This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Some time ago, I started a thread about calling for appointments, = dealing with cold inquiries, and winning out over = cut-throat-rate-cutters and other "tooners." Many were kind enough to = respond. I just went through the posts and cleaned them up a bit. Here = is the consolidated info, for any who are interested. Alan Barnard Salem, MO DIALING FOR DOLLARS Telephone call: "How much do you charge to tune a piano?" I try to = always answer a question like this with another question. In this case I = would probably respond with something like.. "Do you have a piano that = needs tuning ?" They might respond with a simple "yes" To which I might = reply, ".and what makes you feel it needs tuning now ?" They perhaps = might comment on some aural discomfort they are experiencing when = playing the instrument. To which an appropriate response might be on the = lines of "Did your mother neglect you when you were a child ?" I would = continue thus until I had dug up enough information to be able to ask = any price I wanted.=20 1. I always ask how long it has been since last tuning, and about how = the piano might need a pitch raise. I ask them if they can play the = piano over the phone so that I can establish some sense of where the = pitch might be. When done, they have some idea if the piano will need a = pitch raise, how many pitch raises, and how much it will cost on top of = the tuning. I absolutely HATE sitting at a piano and having to tell the = customer that it is going to cost more than I thought! 2. No. Often the = bozo will have low fees. If someone tells me that Tommy Tooner only = charges $$(something significantly less than my fee), I think the best = response is: "Tommy Tooner should know best what his services are = worth". And leave it at that. 3. Do good, prompt work, charge a fair = fee, shower in the morning, smile, and offer to put all their stupid = &*%$ trash back on top of the piano when done servicing it. (And pray to = the goddesses often!) I don't think there is much to do over the phone = to get the caller's business. I think often if they don't use your = services, it may be the case that it's better that way - you might = regret it if you did get their business! I guess I'm just not very = aggressive over the phone. I will quote my price right off, and if I = hear a long silence, I'll then mention that often pianos that haven't = been tuned in a while sometimes need a pitch raise, mentioning that = there is no extra charge for this service. (My base price takes into = account the occasional PR). I'll also tell the customer I don't charge = for mileage, and if I feel its necessary, I'll tell them the first = service includes a complete evaluation of their piano at no additional = charge. If any additional work is needed, I indicate that I'll be able = to tell them what a repair will cost when I see what is needed to fix = it, and that they will know ahead of time the charge for any additional = repairs. If by then they haven't committed to an appointment based on my = fee, I probably don't want them as a customer anyway, as they are only = shopping around for a cheap price. I'd rather have a customer become a = regular because of the quality of my work and a friendly, informative = manner than a low price. Price shoppers often have little loyalty and = will leave you as quickly as they came for a lower figure.=20 I never badmouth another in the business. His/her work will speak for = itself whether good or bad. It's not professional to talk in any but a = positive way about a competitor, and if you can't be truthfully = positive, say nothing.=20 A few simple rules apply here. Be courteous, friendly and professional = both on the phone and in person. Take the time to explain to the = customer (if they show interest) about their piano. Always be truthful = and keep your promises, no one likes surprises especially where money is = concerned=20 I answer the question. I don't worry about what the customer is going to = do with the information. If they are price shopping, they will get what = they want. It's not my problem that there is someone out there charging = half price for doing crummy work. That's the customer's problem. If they = can't tell the difference, they'll never call me back. Eventually, = however, if they do know the difference, they'll call and ask me to = tuner their piano, regardless of how much it cost. Just keep doing the = best job you know how, and give the customer the information they = request. Pretty soon you won't have to worry about the other "tooner" in = town, because he'll have moved on to doing other things, like pumping = gas, or mowing lawns.=20 I tell them a standard tuning is 80.00, or whatever you charge, like at = 1st.Baptist, Erskine College or somewhere I tune for at least on a = yearly basis. (Throw some names that will give clout to your business ) = Then I ask low long has it been since it's been tuned, and I will = explain the pitch raise-option and my pricing for it. I use ballpark = prices to some extent and explain that until I see the instrument that's = all I can do. A dead key might be a broken key, a broken string, flange = unglued, bad elbow, etc...which all carry different prices, if I only = had a crystal ball. After years of experience, you can usually guess = pretty close, from conversation. If it has been years since tuning, you = know to prepare them for a pitch raise. Always ask first where they are = calling from, and throw hints to someplace, or someone you service, that = might influence them to