Marion, I must not have made myself clear. Yes, by "not turn down" I meant I would ask if I could check my availability and get back to them.

I would never cancel a booking that I've agreed to without consulting the client (unless I were paralyzed or something).

I would never just cancel a booking, period, except under extraordinary circumstances (e.g., death in the family, laryngitis, etc.). (I have, however, occasionally bargained with regular clients to change the date of a scheduled gig -- e.g., offering them a substantial discount if they are willing to change dates. It's their choice, though. I've gone ahead and done gigs that were a net loss for me, because I had committed to the time and date.)

I have found though aggravating experience, though, that quite a few clients (the activity directors and/or their administrators or other corporate bigwigs) do not similarly honor the bookings they make with entertainers -- even when they are in writing. They will call at the last minute (a month, week, day, or even hours before the gig) and say that they have to cancel:
¥ they just noticed they are over budget
¥ Marketing, unbeknownst to them, scheduled a party for the same time
¥ they decided they wanted their party on a different date
¥ they are remodeling the room/building, so it just won't work
¥ the activity director who booked me no longer works there, and they feel no inclination or obligation to honor the bookings they made
¥ the resident council just met and decided not to have the monthly birthday party with entertaiment any more*

or any of a number of excuses. Sometimes they say they will reschedule; sometimes they don't offer. If they say they will, sometimes the times they offer for "rescheduling" are so remote (e.g., 10 months later) that it's not really "rescheduling." And sometimes they just can't seem to find a rescheduling time that works for them.

If you have a written agreement, you can use it as a reminder or you could take them to small claims court, I guess. But you'd probably lose more than you'd gain that way.

This is why, when someone offers me a definite gig for a high-demand time (e.g., St. Patrick's Day), I will contact any previously booked clients, if I can, to reaffirm that booking before I will totally blow off the new offer.

Genie

*This just happened to me. I was booked last September to do a birthday party for a Retirement Community this January 19. Last week the AD called to say the residents (who pay for the party) voted to cancel all of them because they weren't being well enough attended and they wanted to save their money for other things. (She did re-book me, though, to do one of their monthly dinner-dance parties, but it was only by luck that our schedules clicked for that rescheduling.)