So a few months back I responded to a several DJing ads on craigslist, all hopeful about the potential to start my kickin DJ career. And a company with really cool, laid-back sounding people Ryan Rhythm got back to me and set up a meeting.
After the meeting it seemed like I’d be a great fit, and I was so pumped. I started training right away. This was right when I also started student teaching. So I told them I wouldn’t be able to do much on the weeknights because I had school way early.
I had some great gigs training on the weekend at a few bars like Fado’s Irish pub in Philadelphia, and they even told me they thought I’d started making a great part of the team.
I spent my precious weekend nights (the only free time I had during busy student teaching) driving down to the city for a few hours to train, thinking I would be getting paid for training.
Everything was going well, I communicated my availability with them, and let them know that once Summer arrived I’d be able to work wherever, whenever, and with excitement.
And they stopped contacting me, without any warning. No explanations. I got ahold of them and they gave me some runaround excuses. Kept saying they would pay me, and then a few weeks would go by, and nothing…
Here is some email example:
i will speak with the person who handles my payroll
and ask her to re-issue your check for training if you
have not received it, as i believe it was sent a while
back. please email your up-to date mailing info to
****@ryanrhythm.net cause obviously the info we
have for you must not be correct. hope all is well,
***
I diplomatically handled the situation, and asked for at least the payment for training- since they were not going to keep me on as a DJ (again- this was with no warning or communication about it), and expected them to at least have the decency to pay me for all those nights I went down to help them out, when I could have been working another job to make badly needed money as an unpaid student teacher.
They said they would send the check. Fast forward a few weeks. It never came. I contacted them AGAIN, because it started to become more of an ethical issue to me than a monetary one- their website says: “What makes our company unique is that we LISTEN to everything our customers say. In doing so we are able to recognize their needs and furthermore, develop a personal relationship with each and every customer we serve, thus ensuring their needs and desires will ALWAYS be exceeded!” Oh yeah? Well what about your employees! (Being an employee for them, not getting paid for work completed, and then getting the runaround about them sending a check doesn’t fit that in my opinion!)
I contacted them by email, and by phone- several times, as I was not going to let them disregard my work and let it go unpaid.
Every time they said they would send a payment, or something like “Send your mailing info to my account manager” (which I had previously sent- the correct address). And nothing came.
So now I figure I’d share the story. Put it out onto the web. Ryan Rhythm Entertainment Firm has still not paid this hard-working teacher. I’m still waiting for a check. It’s not much money, but it’s the principle of saying you will pay someone for work and then giving them excuses and saying you will send payment and then not (along with more excuses).
I even called the owner, who was cordial and apologetic on the phone. He said they’d send payment if I re-sent my info to his assistant, whom he says was in charge of payment (though previously they had not been mentioned). And she has not responded to any of my 4 or 5 emails. (And did not respond after I talked with him AGAIN).
I’ll follow up after posting this blog post, and let you know if they have anything to say. Until then, keep that in mind if you’re in the Philadelphia area, and you’re considering finding a potential DJ entertainment company.
*****************************
UPDATE: I sent an email to the owner sharing this blog post and reminding him that I still haven’t been paid for the training I did with them, and he sent this email back:
Hey,
I’d suggest you google this name: bochetto and lentz
You’ll be hearing from them if that false and
completly inaccurate account of a story isn’t removed.
You were not truthful with your availability with
*** or myself further more *** did tell you he didn’t
feel it would work out. You were not just released
with no reason.
Anyways I’m going to wait a week and if I google
the company name & what’s up there now remains you’ll
be getting sued for slander and defamation. I have
already fowarded the results of the search to my
attorney David Hiem and instructed him if it’s not
down within the week to begin filing against you in
the district court of Philadelhia.
You can take it down of your own free will or you
will loose a great deal in having to defend yourself
in court between lawyers fees, etc. When you do google
them you’ll see they are virtually impossible to go
against in court cause theyre the best at what they
do.
Your choice, I’ll wait for a response but one way
or another what’s on the internet is coming down. It
can come down with no financial cost to you or with
great financial cost. Let me know which route you opt
for.
(So I emailed him back to simply say- All I’m looking for is to get paid for the work that I did. I am being honest and fair, so hopefully he responds in kind!)
Smiley Warm Heart Feelings 