do business with you. Usually, with price = shoppers, I will try to tell the person that the first thing they should = ask a piano tuner is: "Are you a member to the Piano Technicians Guild?" = If this goes over ok, then I explain to them the advantages and the = classifications we have. Also, I try to let them know that shopping for = bargains in "Service" is not generally a good idea. I try to avoid = talking about the local "schlocks" unless specifically asked and then I = refer them to the first part of the conversation I don't have a problem discussing price ... that's why they're calling = in the first place. If they're price shopping, I'll lose. If they're = trying to get a 'feel' for a person coming into their home, I win. It = doesn't matter to me whether I get that 'cold call' or not. If the call = is a referral, price doesn't matter. If it's a real cold call, I'll tell = them as much as I can from 'their' description of 'their' instrument. I = try to keep the surprises to a minimum. I got tired of trying to educate people. Of course after the piano was = tuned they loved it, but when you call back after a couple of months for = the "regularly priced follow up to the 100 cent pitch raise" tuning, = many of them would tell me "It still sounds fine". So, I just figured = that particular area had no use for a piano technician, and indeed = didn't deserve one, and I left. Life's too short to have to struggle on = neglected instruments 90% of the time, plus you don't really get to = develop your skills too much beyond the "repair it, it's broke" level. = Hope my experience doesn't parallel yours too closely, but it sounds = kind of familiar to me. One of my best tech friends here worked in = Kentucky. He said it was a constant string of neglected spinets, so he = got out too.=20 1. Yes. Wouldn't you want to know if the roles were reversed? I keep the = Golden Rule in mind. 2. I'm not aware of any in this area, but if I = were, I would do my steering in an indirect way. I try to find out if = the prospective client just got my name from the phone book. If they did = and are just price shopping, I suggest that they may want to check with = several friends who are satisfied with their piano technicians before = making a decision. 3. I advertised a lot at the beginning. Nowadays I = work at maintaining my credibility, treat my clients well, return phone = calls promptly, take the time needed to talk on the phone, learn good = listening skills, go the second mile, etc.=20 I'd like the list to share ideas about this: Telephone call: "How much = do you charge to tune a piano?" 1. If it is obvious from the = conversation that a pitch raise or other work will be needed, do you = talk about charges beyond the standard tuning? I very politely tell = people my basic rate for a tuning, which covers an hour and a half of my = time. Anything beyond that time gets charged at an hourly rate. The hour = and a half will normally cover a pitch raise if necessary (though the = 1/2 step pitch raise I did a few weeks ago ended up being about 2 hours = worth of work). I explain that if there is time remaining once I am done = tuning, I will do minor adjustments, and/or clean the instrument inside = and out. Service is the name of the game. People appreciate attention to = detail, and cleaning is something even the musically challenged can = appreciate....)=20 2. If you have a reeeeally incompetent bozo 'tooner' in the area (armed = with a tuning hammer and electronic guitar tuner and literally does not = know the meaning of the terms temperament, tempered tuning, = inharmonicity, etc.) do you try in any way to steer the caller away from = that person? I do try to get the business away from him, but not by = being negative about that person, rather by pointing out the advantages = to my work.=20 3. What "techniques" do you use to try and secure the business? See = answer to question 1. Being competent, thorough, polished, and polite = will win most people over. I also make sure to present a neat bill, = along with a service sticker that they can put inside of their bench = (NOT in the piano), and a few business cards that they can keep one of = and give the others to their friends. I will demonstrate to a customer what in-tune and out-of-tune sounds = like: I find a really ripe trichord and have the customer listen to that = compared to the same note with 2 out of 3 strings muted. So far, = everyone has heard the difference and agreed that the clean sound is = better. There is then no question that the piano needs to be tuned A few of you have mentioned you don't charge for pitch raises because = you can do it within your normal tuning time. IMHO, this is making the = customers problem yours and I know this is more wear and tear on my = body, going through it twice is harder. I'm willing to take up the = customers problem but I want to be paid for it. Part of my phone = conversation is the fact that regular service, i.e. once or twice a = year, will eliminate pitch raises and I guarantee that if they set up = for the next appointment. I quote for the next appointment "whatever is = my going rate." All customers get price increases. My normal rate is for = one hour of work, which is how long it takes me to tune a piano at = pitch, quick vacuum of accessible areas and minor pedal adjustments. = Pitch raise takes about an extra 15 minutes. I also charge by the hour = for all repairs etc. I don't see the logic in breaking down a repair = into: 1 broken hammer repair=3D$X, 1 string replace=3D$X.etc...sometimes = the repair takes longer than estimated time...I simply say if I'm there = for 2 hours or whatever it will cost $X amount. 