We have been in the wedding industry long enough to have experienced something that has sadly become common place in the industry. That is the practice of giving a “kick back” to someone for referring you to a wedding couple. This practice, whilst not illegal, is definitely questionable.
When money crosses palms, it’s difficult to say if the person recommending a vendor is doing so because they genuinely believe they will be the best fit, or if they are doing it thinking of their wallet. When money is involved, people may tend to blur the lines between what is in the best interest of the couple and what they stand to benefit themselves.
NikNat Entertainment never have and never will give nor accept kick backs in any form. We feel a sense of pride when fellow industry professionals recommend us to couples because they feel we will be the right fit. The recommendation itself is worth more than any kick back reward.
Similarly, we never recommend any supplier that offers to give us a kick back for the recommendation. We have been offered kick backs from some we have recommended in the past, but simply thank them for their kind gesture and explain we have a policy of not accepting kick backs.
Some suppliers who may read this might disagree with our stance. We are okay with this. We are not telling other vendors how to run their business, we are just saying how we run ours. We recommend suppliers based on the quality of their work or product and not because we receive a reward for the recommendation.
As a wedding couple, you need to be wary that this is happening in the wedding industry. As such, please take the time to consider if the recommendation is the best fit for you. Do your research, meet suppliers. Take the time to ensure that they are the perfect match for you. Don’t blindly accept a recommendation without doing your own research too.
We were offered a lot of regular work by a stylist company but wanted us to agree that, in order to be recommended, they wanted us to pay them 20% of our earnings! What a rort! We thanked them for their offer but told them we don’t play that game. If they wanted to recommend us because they truly believed we were the best match, then please do so, but we will not be paying for the privilege of being recommended. They quickly found another entertainment company that accepted the deal and has indeed received a lot of work from them. We still think it’s not in the clients best interest.
Please take this as a warning in your wedding planning process to take the time to do your own research by asking multiple vendors as well as researching reviews online.
Warmly,
Nik Reeds
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