Meet James Lee | DJ+MC and Event Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what do you attribute your success to?
This will probably sound obvious and somewhat general, but I’d say the most important factor is Customer Service. Some people may say price, DJ skills, or something else specific. But it’s the entire customer experience from when they first reach out to you through the end of the event. So that means communicating and replying quickly to their needs with clear answers and solutions. Providing tools and resources to help them prepare for their event. Putting together a well thought out timeline with a customized questionnaire so they can easily provide the info I need to execute my job the way they want. Taking organized notes so the client does not have to repeat things. Preparing everything before the event including all the music so the client’s ears will say, “Yes, this is what we want”. Reviewing all details in advance to identify potential issues and resolve them before they’re a problem so the client only experiences a smooth running event. Testing equipment and rehearsing activities in advance so there are no glitches. And on the event day, always being 1-2 steps ahead so things happen on time and no one is waiting on you for something that could have been done earlier. There’s probably more, but everything I mentioned is a part of customer service which affects the customer experience which affects your success.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Honestly, I don’t have a lot of info on what may or may not set me apart from the competition, because I’m not able to see my competition’s work unless I happen to be at their private event. I hear some DJs do not take requests but I’ll always take requests because part of my job is to keep the dance floor happy and not try to impose my will of what I want them to hear. I’ll filter out requests that don’t make sense, but I’m always open to hearing them. I’m most proud of any work I’ve done that has helped my clients have the best time possible at one of the most important events of their lives. Their satisfaction is reflected in my online ratings and I’m pleased to say that I have one of the highest %’s of perfect 5-star ratings in the industry. Was it easy? Is it easy? Definitely not. Some clients are incredibly demanding, and to keep basically all of them 5-star happy takes a lot of work. I’ve learned to navigate through challenges by being clear about what I will deliver and managing expectations accordingly. At the end of the day, I think I’m an honest, hard working guy who really wants his clients to be not just satisfied, but thrilled. I never do a bait-and-switch to get business. I want to be the one who over-delivers over and over again.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s so much to do in LA. I love going to the beach cities or to clubs in Hollywood. For food, I guess it would depend on what they’re in to but there’s everything including steak houses, sushi, Korean BBQ, healthy Cali stuff, Mexican … just about anything. I’d want to take the visitor to places unique to LA such SoFi Stadium, Getty Center, Magic Castle, Hollywood & Highland, the outdoor malls, rooftop bars and restaurants, beach walks, mountain hikes, or any of the historic neighborhoods or landmarks. I’m not good at spotting celebrities but I’m sure there’ll be people doing plenty of interesting things along the way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a huge thanks to my customers, not just for their business, but trusting me with their events and encouraging me to keep doing what I’m doing with their thoughtful thank you’s, referrals to other clients, etc. When you first start, you don’t know much. But my first clients recognized how hard I was working and without their encouragement, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Current clients keep me going as well. So I’m going to keep going as long as my clients are happy.

Website: https://alltheaboveevents.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alltheaboveevents/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/all-the-above-events-los-angeles

Other: https://g.page/AllTheAboveEvents http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/all-the-above-events-los-angeles/7c5f2ed3e1b08447.html http://www.onewed.com/reviews/wedding-dj-bands/california/ca/los-angeles/all-the-above-events/1048172/ https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/all-the-above-events-los-angeles-ca-364219