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Crewer question

8 replies [Last post]
Mon, 12/12/2005 - 14:11
JohnHowardSC
User offline. Last seen 14 years 24 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 21 Aug 2005

I'm working a basketball package for a crewer with whom I've never worked before. I worked this same package of shows last year but it was crewed by a very good company at that time - a company with which I have a long-standing relationship. This new company won the contract this year and called on me because the client had asked for me - we all love to be loved.

Problem is that I'm having serious difficulty with this new company, especially regarding my travel, and wanted to get some input from you all as to how I should proceed.

The first show I worked was a game that was more than four hours away. My deal is that if it's over a 2 hour drive, I fly. Period. The crewer knew that but failed to make reservations for me to fly. The week of the show this person asks if I've contacted the travel agent yet. My reply was "what travel agent?" Short story long, I'm supposed to contact the travel agent and request my own travel. Not a big deal ... but I'm used to the crewers taking my flight requests and just handling that plus rental car and hotel. This way wouldn't be a problem if the agent got the reservations RIGHT...

This past weekend, I was booked on two national games in two cities for this crewer and ended up having to float charges for both of the rental cars AND one of my hotels to my personal credit card because they had not approved the charges to be made to the company's card, with which the reservations were held. I've never had to do that before on these kinds of shows and I'm wondering if this is something that any of you experience? Do you bill additionally for the incovenience? I'm billing this group an additional 20% of the charged amount for the incovenience, not to mention credit card interest.

I'm very close to going to the client and saying that if they want me for the remainder of these shows, we'll need to bypass this crewing company - but I wanted to get thoughts here first. I don't want to sound like a Prima Donna punk, but this is nuts.

Also, do any of you who have experienced this kind of thing invoice additionally for the nonsense?

