is immediately given the information she needs to know. I don't think you understand this "calendar" management system. It simply tells the bride her date is available (or not) and a form pops up asking her for more information. I think she would be more likely to set things in motion if she immediately learned her date was open rather than "hope" it is.

You want them to call, whether you are booked or not.

Not always. If I'm booked and don't have another videogrpaher to refer them to in my network then save me (and the client) some valuable time - please. And I've never heard of a couple actually change their wedding date to accomodate a specific videogrpaher. Certainly not for me anyway.

Never done a wedding video in my life.

Then how can you dole out advice on how to book one? Kit, I've addressed most of your concerns except the subjective call that it isn't "professional" which anyone can debate until the cows come home. I think what you're saying is you want them to call so you can "pitch" your services which is fine... but I don't see how giving availability information to a client beforehand will prevent that.

But of all the wedding video websites I've seen, not one has had a calendar.

If forum rules would allow, I could list about a hundred of them. Look at a few DJ sites, Photographers and videographers as well. It's more common in this industry than you think.

[Kit Hannah]

Originally Posted by Rick Steele

I though you did? It was #1 on your list of concerns.

You don't think that people can't just print screen the first time? Or if not, they can come back tomorrow and check.

Then I guess the the Waldorf-Astoria and Ritz-Carlton have been doing it all wrong. :).

So then, are you offering people hotel rooms? Finding a hotel and videographer are two very different things.

Who said they would? But most will not wait until you return their call before they continue shopping for another vendor. If a bride keys in her wedding date she is immediately given the information she needs to know. I don't think you understand this "calendar" management system. It simply tells the bride her date is available (or not) and a form pops up asking her for more information. I think she would be more likely to set things in motion if she immediately learned her date was open rather than "hope" it is.

I think people shop for their services all at the same time. They'll make 10 phone calls and speak with the one that call them back. Some people are also reluctant to enter in their personal info.

Not always. If I'm booked and don't have another videogrpaher to refer them to in my network then save me (and the client) some valuable time - please. And I've never heard of a couple actually change their wedding date to accomodate a specific videogrpaher. Certainly not for me anyway.

I guess if you're only doing weddings.

Then how can you dole out advice on how to book one? Kit, I've addressed most of your concerns except the subjective call that it isn't "professional" which anyone can debate until the cows come home. I think what you're saying is you want them to call so you can "pitch" your services which is fine... but I don't see how giving availability information to a client beforehand will prevent that.

I guess I can't - you're right. But I know how both the video business and people work very well. It's been awhile, but I used to be a DJ as well. Many companies pushed the calendar thing back then, some of my DJ friends got it and quickly got rid of it because less calls were coming in than not having one at all.

If forum rules would allow, I could list about a hundred of them. Look at a few DJ sites, Photographers and videographers as well. It's more common in this industry than you think.

What it all comes down to is a matter of opinion. This is my opinion. I am allowed to do that right? I'm only one person, so maybe everybody out there that is looking for services for their wedding will love it. If you're seeing success with it, then keep doing it - no reason to stop. We could sit here and nit pick at what the other said all day, but that too is pretty unprofessional. A good debate can be a great thing, but I don't think there is much more to say.

SOOOO.... If you're looking to be right, Roger, then here ya go...and I quote...

"You're right, I'm wrong"

Happy? Good.

[Rick Steele]

You don't think that people can't just print screen the first time? Or if not, they can come back tomorrow and check.

Print what screen? Again, this is not a full page calendar displayed on the site. Read Sheldon's post. And as far as anyone wanting to keep coming back to my site every day for weeks on end just to see my bookings (or lack thereof) they can knock themselves out. It's obviously a competitor and exactly *what* he will do with that information is beyond me anyway.

SOOOO.... If you're looking to be right, Roger, then here ya go...and I quote...

"You're right, I'm wrong"

Happy? Good.

Whoa... I didn't mean to come across that way.

And remember... the original poster asked "where" to get a calendar system for his site and it was you who decided to extoll the virtues of even having one in the first place.

And FWIW I've even seen those full page calendars you keep mentioning with about 70% of their available dates booked. (Mainly DJ's though). This just tells me they're busy and therefore good at what they do. Cetainly nothing wrong with telling the world that.

[Kit Hannah]

Cool. Thumbs up buddy. Best of luck with that.