Living Water Music

THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT, HIGH MAINTENANCE CUSTOMER. OUR COMPANY HAS AN ENVIABLE, LONG TRACK RECORD AND THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF ENTERTAINING THOUSANDS OF CLIENTS, FROM ELITE TO BUDGET EVENTS OVER THREE DECADES.

THIS IS THE ONLY CLIENT IN OUR HISTORY TO PERPETRATE SUCH AN ANONYMOUS AND UNJUSTIFIED COMPLAINT. CUSTOMER CARE IS FOR US SUCH A PRIORITY THAT EVEN WHEN SOMEONE ATTACKS US ANONYMOUSLY, WE WANT TO REPLY HONESTLY AND WITH THE INTEGRITY BORN OF DECADES IN BUSINESS. TRUTHFULLY, MAY I SAY THAT, WITH ALL THE \"RED FLAGS\" WE OBSERVED FROM THIS CLIENT PRIOR TO THE EVENT ITSELF, IN HINDSIGHT, WE SHOULD HAVE CANCELLED THE GIG. BUT OUR TRACK RECORD CLEARLY SHOWS THAT OUR COMPANY HAS NEVER MISSED A GIG IN 30 YEARS.

PERHAPS THE CONTEXT OF THIS COMPLAINT WILL HELP OUR READERS TO DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS UNIQUE CUSTOMER, OUR COMPANY WAS HAPPY TO HELP. WE MADE EVERY POSSIBLE ACCOMMODATION FOR WHAT CAME TO BE A VERY DISORGANIZED PERSON. INCLUDED WERE NUMEROUS LENGTHY LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE CALLS TO DEMO ALL THE MUSIC AT NO CHARGE AND TO CUSTOMIZE THE SHOW TO THEIR NEEDS.

THE CUSTOMER\'S COMPLAINT ABOUT MONEY SEEMS PARTICULARLY ODD. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, TO HELP ACCOMMODATE THE CUSTOMER\'S BUDGET REQUIREMENTS, WE LOWERED THE PRICE FOR THEM. WE ALSO DIVIDED THE DEPOSIT INTO SEVERAL SMALLER PAYMENTS SPACED OUT OVER MORE THAN SIX MONTHS TO FIT THEIR MONTHLY BUDGET NEEDS. AFTER ACCOMMODATING ALL THEIR FINANCIAL NEEDS, WE WERE RESERVED FOR THE DULUTH WEDDING.

EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND DANDY AT THIS POINT WITH THIS CUSTOMER. THEN, MONTHS AFTER THEY HAD RESERVED AND PAID THE DEPOSIT IN FULL, THE CUSTOMER CALLED TO INFORM US THAT THEY SIMPLY COULD NOT AFFORD TO GO THROUGH WITH THE WEDDING AS PLANNED, THEY EXPLAINED, DUE TO THE COST OF THE BANQUET FOOD AND LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS. MIND YOU, THIS PLANNING SNAFU CAME ABOUT AFTER WE WERE BOOKED, AFTER OUR DEPOSIT WAS PAID, AFTER OUR SERVICES WERE LOCKED IN FOR THEIR SPECIAL DAY, AND WE WERE GUARANTEED TO BE THERE. THIS \"DESTINATION WEDDING\" WAS BOOKED UNDER THE PREMISE IT WAS IN DULUTH AT A PROFESSIONAL VENUE, BUT AT THE LAST MINUTE TO SAVE MONEY ON ROOM AND BOARD, THEY MOVED WHAT WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE WAS A \"POSH\" AFFAIR TO A \"DILAPIDATED OLD BARN 125 MILES SOUTH NEAR THE TWIN CITIES\".

WHEN THE LOCATION WAS CHANGED, THEY FIRST ASKED TO CANCEL AND OF COURSE WANTED A FULL REFUND. THEY SUDDENLY CHANGED THE LOCATION. WE HELD THE DATE FOR THEM FOR ALMOST NINE MONTHS. BUT WHEN WE REMINDED THEM THEIR DEPOSIT \"LOCKED IN THE DATE AND GUARANTEED WE WOULD BE THERE FOR THEM\", THEY AGREED TO GO AHEAD WITH OUR SERVICES ON THE DATE, AND TO COMPENSATE FOR THE ADDITIONAL 250 MILES ROUND TRIP AND ADDITIONAL SET-UP AND BREAKDOWN TIME.

