No-Shows in the New Year

[JIMRPT]

In a message dated 1/6/98 12:43:29 AM, Phil wrote:

<<."what if the no-show is a Warranty tuning
for the local dealer you work with and is the bulk of your growing data
base, like myself?..
...do you charge the dealer?..do you charge the customer, who thinks that
this is a FREE tuning for them..??">>

Phil;
  For a tech, just starting, a relationship with a dealer is the source of a
potential gold mine of customers and referrals.  I would consider the missed
appt. for the free service as being a cost of doing business and reschedule
when possible.  You should make the calls to reschedule and not wait for the
customer in this instance.  Also let the dealer know what happened, if the
appt. can't be salvaged at a later time, so that the dealer will know you are
trying to fulfill your agreement(s).
  When I was doing dealer free service I kept records for a number of years
and came to the conclusion that each free service I did was worth 1.3 tunings
from call backs and referrals by the free tunee :-).  Thusly, each three
pianos that I provided free service for provided me with aprox four tunings
and an ever growing data base of customers much quicker than I could have
gotten otherwise.
  This quickly growing customer base is well worth the occasional missed appt.
  I really don't think that there will be that many "no shows" as most of our
people take their appts. quite seriously. The late/no show appt. was not  a
real problem and when it has happened I tried to accomplish some contract
tunings in the neighborhood at churches.  
  That being said I get quite aggravated when it does happen!, then I settle
back and listen to a little of Anne McCaffery and the "Dragons of Pern", worry
about whether the Dragons will get lost going between time and soon forget
that I was upset. :-)
Jim Bryant (FL)