Deposits on tour-
why I have increased the amount I am asking for in advance
I went on tour last year and a client, who I had sent many emails to, cancelled a multi hour booking once I was already at the location. This client had paid a deposit and had been linked to my cancellation policy, understood I was travelling interstate but only informed me of the cancellation with less than 24 hours notice, making it very difficult for me to find a replacement booking and ultimately I lost money due to this cancellation.
A cancellation of this nature, can ruin a tour. With little notice of a cancellation, it is often impossible to make a tour financially successful and touring involves:
Time (lots of it: packing, emailing or messaging clients about appointments, booking hotels, stocking all your provisions, ubers/taxis, flights, pre boarding, prepping the space once you are there for the bookings, putting on your make up, getting ready with your clothes, cleaning surfaces and toys, washing sheets towels (and drying them), getting your gear set up and then packing up, getting out of the apartment/hotel, uber ride to train/airport, waiting to board the flight, flight, uber, home, unpacking)
Money (lots of that too from the cost of the flights and the hotel to the cost of the toys, make up and outfits/nails etc)
Previously I took a 30% deposit for my bookings. This is enough for me to pay for my accommodation/dungeon hire and travel in Sydney but 30% does not cover the expense of touring. Touring is exceptionally expensive. Here I will go over some of the costs involved in touring and explain why someone cancelling a multiple hour booking once I have already left for the touring location or I am already there is financially crippling and can ruin any profits which can be made on a tour.
Travel
Uber to the airport $25 x 2
Flights $500ish return (depending on the location)
Accommodation for 3 nights $600-1000 (depending on the city)
Uber from airport to hotel $30-50 x 2
Food $200
Therefore to break even on a tour it costs me a minimum of $1500, only after I earn that do I begin to make money on a tour.
Touring workers need pre bookings to make touring financially viable for us. Clients need to understand that if they have booked an appointment with us, and we are already at the location, or en route, that they need to pay our full fee. The client mentioned above knew the terms and conditions related to the booking as they were linked to the booking confirmation he received. When I learnt of his cancellation, I told him that as I was already there, he needed to pay a cancellation fee. He refused and my tour was not the financial success it could have been. I had packed items that he had requested especially. I was really excited for our time together, it would have been a really fun booking.
I will only accept touring bookings with a 50% deposit and I receive a cancellation when I am already at the location or en route, the full fee for the booking will be required. Even a 50% deposit will not allow a tour to break even, I expect you to value my time as much as I value yours.
I have had this policy in place since November 2020 and I simply wanted to give an explanation as to the change, thus far no one has questioned my deposit increase.
I look forward to playing with you
Miss Tallula
