This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment I would have honestly told your customer that my experience is that = piano instructors typically know very little about pianos, usually even = less than a piano salesman. I have years of experience in installing = scores of these systems and can produce documented evidence of the = difference they make in stopping radical pitch swings. This is why it is = always a good idea to record how far off pitch the piano is on your = customers record. If I have tuned the piano more than once in the past I = can show them how far off pitch it was each time, usually 20+ sharp in = the summer followed by 20- in the winter.=20 =20 It is the instructor who doesn=92t know what he is talking about and = that is the truth. Tell your customer that the instructor may be a very = good piano teacher, but he does not have anything close to your = experience or knowledge on the proper care of pianos. That is the truth = and you should not feel bad at all about saying it. Then emotionally = disconnect yourself so that you can walk away from the sale. It is his = piano=92s tuning stability/longevity that is at stake here, not your = reputation. If he refuses the sale, no problem. Next time you are out to = tune show him how far off his pitch is. =20 Damp Chaser also used to have letters from all the piano manufacturers = recommending the use of their systems. You might get a copy of those.=20 =20 If you are only making the cost of one tuning on an installation you = need to radically alter your price. I gross about 3-4 tunings per = sale/installation. Here is what you need to make: =20 Profit on the system (40%-50% margin) Sales commission for the time you spent talking to them to sell it = (20-30% of total cost) Fee for followup time spent answering questions ($25 per phone call, = figure one or two calls on an average sale) Two hour service call for installation (reducing time to under one hour = will pay you a bonus here) =20 You figure the total. Then make that your non-negotiable price (but = don=92t itemize for the customer. Just tell them that is the installed = price). For a few hundred dollars you are installing a system that will = protect their investment of thousands of dollars, plus make it sound = nicer between tunings. It is a great deal for them. I don=92t usually = sell a system the first time I present it, but after one or two more = tunings where I show them the continued pattern of wildly deviating = pitch I can often close the sale. Especially in churches that don=92t = maintain consistent temperatures. They usually know they are being hard = on the piano. And I emphasize how hard and damaging it is on their fine = musical instrument to be in such an environment. I also relay my = experience of scores of churches with the system vs. those without and = what a huge difference they make.=20 =20 =20 Dean =20 Dean May cell 812.239.3359 PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 Terre Haute IN 47802 =20 -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On = Behalf Of Dave Smith Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 7:28 PM To: Pianotech Subject: Piano Humidity Control System bashing =20 I've asked a couple of you privately for advice, but would like a wider = opinion from this list. =20 =20 I left a DC brochure with a customer with a new Kawai Grand. I was = there for the first tuning in late Oct and their house was open, the = humidity was high, and the owner seemed very tuning-concious. I = explained the main effect would be tuning stability, but general piano = health would be better, with more stable humidity and lower humidity = also. (Homes here with AC on can still vary from 50-70% humidity, in my = experience, depending on outside temp and humidity, and AC system size = and type. Many cool days when people open their windows have humidity = of 80% and up to 100% sometimes. Technicians here normally install the = heater bars and humidistats, but no humidifiers.) =20 When I followed up for DC install and /or 6 month tuning, he had talked = to their piano teacher, who has a studio in Cape Coral. Was told that = DC was a bad idea for a nice piano, and they "we are finding that they = do more harm than good." "Hot spots, etc, better to not use one = unless you have things sticking etc." =20 This is a reputatable teacher who I believe is operating under either = old infomation, false information, or no information. Lots of techs, at = least in this neck of the woods used to install the heater bars without = humidistats, and maybe that is the source of his belief. =20 =20 I told my customer that I believed his teacher was misinformed, and that = I would talk to him. Set up the tuning appt for the customer for May.. = He is honestly convinced that he might be risking his piano by = installing a system. =20 =20 I feel badly for two reasons. First, my judgement is in doubt. Second, = the customer possibly believes that I am just trying to sell him = something to line my own pockets. I did tell him that I only make about = the cost of one tuning when I install the system. And that he would = likely need tuning less often with the system. So over a period of = time, I actually may lose income. =20 I am a believer in the systems, as long as they are properly installed = with humidistats. Have one in my own Yamaha grand piano and it has made = an incredible difference in tuning stability. But I have also found in = the past that debating with someone who already has made up his mind is = neither fun nor fruitful. =20 What do you think. What would you do?=20 =20 Dave Smith=20 SW FL ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/76/02/eb/af/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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