2 hours would be twice = my rate. How many of you take into consideration travel time to the = appointment? Is that built into your fee structure or do you figure it = is cost of doing business. For me, it takes roughly 15 minutes to get to = the next job and I don't add that to my fee but I'm thinking about it. I = think the bottom line is to look at how much money you made today and = divide it by the hours spent. Look at your hourly take home fee and = start calling other service in the home companies, plumbers etc. to see = how you match up. Believe it or not I often ask who their last tuner was if they had it = tuned within a year. If it is someone that I know is competent, I have = no qualms mentioning that and asking them why they are looking for = someone new. Usually, they can't get a hold of the guy, he didn't return = there call, he can't do it for a month or sometimes they had a bad = experience. I can learn from this info. On my answering machine I = encourage them to call my cell phone if they would like to talk person = to person. I have a Palm with my scheduling info on it and often can = book something... I advertised a lot at the beginning. Nowadays I work = at maintaining my credibility, treat my clients well, return phone calls = promptly, take the time needed to talk on the phone, learn good = listening skills, go the second mile, etc. I also think you have to be = in the Yellow Pages to be legitimate. I ALWAYS charge for anything other than a tuning; David I. is right; = it's wear and tear on your body, and you should be rewarded richly for = it. We as a group-piano technicians-have consistently undervalued our = massive skill sets, and are uniformly underpaid, I realized how good my = work was compared to the level of most of my contemporaries in this = town, and raised my prices across the board---in 3 years, my basic = tuning fee has risen 50%; my hourly rate has risen 35%. I have not = experienced any significant loss of customers; in fact, the word of = mouth has miraculously gotten better and better. I think people = intuitively know they get what they pay for. I pretty much refuse to = deal with price-shoppers and "bangers," people who are always trying to = shave dollars. It's too frustrating, and 9.8 times out of 10, those = people are not the stuff long-term respectful clients are made of. I = have clients I've worked with for 20+ years; I'm treated with extreme = respect, offered water, coffee, food----treated like an honored guest in = their homes. And that's the way I treat service people in my home . the = Golden Rule works. Honor yourself, treat yourself like a king or queen. = You deserve it >I also think you have to be in the Yellow Pages to be legitimate. Sez = who? I have advertised only once in my career----I sent fliers to about = 2500 homes when I moved to Malibu from Long Beach in 1988----got maybe = 25 new clients, 10 of whom I still service. Word of mouth is the = strongest and best advertising in the world. Personal referral takes = away an entire layer of mistrust and skepticism. Improve your skills on = as steep a curve as you can manage; be honest; treat other people as you = wish to be treated; be accountable; don't make excuses. Incredibly, = that's so rare in any service field that your success is virtually = guaranteed. Legitimate for the perusing, potential customer who hasn't been given a = referral. They are out there, you know and they sometimes have great = pianos=20 I give the customers a ballpark range for the first time I meet their = pianos. The lower number is the minimum charge, and the upper number is = assuming a 2-hour service call that might include pitch correction, = minor repairs, regulation or voicing touch-up, etc. Customers are = usually pretty pleased if the service call ends up being less than 2 = hours and are willing to pay for work beyond the basic tuning Every area has at least one "tooner." If a customer asks me if I know = this individual, I might give a non-answer indicating that because piano = work is basically a solitary operation, I really have no real reason to = know first-hand "Bozo's" level of competency. If the customer tries to = press the issue, my advice is usually to attend a performance that = "Bozo" tuned for [if they can find such a phenomenon]. Then comes the = next question. "Why do you charge so much? "Bozo" only charges $ to = tune." That's cool. "Bozo" knows what to charge for the level of service = rendered. If you know people who have hired "Bozo," ask them to tell you = more. If not ... well, you're always free to find out for yourself. [Let = them decide what matters most -- quality or price.] Sometimes the = discussion can get quite colorful, with much back-and-forth about how = much they think you might "need" their business. There are some = customers whom I swear are "professionals" at demanding top-flight = service at discount-warehouse prices, and have a track record of getting = good service people to "cave in" to their demands. No, I don't need that = kind of business and may say something to the effect that "there are = reasons why I charge what I will for service, and I have plenty of = business even as we speak." Listen. Listen! LISTEN!! Find out what the = customer hopes to get from the piano. Pay particular attention to the = house pianist(s) regardless of the age or years of experience. Even if = no house pianists are present while you're servicing the piano, find out = what you can about them, what kinds of music they like, whether