J

John Howard Independent Technical Director Columbia, SC
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Sun, 03/12/2006 - 01:50
#1
Lou Delgresiano
User offline. Last seen 11 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11 Sep 2005
[quote="Unger"]I learned my lesson a few years back when I flew 5 hour to New Orleans and back for a show and when I invoiced for travel, the response I got was "we never negotiated travel". We argued, I said dont ever bother calling me again! I've now worked 5 times for them since as my highest priced client...with travel included of course. Bottom line...they need us just as bad.[/quote] A crappy western crewer with horrendous trucks tried that with me. They had some real low ball rate, and said they'd equal my rate in per diem. I send the invoice, then get a call asking if something's wrong with my spreadsheet in the per diem column. After that I invoiced my rate, and let their silly payroll system figure it out. They were too cheap to pay for a hotel the night before event and insisted flying in morning of, then blew a gasket when I suggested my clock start at wheels up. That was the first and last time I worked for them. They were the same ones that insisted on using one of the worst legacy airlines in the business--never again.
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Sun, 03/12/2006 - 00:51
#2
Unger
User offline. Last seen 13 years 2 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 2 Feb 2006
It's good see the frustration out there is shared by many. The short travel pay and all the other corners these guys try to cut is BS. I've taken a stand and it seems to have worked. "Here is my day rate, per diem, and all other misc expenses that should be covered, and please dont call me if all you can offer is a 1/2 day pay for travel. Thank you" I learned my lesson a few years back when I flew 5 hour to New Orleans and back for a show and when I invoiced for travel, the response I got was "we never negotiated travel". We argued, I said dont ever bother calling me again! I've now worked 5 times for them since as my highest priced client...with travel included of course. Bottom line...they need us just as bad.
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Fri, 03/10/2006 - 18:06
#3
Lou Delgresiano
User offline. Last seen 11 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11 Sep 2005
Has anyone become annoyed with the seemingly never ending stream of last minute "emergency," "help," e-mails/calls from crewers? Personally, I love the fact that there's very high demand, but what alarms/annoys me is the increasingly frustrated attitude you get when you advise that you are not available, or the sticker shock of when you price accordingly. Personally if I'm going to give up a weekend off with family or friends, or just in need of a break I think I deserve what should be "normal" travel requirements (full paid travel days, per diem, mileage, whatever). So just who do they find when they're calling you day prior to event and they get mad that they can't afford to pay for flights or full travel pay?
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Tue, 12/20/2005 - 15:17
#4
Dave Bernstein
Dave Bernstein's picture
User offline. Last seen 13 years 20 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 9 Sep 2005
In some ways this can be liberating: As Lou said, most of these crewers never travel and you're just a number to punch into their spreadsheet. Taking control of your travel allows you to book your preferred airline, rental car company and hotel chain. I would ditch the crewer (who are charging your client for services they don't need in hiring you) and ask your client if they would hire you direct and allow you to invoice them for billable hours AND travel expenses. I don't think you can justify the 20% in this case because essentially ALL the associated miles, points, whatever come to YOU because it was booked and paid for on YOUR credit card! :cool: (plus there are some tax write-off benefits here - ask your accountant) With my national clients (who insist on booking and paying for my travel directly in order to control expenses), when they ask me for travel requests I don't just say "oh, maybe friday morning would be nice..." I go online and research the flights (on MY ailrine) then cut and paste my desired itinerary into my reply. 99 times out of 100 I get what i ask for because i have done all the work for them. The only time this comes a cropper is if the itinerary is a little steep and they can get the flights cheaper on another airline, but they only do this when my request goes over some "tripwire" amount set by accounting. (hotels and rental cars are fully under their control and i'm just along for the ride - frustrating when you're 3 nights away from gold on your hotel chain and they put you into another for new year's weekend!) hope this helps somewhat.
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Thu, 12/15/2005 - 22:05
#5
balloonpilot
User offline. Last seen 14 years 24 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
In my humble opinion, if you're working for THEM, they should make all the arrangements for you to get there to do THEIR work and fulfil THEIR contract. YOU are not a travel agent, you are a TD which is what you've been hired for. Having crewed events myself and because I believed it was my responsibility when I got the contract to make ALL the arrangements to have a crew in place when the truck rolled in, I did just that. I wouldn't have bid on a project leaving things like travel up in the air. If for just one event, something went wrong with someone's travel because I was relying on the individual to make the arrangements, I would be the one that looked bad. Personally, I'd bypass the crewer and go directly to the client who requested you in the first place. John Phillips Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Tue, 12/13/2005 - 00:16
#6
Lou Delgresiano
User offline. Last seen 11 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 11 Sep 2005
I'm pretty certain I know who the new crewer is, and I'm sorry. They're really cheap. I wish the easy answer was bailing, but usually it's not set up like that. I know of few clients that can pay and travel below the line employees directly. Sadly, I hate to say that to an extent you have to grin and bear it. What I hate about this business is all the people that set up travel typically have a 9-5 job with weekends and holidays off and rarely travel themselves. So things such as having a hotel direct billed, not getting a middle seat on a plane, flying your airline of choice with as few connections as possible and not having to wait in line at a rental counter become pretty important. If it's a persistant problem simply threaten to not show or be a no-show when it's a travel related blunder. I don't know of any more clearer message.
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Mon, 12/12/2005 - 23:41
#7
sahonen
User offline. Last seen 14 years 24 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Aug 2005
From what I've seen it is standard for the crewer to arrange travel and accomodations. It's not like you're asking for your M&Ms to be individually sorted by color, you're asking that the company you work for handle the details of your business trip. This new crewer probably got the contract by under-bidding the other guy, and are trying to pass the "savings" onto you. Doing it inexpensively is one thing, but doing it cheaply is another.
- Stephan Ahonen
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Mon, 12/12/2005 - 15:58
#8
jonas
User offline. Last seen 14 years 24 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 21 Aug 2005
you don't sound like a diva at all. if they want you to work for them (and you want to work for them) they HAVE to make the necessary arrangements acurately and timely. i don't know about the inconvenience charge though...also, if you think you could be a direct-hire for the client without hurting anyone too bad i would. good luck.
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