reminders

[Michael Gamble]

Hello Phil and List
I have a card system which, when I've tuned/serviced a piano, goes into the 
system under 6months/12 months hence. Every month I extract all the cards 
for that month and systematically phone all those clients, making 
appointments within local areas (to cut down travel). Anyone phoning me for 
an appointment gets first crack at the whip and becomes a catalyst for 
appointments to be made in their area. Any "particular" clients - those with 
a high musical criteria - are phoned accordingly and other clients in their 
local area are contacted. In this manner I have successfully built up a very 
busy practice over the last thirty years or so which has found me hard at it 
tuning eight-or-more pianos a day. That was up to about a year ago. 
Currently I have about 600 clients due to be contacted. So I have a problem. 
There just isn't enough time to service all those clients. Now at the turn 
of the month from April to May I have to add another batch to the waiting 
list. I think there's only one way out of this predicament.... retire 
gracefully and let them phone me instead, at the same time telling them "I 
only work mornings and never at week-ends except for concert work" Then I 
tell them my fee - not forgetting to add - "change of pitch and repairs are 
extra and charged on a pro-rata basis plus parts". If they buy that... well, 
another trip to the bank at the week-end. :-) Oh... and yes! Don't forget 
the power of the mobile phone. Not only can you use it as an alternative 
front door bell (most people at home do answer the phone if not the front 
door) but it also keeps you "in touch" with base.
Regards from a dark Sussex Downland Village
Michael G.(UK)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Bondi" <phil@philbondi.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: reminders


> Ric, I've gone from phone call reminders(rip) to postcard 
> reminders(better) to email reminders(best).
>
> Next I'm going to telepathically tell people when I'll be ringing their 
> doorbell.
>
> Seriously, whatever works for me won't work for the next guy..like Dave 
> Stahl..booking 6 months in advance is something I wouldn't do..why? 
> because it would make me sit by the phone and call and remind people that 
> they have an appointment on such and such a date. That may work for the 
> medical profession, but until piano service gets into the same league as 
> medical appointments, I'll stick with postcards and email.
>
> -Phil Bondi(Fl)
>
>