or not = there are performances coming up (recitals at the teacher's studio, = church, school, etc.). Treat all members of the household with respect. = That includes the pets, and yes, even the plants. Early in my career, I = was often hired back because the dog was relaxed around me (and = therefore quiet), or the cat would come out of hiding (and therefore = less likely to leave rude surprises out of nervousness). I maintained a = good working relationship with a customer until they moved out of the = area because I knew something about caring for certain houseplants. = There are some customers out there for whom this kind of stuff is more = important than your technical abilities ... and they are the ones most = likely to freely give word-of-mouth referrals. These are the people who = will help keep you in business and out of the price wars as you go about = honing your technical skills. I show interest in the customer, if he likes it take some time for small = talk. Take note of points of interest. Birthday, Wife birthday, ... , = Use them to send greeting cards. Let them know you can remind him of = future tuning and service dates, do it. Send them occasionally info = about the piano or new things you consider of interest. Works pretty = well. If, after the tuning, you ask the customer if they would like to be = called at the same time next year, or in six months, (whatever schedule = they are happiest with), THEN when you call, you can lead off by saying = "I was asked to call at this time......" I find a better rate of return = with this method than calling them up and telling them it is time to = tune their piano. The need for piano tuning is like the need to get your teeth cleaned. 6 = moths or a year goes by in a hurry. And just like your teeth, it is = difficult to realize something has gone awry, since it happens so = gradually. That is why a gentle reminder is not a bad idea. But, as Alan = said, customers don't always respond to a cold call. Most of the time = customers hang up without really listening to who you are, or what your = are trying to "sell" them, because to them, you're just another phone = solicitor. That is why I send out reminder post cards. There are some = available from the home office, or you can make your own. The reminder = card is a non invasive way to let your customers know that it has been 6 = months, or a year, since you were there, and that it is time to get the = piano tuned again. (I send out reminder cards for 4 years. It's amazing = how many people call you even after 4 years, not realizing it's been = that long). The post card allows them to schedule an appointment at = their own convenience, whenever they want to get around to it. You will = find that they are much more receptive to having you in their house when = they have invited you, than when you have asked them for the = appointment. It is also a time saver for you. I used to call my = customers. I even sent them a post card telling them I was going to call = them. Then one year, over a six month period of time, one month I sent = out a post card telling the customer I would call them, and then the = next moth, I asked them to call me. After six months, there was no = significant difference in my income from one month to the next. = Basically, I was getting the same number of appointments during the = months I was calling customers as I was when I was asking them to call = me. That was about 20 years ago, and I have never called a customer to = ask them to get the piano tuned. They always call me, and I'm saving = about 3 - 4 hours a week to do other things. The other advantage to the = post card is that it will get put on the refrigerator door, and it will = stay there for months. I have gotten phone calls from customer who got = the reminder card 4 or 5 months before. It's also great free = advertising. That post card on the refrigerator will get seen by friends = and family members. And when it gets sent to churches and schools, the = secretaries and other staff members often see the reminder cards. For = the little amount of money the post card cost, they are a great way to = build up your clientele. .I don't actually pre-schedule with a specific date like some folks do. = I can't see how anyone knows what they will be doing that far in = advance. In my PIM program I enter the info to call them in the agreed = upon time frame and their name pops at that time. Some people use = tickler files which is a very simple, effective way to make calls.=20 After many years of sending out reminder cards, I decided to see if the = personal touch would yield better results. My wife, with professional = phone experience, was nice enough to call my customers for several = months instead of sending cards to see if there would be an increase in = repeat business. When I compared the two methods the response rate was = virtually identical, so I am back to sending reminder cards. The only = time these days that I want to call a customer is to respond directly to = a call of theirs that I missed. I believe that anything else just feels = like a phone solicitation to most people and gets them in a defensive = mode. I don't do anything. If the customer, for whatever reason, decides not = to have me tuner the piano, that's his/her problem. Perhaps that = customer has moved, gotten another tuner, or simply doesn't feel the = piano needs to be tuned. But I'm not going to chase after them to get = the work. I don't take them out of my computer either, (or throw away = the card with he information, if you're still keeping record the old = fashioned way), until I get word that he/she is no longer in the area. I = have had customers come back to me after 4 or 6 years, when they finally = realized that the cheaper tuner didn't give them what they wanted.