DEAR HARRIETTE: The venue I work for hired a local promoter to bring in a Grammy Award-winning artist to perform. The concert took place at an open-air amphitheater, and all events are advertised as rain or shine. And just our luck, it rained for two hours. To our surprise, the crowd waited patiently until the storm passed. When the rain stopped, we dried the equipment and prepared the stage for the artist. The artist was grateful because the audience stayed. He performed, the concert was amazing and he had the crowd begging for more when he finished.
After the concert was over, there were a few unhappy customers who asked for their money back. We normally do not give refunds to our customers because we print "rain or shine" on our tickets. However, we made an exception to our policy. I feel like I should get some of our money back from the promoter because it rained and the box office lost money. Do you think I am wrong for thinking this way? -- It Is Only Business, Memphis, Tennessee
DEAR IT IS ONLY BUSINESS: Check your contract with the promoter to see if there are any clauses that would allow for you to get money back. Rain is likely considered an "act of God," which often is exempt from refunding. That said, your promoter may be conscientious and generous, just as you were with some of your fans. Have a discussion with the promoter about how you lost money and you hope that they would give you a partial fee refund. Suggest that you would like to continue to work with them in the future. In the interest of developing a mutually beneficial relationship, you are asking the promoter to be willing to work with you. In this case, it means sharing the weight of the lost revenue due to rain.