I had around 25 singers. The first rotation started and the the crowd just kept coming.
I have regulars from a local theater group of over and under aged people that come in. They sit in the restaurant part and eat. They also want to participate in the singing.
My view is they are paying customers like everyone else in attendance.
One of the regulars that drinks water.....complained that they should have been spred out so all the other people could sing more. And the people were complaining about their music selection. (Not that it matters but they all actually sing very well and it is entertaining although maybe a little boring. But that doesn't effect my rotation policy.)
I said to him what makes them any different than any other person in attendance? It's not my job to try and decide who was here longer or who spent how much or who comes every week or who sings what...
My job is to treat every single person exactly the same without treating anyone different for whatever reason. (They get no special treatment or discrimination from me.)
When it was his turn to sing again the complainer sang his own made up words jumping around and making fun of them. He kept looking at me to see my reaction. I was laughing because it was funny and totaly out of context for him. Other singers said in many years of going to karaoke they have never seen such a sight.
Now I understand people being mad about a 25 singer rotation and how long it takes to sing...but I am not in control of the number of singers that show up on any given night. Nobody sang any more or less than anyone else.
I will continue to treat every person exactly the same regardless of their age or musical selection or talent level or money they spend. That goes for the free water drinking complainers.
Customer Complaint...
I've often thought about having a small whiteboard close by with a running total of the number of singers in the rotation and the likely time between one singers "act" and his/her probable next time up.
In your case, 25....2 1/2 hours
I estimated 2 1/2 hours at 4 minutes per song + getting the singer to the mike (Yes, I do know that YOU normally take the mike to the singer
)
Nice to be in that position with so many singers but I agree, it must be a pain for some of your regulars and I've no doubt it would put some people off.
Sandy
In your case, 25....2 1/2 hours
I estimated 2 1/2 hours at 4 minutes per song + getting the singer to the mike (Yes, I do know that YOU normally take the mike to the singer
)Nice to be in that position with so many singers but I agree, it must be a pain for some of your regulars and I've no doubt it would put some people off.
Sandy
I'm averaging 15-16 per hour. Roughly...give or take a singer.
25 = 1 1/2 hours per rotation.
I don't like the fact that singers are going to try and decide who should or should not be singing based on real or imagined things. Like song slection or money spent or time spent or talent levels.
It took so long because of the number of singers, not because I was playing favorites or handing out special favors.
Customers are customers and I don't play favorites with any of them. If they are there I have to treat them all the same and I do.
They have only a few options. Come early and stay late or stay home.
I don't like the board idea. They can sit there and stare at it all night getting more frustrated by the big numbers.
I never announce how many singers I have for the same reason.
25 = 1 1/2 hours per rotation.
I don't like the fact that singers are going to try and decide who should or should not be singing based on real or imagined things. Like song slection or money spent or time spent or talent levels.
It took so long because of the number of singers, not because I was playing favorites or handing out special favors.
Customers are customers and I don't play favorites with any of them. If they are there I have to treat them all the same and I do.
They have only a few options. Come early and stay late or stay home.
I don't like the board idea. They can sit there and stare at it all night getting more frustrated by the big numbers.
I never announce how many singers I have for the same reason.
While I agree there are some singers with more talent than others....I play everyone equally.
I don't understand why these "good" singers feel they are special. If this was about money I.E. recording contracts or money contests...they may have a valid complaint.
Since this is only "karaoke" for fun and relaxation...SHUT UP. Most of my singers are at or near the same talent level.
You have no reason to complain about anything show related.
I don't discriminate for any reason. I don't play favorites. These would be valid reason for a complaint. I have eliminated these objections years ago.
You could go someplace with a lessor qulified KJ and sing all night long sounding like crap. Your true talent will never be known from singing on crap. You come to my show for the quality. So does everyone else.
Deal with it in a mature manner. Every singer deserves the same treatment from me and that's what I deliver every night with no exceptions. Your boring song selections are tolerated along with all the rest.
I'm looking at this as an outsider seeing all of you in the same light. Without prejudice.
I don't understand why these "good" singers feel they are special. If this was about money I.E. recording contracts or money contests...they may have a valid complaint.
Since this is only "karaoke" for fun and relaxation...SHUT UP. Most of my singers are at or near the same talent level.
You have no reason to complain about anything show related.
I don't discriminate for any reason. I don't play favorites. These would be valid reason for a complaint. I have eliminated these objections years ago.
You could go someplace with a lessor qulified KJ and sing all night long sounding like crap. Your true talent will never be known from singing on crap. You come to my show for the quality. So does everyone else.