=20 When I leave the customer after tuning, I recommend tuning yearly (if = its appropriate) and ask them if they would like a reminder call next = year at this time. Nearly everyone says yes. When a year has passed, I = call, introduce myself as the piano technician who serviced their piano = last year and ask them if "Their piano would like to see me this year?" = I get about a 50% positive response. People's lives in general, are very = busy, and most welcome a call to service their piano especially if there = is a piano student in the home. I mention the fact that if my dentist = didn't call and remind me its time, I probably would never see him. They = usually agree with a smile. Cards for me don't work. I tried the card = routine for a couple of years, and got almost no response. Maybe 1 or 2 = % return. Even had some made up by an artist that I thought were more = effective that PTG's. They weren't. Everyone has their own means of = repeat business, and more power to those whose customers seek them out. I currently have 358 people in my database; I'm fairly ruthless with = deleting people that I haven't talked to in 3-4 years, or who aren't = nice, so that's a pretty realistic picture of my number of clients. = However, the heart of my business is the 100 or so serious players that = will, year after year, spend $500-1000 per on piano maintenance, and are = addicted to my tuning and voicing and regulating skills. This is yet = another inspiration I got from Ed McMorrow: find good people that are = fanatic about their instruments, and who understand you get what you pay = for, and trust you, and you'll make a good living forever. I also work = one day a week for the high-end piano store in LA, tweaking their good = pianos, a wonderful source of income and referrals. Because I really = like people, and have a generally excellent, quasi-intimate relationship = with my clients, they really appreciate a call from me . sending cards = is, sadly, way beyond my ADD-infected organizational skills----I'm in = awe of you guys that are that organized. It takes a tremendous amount of = energy and focus for me just to return all my phone calls and show up on = time, which I now do about 95% of the time----but it's taken me years of = struggle to get to that level of reliability ... and I honor my = long-term clients for putting up with my time-management challenges. = It's all about relationships; any successful businessperson will tell = you that. At each appointment I ask the customer if they would like me to send = them a reminder notice for the next appointment. It gives an opportunity = to discuss the frequency of tunings and their particular needs. Almost = always they say yes. I always send cards a week or so prior to the month = in which they are due for service since I am usually booked out 3-4 = weeks. If I don't hear from them, I call prior to the next month's cards = being sent to "follow up on the reminder I sent". I often pick up = several that way from those who put the card on the shelf and forgot = about it or who just needed a little prodding. If they don't want the = piano tuned I ask if they would like me to send them another reminder at = one year or whenever (I generally send them out every six months). That = keeps me in touch with the customers. I prefer to send cards first = because I don't particularly like phone solicitations. It gives them a = chance to respond on their own time. If they don't, I feel justified in = calling to make sure they got the card because they asked me to send it = in the first place. I have been calling people when it's time (or when I think it's time) to = tune. Sometimes I get put off indefinitely or vaguely--they think the = piano sounds fine or don't want to spend the money, I suppose. Let me = tell you, I try not to suppose anything, whatever they tell me, my next = line is "This is a service I provide for all my customers, when should I = call you back?" Most of the times they will just tell me a date. If the = piano has been long overdue, or they keep giving me dates, or they say = the piano just sounds fine for now, or one of the most pathetic lines = "My piano teacher says it is okay." I send them either by email or fax = "How to take care of your piano" where I do point out, first that he = cannot expect to have a piano well tuned if he lets it unserviced for a = long time, I tell him about his investment value and a good comparison = is to compare it to his car. After that I send him some links so he can = check it in Internet. My best advise for all of you, do not try to think = why a customer will not do a tuning when you call him, There was a time = I used to worry about that, now after a long time doing it, many of my = customers tell me "I cannot do it right now, but do not forget to call = me, or Do not take me off your list." I always ask customers if they want to be on my call list. this way I = have their permission to call. 2) I have an assistant who makes the = calls for me. It's better to have someone represent you. 3) If someone = does not want to be on the list or, they don't book after 3 calls, they = get a postcard and no further action is taken by me until they call. = Hope this helps.=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/e9/f1/35/8a/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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