THE NEED TO CHANGE THE DATE WAS NOT OUR IDEA NOR OUR REQUEST, SO THEY BORE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE IN MILEAGE. THEIR SITE CHANGE UNFORTUNATELY MEANT THAT THE ORIGINAL DJS COULD NOT PERFORM THIS SHOW. A LAST-MINUTE DJ REPLACEMENT WAS ARRANGED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THIS WAS \"OUTSIDE\" IN AN \"OLD UNHEATED BARN\" AND TO DRESS ACCORDINGLY, HENCE THE JEANS AND FLANNEL SHIRT USED FOR SET-UP AND BREAKDOWN. NOTE: OUR DJ CHANGED INTO FORMAL ATTIRE FOR THE CEREMONY & DANCE.

NOW WE HAVE PLAYED MANY BARN DANCES OVER THE YEARS, BUT HOW CAN WE SAY THIS NICELY, THIS BARN WAS DISGUSTING. EQUIPMENT HAD TO BE \"HAULED THROUGH MUD AND WOOD CHIPS\" AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE WAS UNDERNEATH THE WOOD CHIPS (GROSS). DURING THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE, WITH EVERY BASS NOTE THAT SOUNDED CLEAR, THE ENTIRE RICKETY BUILDING BUZZED AND SHOOK AND SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE. DUST AND COBWEBS RAINED DOWN ON THE DJ THE WHOLE NIGHT.

IN ADDITION, THE OLD BARN WAS COMPLETELY UNLIT (WITH NOT A SINGLE LIGHT INSIDE). AND THE BARN WAS SO DUSTY THAT OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT HAD TO BE SCRUBBED INSIDE AND OUT FOR THE NEXT GIG, ADDITIONAL TIME AND EXPENSE FOR THE COMPANY. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THERE WAS \"NO ELECTRICITY IN THE BARN\" FOR THE DJ. THIS WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE.

WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THE FACILITY WOULD BE THIS RUN DOWN AND ILL-SUITED FOR A WEDDING DANCE. WE WERE ALL SET UP BUT \"NO OUTLETS TO PLUG IN\". UNBELIEVEABLE. JUST THEN, THANKFULLY AN ELECTRICIAN (WHO WAS GUEST) STEPPED IN TO TRY TO HELP.

AFTER THE DJ EQUIPMENT WAS SETUP THIS GUEST RAN TO THE LOCAL HARDWARE STORE, AND SOMEHOW \"JERRY-RIGGED\" A BREAKER AND RAN EXTENSION CORDS THROUGH THE DUSTY HAY LOFT FOR THE DJ. KUDOS TO THE VOLUNTEER, BUT WHY PUT YOUR VENDOR AND GUEST THROUGH THIS TO BEGIN WITH? THIS LACK OF ELECTRICITY DELAYED THE DJ START BY MORE THAN AN HOUR.

THIS WAS NOT THE DJS FAULT, BUT THE RESULT OF POOR PLANNING BY THE CUSTOMER, WHICH IN TURN HAD ITS CONSEQUENCES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE \"POOR POWER SUPPLY\" IN THE BARN HAD A BAD EFFECT ON OUR COMPANY\'S STATE-OF-THE-ART PROFESSIONAL DJ SOUND & LIGHTING EQUIPMENT, WHICH FLUCTUATED WITH THE UNDEPENDABLE POWER AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO OUR DISC JOCKEY EQUIPMENT.

THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT, HIGH MAINTENANCE CUSTOMER. OUR COMPANY HAS AN ENVIABLE, LONG TRACK RECORD AND THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF

ENTERTAINING THOUSANDS OF CLIENTS, FROM ELITE TO BUDGET EVENTS OVER THREE DECADES. THIS IS THE ONLY CLIENT IN OUR HISTORY TO

PERPETRATE SUCH AN ANONYMOUS AND UNJUSTIFIED COMPLAINT. CUSTOMER CARE IS FOR US SUCH A PRIORITY THAT EVEN WHEN SOMEONE ATTACKS US ANONYMOUSLY, WE WANT TO REPLY HONESTLY AND WITH THE INTEGRITY BORN OF DECADES IN BUSINESS.

TRUTHFULLY, MAY I SAY THAT, WITH ALL THE "RED FLAGS" WE OBSERVED FROM THIS CLIENT PRIOR TO THE EVENT ITSELF, IN HINDSIGHT,

WE SHOULD HAVE CANCELLED THE GIG. BUT OUR TRACK RECORD CLEARLY SHOWS THAT OUR COMPANY HAS NEVER MISSED A GIG IN 30 YEARS.

PERHAPS THE CONTEXT OF THIS COMPLAINT WILL HELP OUR READERS TO DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES.

FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS UNIQUE CUSTOMER, OUR COMPANY WAS HAPPY TO HELP. WE MADE

EVERY POSSIBLE ACCOMMODATION FOR WHAT CAME TO BE A VERY DISORGANIZED PERSON. INCLUDED WERE NUMEROUS LENGTHY LONG-DISTANCE

TELEPHONE CALLS TO DEMO ALL THE MUSIC AT NO CHARGE AND TO CUSTOMIZE THE SHOW TO THEIR NEEDS.

THE CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINT ABOUT MONEY SEEMS PARTICULARLY ODD. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, TO HELP ACCOMMODATE THE

CUSTOMER'S BUDGET REQUIREMENTS, WE LOWERED THE PRICE FOR THEM. WE ALSO DIVIDED THE DEPOSIT INTO SEVERAL SMALLER PAYMENTS

SPACED OUT OVER MORE THAN SIX MONTHS TO FIT THEIR MONTHLY BUDGET NEEDS. AFTER ACCOMMODATING ALL THEIR FINANCIAL NEEDS,

WE WERE RESERVED FOR THE DULUTH WEDDING. EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND DANDY AT THIS POINT WITH THIS CUSTOMER.

THEN, MONTHS AFTER THEY HAD RESERVED AND PAID THE DEPOSIT IN FULL, THE CUSTOMER CALLED TO INFORM US THAT THEY SIMPLY COULD

NOT AFFORD TO GO THROUGH WITH THE WEDDING AS PLANNED, THEY EXPLAINED, DUE TO THE COST OF THE BANQUET FOOD AND LODGING

ACCOMMODATIONS. MIND YOU, THIS PLANNING SNAFU CAME ABOUT AFTER WE WERE BOOKED, AFTER OUR DEPOSIT WAS PAID, AFTER OUR

SERVICES WERE LOCKED IN FOR THEIR SPECIAL DAY, AND WE WERE GUARANTEED TO BE THERE.

THIS "DESTINATION WEDDING" WAS BOOKED UNDER THE PREMISE IT WAS IN DULUTH AT A PROFESSIONAL VENUE, BUT AT THE LAST MINUTE

TO SAVE MONEY ON ROOM AND BOARD, THEY MOVED WHAT WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE WAS A "POSH" AFFAIR TO A "DILAPIDATED OLD BARN 125

MILES SOUTH NEAR THE TWIN CITIES". WHEN THE LOCATION WAS CHANGED, THEY FIRST ASKED TO CANCEL AND OF COURSE WANTED A FULL

REFUND. THEY SUDDENLY CHANGED THE LOCATION. WE HELD THE DATE FOR THEM FOR ALMOST NINE MONTHS. BUT WHEN WE REMINDED THEM

THEIR DEPOSIT "LOCKED IN THE DATE AND GUARANTEED WE WOULD BE THERE FOR THEM", THEY AGREED TO GO AHEAD WITH OUR SERVICES

ON THE DATE, AND TO COMPENSATE FOR THE ADDITIONAL 250 MILES ROUND TRIP AND ADDITIONAL SET-UP AND BREAKDOWN TIME. THE NEED

TO CHANGE THE DATE WAS NOT OUR IDEA NOR OUR REQUEST, SO THEY BORE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE IN MILEAGE.

THEIR SITE CHANGE UNFORTUNATELY MEANT THAT THE ORIGINAL DJS COULD NOT PERFORM THIS SHOW. A LAST-MINUTE DJ REPLACEMENT WAS

ARRANGED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THIS WAS "OUTSIDE" IN AN "OLD UNHEATED BARN" AND TO DRESS ACCORDINGLY, HENCE THE JEANS

AND FLANNEL SHIRT USED FOR SET-UP AND BREAKDOWN. NOTE: OUR DJ CHANGED INTO FORMAL ATTIRE FOR THE CEREMONY & DANCE.

NOW WE HAVE PLAYED MANY BARN DANCES OVER THE YEARS, BUT HOW CAN WE SAY THIS NICELY, THIS BARN WAS DISGUSTING. EQUIPMENT HAD

TO BE "HAULED THROUGH MUD AND WOOD CHIPS" AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE WAS UNDERNEATH THE WOOD CHIPS (GROSS). DURING THE ACTUAL

PERFORMANCE, WITH EVERY BASS NOTE THAT SOUNDED CLEAR, THE ENTIRE RICKETY BUILDING BUZZED AND SHOOK AND SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS

ABOUT TO COLLAPSE. DUST AND COBWEBS RAINED DOWN ON THE DJ THE WHOLE NIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE OLD BARN WAS COMPLETELY

UNLIT (WITH NOT A SINGLE LIGHT INSIDE). AND THE BARN WAS SO DUSTY THAT OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT HAD TO BE

SCRUBBED INSIDE AND OUT FOR THE NEXT GIG, ADDITIONAL TIME AND EXPENSE FOR THE COMPANY.

TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THERE WAS "NO ELECTRICITY IN THE BARN" FOR THE DJ. THIS WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE. WE HAD NO IDEA

THAT THE FACILITY WOULD BE THIS RUN DOWN AND ILL-SUITED FOR A WEDDING DANCE. WE WERE ALL SET UP BUT "NO OUTLETS TO PLUG IN".

UNBELIEVEABLE. JUST THEN, THANKFULLY AN ELECTRICIAN (WHO WAS GUEST) STEPPED IN TO TRY TO HELP. AFTER THE DJ EQUIPMENT

WAS SETUP THIS GUEST RAN TO THE LOCAL HARDWARE STORE, AND SOMEHOW "JERRY-RIGGED" A BREAKER AND RAN EXTENSION CORDS THROUGH

THE DUSTY HAY LOFT FOR THE DJ. KUDOS TO THE VOLUNTEER, BUT WHY PUT YOUR VENDOR AND GUEST THROUGH THIS TO BEGIN WITH?

THIS LACK OF ELECTRICITY DELAYED THE DJ START BY MORE THAN AN HOUR. THIS WAS NOT THE DJS FAULT, BUT THE RESULT OF

POOR PLANNING BY THE CUSTOMER, WHICH IN TURN HAD ITS CONSEQUENCES.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE "POOR POWER SUPPLY" IN THE BARN

HAD A BAD EFFECT ON OUR COMPANY'S STATE-OF-THE-ART PROFESSIONAL DJ SOUND & LIGHTING EQUIPMENT, WHICH FLUCTUATED WITH

THE UNDEPENDABLE POWER AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO OUR DISC JOCKEY EQUIPMENT. THE ENTIRE PRICE OF THIS GIG DID NOT MITIGATE

THE LOSS OF GEAR. OUR COMPANY HAS DOCUMENTED ALL THE FACTS OF THE MATTER REGARDING THIS LOSS. WE ARE ENTITLED TO

RECOVER THESE DAMAGES. WE HAVE NO INTENTION AT THIS POINT TO PURSUE THIS, BUT MAY CHALK IT UP TO EXPERIENCE.

CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE UNSAFE JERRY-RIGGED POWER ASPECTS OF THIS "TACKY BARN"? THEN WE DISCOVERED

THAT MORE THAN JUST THE ELECTRICITY WAS BAD. YIKES. ON TOP OF THIS ALL THE GUESTS (AND ALSO THE DJ) HAD TO DEAL WITH

"FREEZING TEMPS" IN THE BARN. ACTUALLY, ONE SMALL PROPANE HEATER WAS PROVIDED OUTISDE FOR THE GUESTS, BUT "NO HEAT

WAS PROVIDED FOR THE DJ". TO GET A BETTER PICTURE, THIS BARN WAS BUILT MORE LIKE A "LEAN TO" USED FOR CAMPING BECAUSE

IT HAD "ONLY THREE WALLS". THE ENTIRE FRONT WALL WAS MISSING. SO EVERYONE INSIDE THE BARN WAS EXPOSED TO THE WEATHER

AND THE ELEMENTS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO HEAT. FREEZING TEMPS, ONE WALL WAS MISSING, AND NO HEATER. THEY COMPLAINED

THAT THE DJ PARKED CLOSE. OUR COMPANY VEHICLE WAS PARKED CLOSER SO THE DJ COULD USE IT TO WARM UP WHEN NEEDED.

IN SPITE OF "NO HEAT" FOR THE DJ, AND NO ATTEMPT BY THE CUSTOMER TO OFFER THE DJ ANY HEAT AT ALL, THE DJ DID MOVE

THE COMPANY VEHICLE UP TO THE TOP OF THE HILL, AND SO THE DJ FROZE ALL NIGHT. "WE PLAYED REQUESTS IN THE FREEZING COLD

ALL NIGHT LONG", AND EVEN OFFERED OVERTIME. THE CROWD WAS FROZEN AND BREATHING WISPS OF SMOKE.

NOW TRY TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE POSITION OF THE DJ, WITH ALL THESE UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME.

