This is about what it's always been about, money and the lack thereof.
In the "who's responsible for party discount pricing" debate, there's been no debate at all. Many people would agree that the tanked economy has made people feel bad about their finances and therefore bad about themselves. Before starting Cater-Hater, I can honestly say that I felt guilty about not giving back more. I felt that people wanted to know party insider tricks-of-the-trade. And alas, Cater-Hater was started.
Why is it that the economy changed and it seemed like a personal affront to party customers; to pay top dollar for party services? And, why is it that party customers seem to talk themselves out of asking for a good deal?
It's curious to me that there's still a belief that the party industry should keep their status quo, because as far as I'm concerned it's to the detriment of the party consumer and an utter failure: the average party customer has at least one party a year and can spend from $200 to thousands of dollars, depending on the number of people they invite and the length of their party.
We all know that most people never hire a professional caterer (or event planner) in their lifetime. Party consumers aren't favored by the party industry as a whole - which seems counter-productive, which does reflect this truth: Most of you need to get a deal. This is especially true now, when your finances are shot to smithereens.
As the days go by, how much would it hurt a caterer or party planner, who has the goods (knowledge, equipment, know-how), to really help you?
Some of us were taught that it is embarrassing or insulting to ask for a discount; we should only ask for help from people that we know or present it as if we're inquiring about a deal for someone else. Go ahead and think like that, until you find out how nice it feels to walk away getting a good deal. Asking for help (and getting it) shouldn't diminish the quality of a party one bit.
People need help. So, it's a fair question to ask, is the party industry is reflecting consumer sensitive needs and standards?
Professionally planned and catered parties allow us to escape, if only for 4 to 5 hours, so it can be challenging to figure out what's the right amount of a "deal" you should get. At what point does caring about party consumers cease to be a good idea, or, even helpful? The answer is different for all of us who work in the industry.
When you have a backyard barbecue, depending on how many people you invite; the financial politics of paying for everything can be tricky. Some people pool their money with others. Some simply embrace whatever they have to forgo.
I fully expect to hear from you on this and welcome your feedback.
The next time you're booting up your PC, Google other caterers and event planners blogs and web sites. Sure, you love them for the food they cook and the way they make your parties look. But, when it comes to the prices that you're asked to pay, they're flunking. What are your solutions for this? Tell me your ways of seeing a good party deal.
Image source: Wikipedia
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