Deal with it in a mature manner. Every singer deserves the same treatment from me and that's what I deliver every night with no exceptions. Your boring song selections are tolerated along with all the rest.
I'm looking at this as an outsider seeing all of you in the same light. Without prejudice.
I do use a white board; large enough for all to see the rotation size and order. My regulars know each line entry equals approximately four minutes. They can do the math to figure when they'll be up next. It's what works for memnementh wrote:I've often thought about having a small whiteboard close by with a running total of the number of singers in the rotation and the likely time between one singers "act" and his/her probable next time up.
Sandy
Of course just like many of you, I still get the odd moronic complaint as BigDog did. Oh well, Stuff Happens!
First time singer complaining tonight... 
28 singers and he says I turned in 2 songs an hour ago.....
(Everyone get out a pencil and do the math ...4 minutes X 28 singers =????)
So how long till Bob sings again??? Sounds like at least 1 hour and 45 minutes to me.
How many singers or KJs know of KJs that run their rotation based on when and how many song requests they are handed by an individual singer???
Bob hands you 5 song slips at one time. An hour ago.
Does Bob sing those 5 songs in a row? Does he sing them in the first hour?
Does Bob sing one in each rotation? Or all in the same rotation because he gave them to you an hour ago?
Does it mean Bob will sing faster than every other singer in the rotation?
Where TF do they singers get these wild ideas?
I have never heard of a KJ that plays all the song requests in a row made by one singer. If that was the way the rotation worked...the very first singer to hand me 60 slips gets to sing all night long and every other singer is S.O.O.L. (Anyone know "French?")
Sorry, I have my one singer for the night he handed me his sixty song requests first so I'm full already try again tomorrow. Get here earlier next time.
I handed you my 6 songs an hour ago..that gives me priority over everyone else....NO all it did was give me your next 6 songs for the next 6 rotations. Are they in order??? Next time hand me 20 slips and I'll have them ready for the whole week.
Whatever happened to common sense? Whatever happened to everyone gets a turn like we did in kindergarden?
28 singers and he says I turned in 2 songs an hour ago.....
(Everyone get out a pencil and do the math ...4 minutes X 28 singers =????) So how long till Bob sings again??? Sounds like at least 1 hour and 45 minutes to me.
How many singers or KJs know of KJs that run their rotation based on when and how many song requests they are handed by an individual singer???
Bob hands you 5 song slips at one time. An hour ago.
Does Bob sing those 5 songs in a row? Does he sing them in the first hour?
Does Bob sing one in each rotation? Or all in the same rotation because he gave them to you an hour ago?
Does it mean Bob will sing faster than every other singer in the rotation?
Where TF do they singers get these wild ideas?
I have never heard of a KJ that plays all the song requests in a row made by one singer. If that was the way the rotation worked...the very first singer to hand me 60 slips gets to sing all night long and every other singer is S.O.O.L. (Anyone know "French?")
Sorry, I have my one singer for the night he handed me his sixty song requests first so I'm full already try again tomorrow. Get here earlier next time.
I handed you my 6 songs an hour ago..that gives me priority over everyone else....NO all it did was give me your next 6 songs for the next 6 rotations. Are they in order??? Next time hand me 20 slips and I'll have them ready for the whole week.
Whatever happened to common sense? Whatever happened to everyone gets a turn like we did in kindergarden?
Maybe you could go to another KJ and hand him 2 songs and wait for the filler and dance sets to end before you sing once.
Maybe you could sing one after all the KJs friends and family sing twice.
Maybe you could sing one after the KJ sings his medly of 6 songs every rotation.
Maybe you could go somehwere and pay a bribe to sing them all.
Maybe you can sing them after my high energy show ends at 2 AM.
Maybe you could sing them after the other 3 singers all night long.
Maybe you could sing one after the KJ has 5 other singers before he starts the karaoke.
Maybe you could start your own karaoke business and sing all night long.
Maybe you could sing one after all the KJs friends and family sing twice.
Maybe you could sing one after the KJ sings his medly of 6 songs every rotation.
Maybe you could go somehwere and pay a bribe to sing them all.
Maybe you can sing them after my high energy show ends at 2 AM.
Maybe you could sing them after the other 3 singers all night long.
Maybe you could sing one after the KJ has 5 other singers before he starts the karaoke.
Maybe you could start your own karaoke business and sing all night long.
I was hired by the bar to do one thing.
MAKE THEM MONEY BY BUILDING A KARAOKE CROWD.
I can not accomplish that goal by treating anyone unfairly at any time. That is why I don't play favorites.
