Our Account Services team here at The Bash speaks with hundreds of vendors every day, answering questions about memberships, booking best practices, new features, and more. We thought it would be helpful to answer some of the most frequently asked questions here in this blog.
Answers to Your Top Questions About The Bash
1. What is EventPay and why should I use it?
Making it as easy as possible for clients to pay is essential in today’s 'always online' culture. EventPay is a secure, convenient, and free way for vendors to receive payments from clients on The Bash. By linking a bank account to a securely encrypted database, EventPay allows vendors to receive payments as quick as just 2 business days. It also makes it easy to collect deposit payments at the time of bookings and pay your booking fees directly from deposits.
Over 80% of all events on The Bash are booked by members enrolled in online payments and 91% of the top 100 bookers on The Bash use EventPay. Enroll in EventPay. (Note: EventPay is available to U.S. vendors only).
2. I received a negative review from a client and want to remove it from my profile! How can I do that?
To maintain trust and transparency in our marketplace, The Bash does not allow vendors to remove client reviews from their profile once a client submits one. However, you do have the ability to display your reviews in any order that you’d like. We suggest putting your best and most recent reviews at the top so clients see those first! The more positive reviews you get, the less harmful negative ones will be. Learn more about handling negative client reviews.
3. Featured Profiles: What are they and why do I want one?
Featured Profiles are windows of ad spaces that maximize your business’ exposure by guaranteeing premium placement throughout The Bash site. With a Featured Profile, your profile will be displayed above search results in specific categories and locations where you're looking for more leads.
If you’re already showing up high in search results, Featured Profiles probably won’t benefit you as much as someone who is a new member or someone who is showing up at the bottom of the search results.
If you're showing up high in search results for your primary category (e.g., cover band), but not for other categories you service (e.g., dance band, variety band, rock band), you might want to give Featured Profiles a try for one of those.
For location, we recommend choosing a larger metropolitan area (e.g., Chicago or Los Angeles) because they generate the highest volume of traffic. Although these areas are more expensive, they will give you the most amount of value. Learn more about Featured Profiles.
4. Why does The Bash charge a booking fee?
The Bash charges a small 5% booking fee to every booking made through the site to cover credit card processing fees and general site maintenance. To keep costs affordable for vendors, The Bash yearly membership fees remain low and the booking fee is only applied when you are booked - if the client cancels, it is refunded.
We recommend just building the booking fee into your original quote! On the quote page, it will calculate the booking fee and then you can just add it to your performance rate or travel and lodging sections before you submit the quote.
5. I'm getting requests that are too far from where I'm willing to travel. Is it possible to change that?
Having a wide radius will of course get you more exposure, but if you find you're traveling too far and would like to adjust your travel radius or primary city/state, you can do that anytime by going to the Profile tab in your Control Panel. In our research, we've found that almost 90% of bookings happen within 100 miles of a vendor's primary location. Meaning, a majority of party planners are looking to book vendors local to their area.
6. I have a friend that is also a event vendor. Do you offer any type of referral program?
Yes, you can earn cash through our Refer a Friend Program for any vendors that you refer and that purchase membership with The Bash! For every person you refer, you earn a 25% commission of the membership cost. Just visit your customized Referral Bonus Program page, copy and paste your exclusive link to your friends, and get paid when they sign up!
7. Should I require a deposit from clients?
We definitely recommend that you require clients to pay a deposit at the time of booking. Most clients are willing to put money down to secure the date and it makes them feel like the booking is official. Deposits also protect you as the vendor in case of a cancellation. Clients are less likely to cancel if they have already paid a non-refundable deposit. If you're enrolled in EventPay, you can easily require a deposit due at the time of booking.
8. If I get booked for an event outside of The Bash, do I still get credit for it?
If you are getting bookings outside of The Bash (e.g., through your personal website), you can add them to your event calendar to show potential clients you are busy and actively gigging. You also have the option to pay the booking fee to get credit for it on The Bash which propels your ranking in search) and also enables you to accept online payments and receive a review from the client after the event.
9. What do I do if the cost of my service increases after the client has already booked me?
We get this question a lot from vendors like bartenders, caterers, and venues whose quotes can change up until the day before the event. If the original quote you sent to the client changes after being booked, just give our Account Services department a call at 866-342-9794 and they'd be happy to adjust it for you.
10. I provide two different services, is there a way for me to have a profile for both?
If you fit into two different vendor categories (e.g., DJ and Photo Booth), you'll want to create two separate profiles on The Bash. This allows you to tailor each profile to the specific service you're looking to get leads and bookings for. Create an additional profile.
11. Can I/should I contact the client directly after I submit my quote?
Yes, we recommend following up with the client via email or phone within 24-48 hours of submitting your quote. This gives you the opportunity to showcase your personality, professionalism, and excitement for their event. It also allows you to answer any questions they may have about the quote or your services. Remember, as soon as you submit a quote, you will see the client's contact information on the request.
12. How can I cancel my membership with The Bash?
If you do not wish to renew your membership with The Bash, all you have to do is give our friendly Account Services Team a call at (866) 342-9794 within your renewal period (30 days before your renewal date) and they can assist you with cancelling your membership.
_
Have additional questions? We'd love to hear from you! Comment below or send them over to info@thebash.com.
