setting appointments

[tcole@cruzio.com]

Wimblees@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Last month I announced in the newsletter I send to my customers that they can
> set up an appointment using e-mail. I ask that they contact me, and suggest 3
> different dates and times, and that I will respond in a couple of days.  So
> far, only one customer has responded, (out of about 200 newsletters sent last
> month and this month).
> 
> Is anyone using e-mail to set up appointments, and what experiences, or
> success have you had?
> 
> Wim Blees  RPT
> St. Louis
> .-

Wim,

The closest I've come to doing that is when I received a post from
someone who got my name and e-mail address from The Piano Page. We set
up the appointment by phone, though.

Communicating electronically is becoming more and more the way to go
since real-time communication (phone) is becoming more difficult. My
step son rarely returns his mom's phone messages but e-mail he has time
for. 

Your idea intrigues me. How many of your customers are hooked up to the
internet either at home or work. If we could get our customers' e-mail
addresses and contacted them that way at reminder time, they might be
more responsive than with postcards or newsletters. You could create a
mini-calendar for them to type in some available times and days. Confirm
by re-mail. No phone call necessary.

I guess the way to answer the above question is to start asking for
e-mail addresses from new customers when they call in and from old
customers at the next tuning.

Tom


-- 
Thomas A. Cole RPT
Santa Cruz, CA