Teacher discounts

[DaleP34429@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-03-09 09:00:38 EST, you write:

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>__ 1. Do you normally provide discounts for piano teachers? Yes
>__ 2. If "yes", is it only because they are teachers - not
>      based on referrals? Yes
>__ 3. Do you provide discounts proportional to number of referrals? No
>__ 4. Do you normally provide discounts for multiple pianos? No
>__ 5. What number of pianos qualifies as 'multiple' (2,5,10, etc.)? N/A
>__ 6. Are discounts compounded for teachers with multiple pianos? No
>        (teacher=discount, teacher w/2 pianos=bigger discount)
>__ 7. Are additional discounts provided for service frequency? No
>__ 8. Are discounts based on [P]ercentage, or fixed [D]ollar amount?
Percentage
>__ 9. [Discuss] Any variation on type of service, or other 'perks'
>      provided to teachers?
       We provide PTG brochures and technical bulletins and also National
Piano Foundation brochures at no cost to them. We refer students to them
based on the following: our opinion of them as teachers/people, their
preference in students, their location, and their schedule openings.
>__ 10.[Discuss] Other considerations I may have overlooked.

    Hope it is not out of place to broaden this to the practice of
discounting in general. We discount to three groups: teachers, institutions,
and dealers. For teachers and dealers we look at this as professional
courtesy with the hope that referrals will follow. Our experience has been
that dealers, whose generic first name could be "much maligned", refer us a
ton of work. The down side- "emergency" service calls that are not
emergencies and customers who come to us cold and usually do not extend us
the respect we feel we have earned after years in the business.
     Our experience with teachers has been mixed. Elizabeth has always had
good relations with teachers as did her father,  Kelly Ward. Dale, has
learned to appreciate teachers since he quit teaching. Good teachers are a
good experience, they take care of their instruments and encourage their
students to do the same.
     Institutions- church and school work is a large part of our business.
Their discount is based on quantity, though some referrals come through them.
The upside- bulk tuning, repair,  and regulation will help you confirm your
career decisions. Or as Kelly Ward would say, " it weeds out the dullards and
the slow ones".

All the best,

Dale Probst & Elizabeth Ward
Registered Piano Technicians
Ward & Probst, Inc
Piano & Organ Service
Wichita Falls, TX
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