NO POWER. NO HEAT. NO CUSTOMER CD FOR LAST MINUTE DANCE REQUESTS. NO CLOSE PARKING SPOT FOR A FREEZING DJ.

REGARDING PLAYING SPECIFIC SONG REQUESTS, NO DJ HAS EVERY SONG. OUR SONG LIST CLEARLY STATES THE CUSTOMER CAN SUPPLY

CDS TO THE DJ IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC FRINGE REQUESTS THAT ARE NOT IN OUR LIBRARY, ESPECIALLY IF THOSE SONG CHOICES COME

UP, AS THESE DID, DURING THE LAST DAYS PRIOR. IN THIS CASE, WE HAD THE SONG IN OUR LIBRARY IN THE SAME GENRE AND STYLE,

ACTUALLY BY A MORE FAMOUS ARTIST, JUST NOT BY THE SPECIFIC FRINGE ARTIST THEY REQUESTED. THE CUSTOMER DECLINED TO

PROVIDE THE DANCE CD FOR THIS LAST-MINUTE CHANGE. THE CUSTOMER WAS AWARE THEY NEEDED TO PROVIDE THE CD BUT THEY

CHOSE NOT TO, AND SO WE DID THE NEXT BEST THING: WE SUBSTITUTED THE SAME SONG BY A SIMILAR ARTIST FROM THE VERY

SAME GENRE AND STYLE. MOST BRIDES WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD THE NEED FOR THIS SUBSTITUTION.

WE'VE DEALT WITH THOUSANDS OF BRIDES, WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO REALIZE SOMETIMES ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE, PEOPLE WHO

RESPECT PROFESSIONALS WHO DO THEIR VERY BEST TO ACCOMMODATE CLIENT REQUESTS. AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE THIS, WHOSE

ATTITUDE IS "MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY", AND WHO USE WORDS LIKE "HORRIBLE" AND "SHADY" IN A DISRESPECTFUL AND SPITEFUL

MANNER AGAINST HONEST, KIND AND HARD-WORKING PEOPLE. WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE? TO EXPECT THE DJ TO PLAY MUSIC

WITH NO ELECRICITY AND TO EXPECT THE GUESTS TO PARTY WITH NO HEAT IN THE BARN WAS WHAT ONE OF OUR RECENT CLIENTS

HAS TOLD US IS "UNTHINKABLE AND SELF-ABSORBED". EVEN OUR OTHER CLIENTS SEE THROUGH THIS FACADE OF ENTITLEMENT.

IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE ALLEGED COMPLAINT, OUR COMPANY WENT THE EXTRA MILE (LITERALLY 250 EXTRA MILES) TO PROFESSIONALLY

ACCOMMODATE THIS CUSTOMER'S WISHES, THEIR CHANGES IN THE LOCATION, AND OTHER LAST-MINUTE RUDE DEMANDS AND VERBAL ABUSE.

IN HINDSIGHT, DESPITE PROVIDING THIS CLIENT WITH 100% OF EVERYTHING IN THEIR CONTRACT, ALL OUR BEST EFFORTS PROVED TO BE

UNAPPRECIATED, AND ULTIMATED SLAMMED BY THIS UNFACTUAL, INACCURATE ANONYMOUS COMPLAINT. UNSUBSTANTIATED AND ANONYMOUS.

OUR PRIORITY IS TODAY AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO SATISFY OUR CUSTOMERS. THIS EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US YOU CAN'T SATISFY

EVERYBODY. OUR TESTIMONIALS AT WWW.LIVINGWATERMUSIC.COM/WEDDING-TESTIMONIALS.HTML CLEARLY SHOW THIS ERRONEOUS

COMPLAINER IS ONE ANONYMOUS EXCEPTION TO THE RULE. OUR TRACK RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

IN SPITE OF DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES, OUR COMPANY OVERCAME MANY OBSTACLES AND PROVIDED ALL THE SERVICES CONTRACTED. WE

MADE OUR BEST EFFORT. WE SINCERELY REGRET THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO SATISFY THIS LOW-BUDGET, HIGH-MAINTENANCE CUSTOMER.

WE HOPE TO DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE AT SCREENING OUR CUSTOMERS, AND TO CONTINUE, AS WE HAVE FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS,

TO PUT THE CUSTOMER'S NEEDS FIRST AND FOREMOST IN EVERYTHING WE DO. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL US TOLL-FREE AT

1-80*-***-**** OR LOG ON TO WWW.LIVINGWATERMUSIC.COM. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR KIND CONSIDERATION.