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Thread: Floors at venues

  1. #61
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    Of course you could email the owner of the business asking them to reassure you that the floor is sorted in advance of the event.
    Well yeah, that sounds like fun.

    And you're assuming that the organiser:
    A/ Knows the answer
    B/ Will reply promptly
    C/ Will reply accurately ("Actually, no, you're right, the floor's crap, don't come"?)

    Apart from that...

    Or, like a normal human being, I could decide to go somewhere on the day, with the expectation that the venue managers will provide a good environment to dance in.

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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Or, like a normal human being, I could decide to go somewhere on the day, with the expectation that the venue managers will provide a good environment to dance in.
    that is very least we should expect as paying customers and especially at Chiswick, where they have experienced problems in the past, they should be extra vigilant and make contingency plans

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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Well yeah, that sounds like fun.

    And you're assuming that the organiser:
    A/ Knows the answer
    B/ Will reply promptly
    C/ Will reply accurately ("Actually, no, you're right, the floor's crap, don't come"?)

    Apart from that...

    Or, like a normal human being, I could decide to go somewhere on the day, with the expectation that the venue managers will provide a good environment to dance in.
    Quote Originally Posted by Maxine View Post
    that is very least we should expect as paying customers and especially at Chiswick, where they have experienced problems in the past, they should be extra vigilant and make contingency plans
    Thing is............would you know who to contact for these venues? (Chiswick, Hammersmith?)......is it a clearly identifiable person like Gary Glooman for Chiswick or Terry Tarflaw for Hammersmith?

    For ijig and for St. Albans - I know who to contact, I can email or speak in person - and for ijig via mobile if I really want to................ Maybe that is one difference: accessibility to someone who you know is going to be the 'responsible' person for that venue.

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    Re: Floors at venues

    I think David Bradley is the person that should be contacted concerning both these venues

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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    C/ Will reply accurately ("Actually, no, you're right, the floor's crap, don't come"?)
    This is my thinking. You email an organiser to alert them to a problem with the floor at their venue. They reply telling you something is going to be done/it's fixed/etc.

    You print off the email and attend the event. The floor is the same old sticky floor. In this circumstance you should be able to reclaim all your expenses associated with the night as well as compensation for having your night ruined. It's no different to a holiday that doesn't measure up to it's marketing.

    If I'd driven up to London from Brighton that would be at least 35p a mile plus a very reasonable £30 compensation each for an 8 hour night ruined. Assuming there's 4 in the car and a 160 mile round trip that's £176. For that sum it's well worth getting a solicitor on the job if they didn't respond positively to your first email. One solicitors letter would increase the bill to £300!

    I would say it's worth the organiser sorting the floor or at least responding truthfully to enquiries about it's condition.

  6. #66
    Commercial Operator Rocky's Avatar
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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    You sound more like Rocky every day....
    Good grief the day Andy and I start sounding like each other is the day I'll start wearing women's clothing!

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    Nowadays Rocky isn't sounding like Rocky. I think he's had his wings clipped.
    I think it's hormonal...

    Just on the subject of floors.. It is a difficult one. You need to remember that there are very, very few true dance halls left where the hall is just used for dancing – in fact the only one I know of is the Liberty Ballroom in Newbury where the floor is ONLY used for dancing and nothing else. As such Steve takes great pride in his floor and I’ve never known it to be anything other than perfect for dancing on. Just saying that organizers should refuse to use venues where the floor is not cleaned properly is far too simplistic too. There are so few venues around these days that will allow dancers in where they get virtually no revenue from the bar means that organizers have their hands effectively tied – if they issue an ultimatum to a venue regarding floor cleaning and the venue continues not to comply they actually rarely have the option of finding an alternative venue as cost, location and availability are massive issues.

    In my mind organizers have the responsibility to make sure that they get to their venue early and therefore have time to deal with any floor issues with the management before the night opens. But that said, if a floor is not sealed properly adding moisture to it when it won’t have time to dry out could actually exacerbate the problem rather than solve it. Floors with a seal problem can also be fine at the start of the evening but absorb moisture from humidity as the night progresses, and there really isn’t a lot an organizer can do about that (other than look for another venue, which as I’ve explained, is not as easy as it sounds). As for organizers having the kit available to clean a 400 sqm floor prior to an event... seriously??

    If a floor is undanceable then of course dancers have a right to ask for their money back and I do think that is completely justified – and if it continues, then dancers should vote with their feet and go elsewhere..

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    Re: Floors at venues

    The other thing to consider for some events is of course temporary dance floors. I think at Lux that was the case wasn't it? - at least for one of the rooms as I recall. Voila! - sticky floor issue gone.......

    What would it take to (say) get a temporary floor laid in the Blues room at Chiswick? Is it just too expensive?

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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by Rocky View Post

    In my mind organizers have the responsibility to make sure that they get to their venue early and therefore have time to deal with any floor issues with the management before the night opens. But that said, if a floor is not sealed properly adding moisture to it when it won’t have time to dry out could actually exacerbate the problem rather than solve it. Floors with a seal problem can also be fine at the start of the evening but absorb moisture from humidity as the night progresses, and there really isn’t a lot an organizer can do about that (other than look for another venue, which as I’ve explained, is not as easy as it sounds). As for organizers having the kit available to clean a 400 sqm floor prior to an event... seriously??

    If a floor is undanceable then of course dancers have a right to ask for their money back and I do think that is completely justified – and if it continues, then dancers should vote with their feet and go elsewhere..
    Yes it is the venue manager’s responsibility to ensure that floor is fit for purpose.

    It sadly looks like I will have to vote with my feet and not go to Chiswick anymore, which I a shame as I have had some great nights there

    Last Saturday the floor was sticky at the beginning of the evening, which suggests to me that it was dirty and that it was then exacerbated by body heat as the evening went on.