That is why I don't tell anyone who or how many others they can sing with on their turn.
That is why I get so many singers. I'm building a KARAOKE crowd. Not any other type of crowd with non karaoke distractions. That is what makes me so popular.
I don't play games and make myself sound good singing and turn off the effects for everyone else. Other singers want to sound good too.
I don't sing more than once in a rotation.
I don't make new singers wait one or two full rotations before they sing.
I don't play dance music between singers.
I don't cater to anyone but singers.
Some KJs just can comprehend these things.
I don't push your songs back in the rotation because of your talent level or your boring song selections.
If you don't like my fair treatment of everyone. Go find a better KJ.
You can not and will not find another KJ anywhere that plays more karaoke songs in a night. I can guarantee that.
You can not and will not find another KJ that is more fair. I can guarantee that too.
I can also guarantee you have no valid complaint about any aspect of my show.
If you have 2 wait 2 hours 2 sing again, 2 bad so does everyone else. Blame it on my popularity. The same reason you like to sing at my show. Not because of some imaginary indiscretion. I'm a victim of my own success. Or.... you're a victim of my success.
I'm pretending this is a complainer....
...It feels so good too. 
I know singers get upset with the long wait.
Having 28 singers is only good for one person. The bar owner.
For me I know people will start getting restless and upset. After the rotation gets over 15...I know what's coming for me.
For the singers, They get up set.
28 singers does show my popularity. That popularity comes with a price of unpopularity because the singers can't sing enough.
I know I wouldn't be happy as a singer having to wait 2 hours to sing.
Sing a few times and sound really good or sing many times and sound like crap. I have had singers tell me they stopped going to other karaoke shows because of the sound quality. I have stopped going to other karaoke shows because of the lack of sound quality.
There aren't too many choices.
I do know singers that don't come to my show because they want to sing more. Not because they don't like my show. They don't like the wait.
I stopped worrying about these people. I can only worry about the ones that do come.
Having 28 singers is only good for one person. The bar owner.
For me I know people will start getting restless and upset. After the rotation gets over 15...I know what's coming for me.
For the singers, They get up set.
28 singers does show my popularity. That popularity comes with a price of unpopularity because the singers can't sing enough.
I know I wouldn't be happy as a singer having to wait 2 hours to sing.
Sing a few times and sound really good or sing many times and sound like crap. I have had singers tell me they stopped going to other karaoke shows because of the sound quality. I have stopped going to other karaoke shows because of the lack of sound quality.
There aren't too many choices.
I do know singers that don't come to my show because they want to sing more. Not because they don't like my show. They don't like the wait.
I stopped worrying about these people. I can only worry about the ones that do come.
Hey! Don't beat around the bush BigDog, tell how you really feel! 
OK, enough humor. While very well presented (in so many ways), I agree with you 100%.
It's my opinion that potentially new singers believe they will be able to BS us into thinking thry're telling us something we don't already know. When the truth of the situation is they are full of $#!%%. They take us for a fool who'll believe what they say, and change our ways to meet thir agaenda.
My response is always polite but firm; "This is how the regular clientel are used to running the show and It's how we will continue to do so. I am sorry that what we don't suit your signing needs, and I do hope you'll find another venue out there who will do so better than we can."
OK, enough humor. While very well presented (in so many ways), I agree with you 100%.
It's my opinion that potentially new singers believe they will be able to BS us into thinking thry're telling us something we don't already know. When the truth of the situation is they are full of $#!%%. They take us for a fool who'll believe what they say, and change our ways to meet thir agaenda.
My response is always polite but firm; "This is how the regular clientel are used to running the show and It's how we will continue to do so. I am sorry that what we don't suit your signing needs, and I do hope you'll find another venue out there who will do so better than we can."
If a singer turns a song in under a different name than on a previous request they will not sing again that night and for as long as I remember their face. I have a zero tolerance policy for attempting to cheat the singer rotation.Bigdog wrote:I had a group last night that used different made up names on every slip all night long.
Asking to be moved up in the rotation (for any reason) will get you the one word answer "NO". No explanation will follow.
Rules are clearly stated in the book and are not negotiable.
I did wise up after the first trick. I just put all their slips in one pile and they paid a penalty.
As far as being human, I do show some traits of that once in a while regarding rotational favors...provided they aren't just trying to pull a scam. Valid reasons hold some favor. This I do in my effort to keep up a good image. It doesn't always work.
As far as being human, I do show some traits of that once in a while regarding rotational favors...provided they aren't just trying to pull a scam. Valid reasons hold some favor. This I do in my effort to keep up a good image. It doesn't always work.