    I doubt it is a problem with the seals as I have been there on a number of occasions when it is perfectly ok

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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by JiveLad View Post
    The other thing to consider for some events is of course temporary dance floors. I think at Lux that was the case wasn't it? - at least for one of the rooms as I recall. Voila! - sticky floor issue gone.......

    What would it take to (say) get a temporary floor laid in the Blues room at Chiswick? Is it just too expensive?
    We laid 800 sqm of flooring at LUX in all 3 rooms plus the balcony and it's not that the floor is very expensive to buy, but it is expensive to store and transport - and then of course you have the time to lay it and then take it up at the end of the evening - so it's not really a practical solution.

  10. #70
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry View Post
    I think David Bradley is the person that should be contacted concerning both these venues
    Sure, he's the guy in charge, but will he have inspected the floors? Will he be there on the night? Or will he have to pass the message on to the venue manager?

    I think Jivelad's right. If the Berko floor is rubbish, I can whinge directly to Ian - and I have - he's there, and he runs the place. Similarly, the Harpenden blues room floor at iJig got pretty bad last time - and I told Pat directly; again, he's there, and he's part of the iJig management. If Utopia floor is rubbish, you can whinge to Rocky. And so on.

    For all of these, if they lose customers it impacts their own pockets, so they have a direct interest in ensuring customer satisfaction. Similarly, I imagine Andy McG has the same level of direct, immediate involvement.

    But if a Ceroc London floor is rubbish, then you can:
    • Say something there and then - but you're just complaining to an employee - he doesn't have a direct interest in ensuring you have a good time. He may (hopefully will) pass on the complaint, but by then it's second-hand.
    • Complain directly to the management / owners after the fact - but then obviously it's to late for something to be done about it, and the owner has no first-hand knowledge of what the venue was like.


    (Ceroc London are just an example - other large franchisees would probably be the same)

    So, with these indirect-feedback setups, you need to shout louder to be heard. Which is why I think some form of group action may be more effective than individual comments.

    I feel the spirit of Arthur Scargill inside me as I type...

  11. #71
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxine View Post
    It sadly looks like I will have to vote with my feet and not go to Chiswick anymore, which I a shame as I have had some great nights there
    The thing is, unless you explicitly let the management know why you're not going any more, they won't know. So I'd suggest firing off an email to them also to tell them.

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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Sure, he's the guy in charge, but will he have inspected the floors? Will he be there on the night? Or will he have to pass the message on to the venue manager?



    For all of these, if they lose customers it impacts their own pockets, so they have a direct interest in ensuring customer satisfaction. Similarly, I imagine Andy McG has the same level of direct, immediate involvement.


    But if a Ceroc London floor is rubbish, then you can:
    • Say something there and then - but you're just complaining to an employee - he doesn't have a direct interest in ensuring you have a good time. He may (hopefully will) pass on the complaint, but by then it's second-hand.
    • Complain directly to the management / owners after the fact - but then obviously it's to late for something to be done about it, and the owner has no first-hand knowledge of what the venue was like.

    I believe David Bradley is a Franchise owner, therefore if you tell him that you are voting with your feet due to a dodgy floor this impacts him financially

  13. #73
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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry View Post
    I believe David Bradley is a Franchise owner, therefore if you tell him that you are voting with your feet due to a dodgy floor this impacts him financially
    It's still indirect - for all he knows, you could just be a complete whinge-bucket. He wasn't there - and if his floor manager tells him that the floor was fine, he may dismiss your complaint.

  14. #74
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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Yes, humidity makes floors slower - Chiswick used to be a prime example of that
    Quote Originally Posted by Maxine View Post
    The floor in the blues room at Chiswick last night was the worst I've ever known.
    Quote Originally Posted by LilyB View Post
    I haven't been to Chiswick for 2 years now and last night just reinforced why.
    Quote Originally Posted by DavidB View Post
    The floor at Chiswick ended my night early after twisting my knee in the blues room.
    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Chiswick's always been dodgy.
    Well I'm very pleased to report, the floors in both rooms were fine last night
    It was a busy night and it was hot, (hotter than it needed to be, due to the fact the radiators were on ) so it just goes to prove, the problems of the past haven't really been down to it being particularly susceptible to humidity. I think its more of a case its just been really dirty and the humidity's re-hydrated the sticky dirt.
    All in all, last night was good, much helped by Marc and Rachel Djing in the Blues room
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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Well I'm very pleased to report, the floors in both rooms were fine last night


    Glad I went against my better judgement and went last night as the floors were fine and had a great night.

    Apparently one of the radiator valves had broken and that was why it was so hot.
    Last edited by Maxine; 14th-November-2010 at 02:18 PM.

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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    On the plus side, I can confirm that the new floor in the Berko blues room has turned out lovely
    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Yes, it was a dream to dance on last week!
    Alas the floor has had major problems and resulted in the Blues room being closed last week

    I don't know whats happening and whether its been fixed yet but I hope it gets sorted quickly
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  17. #77
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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Alas the floor has had major problems and resulted in the Blues room being closed last week
    Yes, The annoying thing is that it's only been down for a few months. Still, they can't blame dancers, it was poorly-laid down, and it had started to develop gaps in between the boards.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    I don't know whats happening and whether its been fixed yet but I hope it gets sorted quickly
    I think they're still working on it, but hopefully it'll be fixed on Sunday.

    Mind you, I don't care, I won't be there

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    Re: Floors at venues

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    Mind you, I don't care, I won't be there
    OOh how selfish!

    I doubt I'm going to be there this week either, I have a big night on Sat
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