Business: getting and keeping customers

[Michael Spalding]

Julia,

I think that if you do what YOU are comfortable with, then over the years you will collect a clientele which is comfortable with what you do.  Some folks want/need the aggressive followup calls, others resent.  Personally, I am comfortable with one card, which, if ignored, does not get repeated.  My clients love the reminder, sometimes it sits on their fridge for a while before they call, but eventually they call.  If they never call, I don't want them as clients.  Non-responders and their pianos tend to be higher maintenance than they are willing to pay for.  I want clients who are attentive to their pianos' needs, and who appreciate a well-maintained piano.  "I knew it was time to call for a tuning when the third key stopped working."  As a result of my somewhat passive approach, my tuning business is not demanding all of my time, but then I always have at least one rebuild project to absorb the extra time.  So you see it is a matter of personal preference, both yours and the customer's.  And it you are consistently true to yourself, you will eventually gather the clientele that you want.

Our chapter recently hosted a speaker on "business building" , a tuner from a neighboring chapter.  He would mail a series of cards at 6 months, 12 months, 18 months...  each time escalating the urgency of the message about the consequences of neglecting piano maintenance.  Seemed like a nice compromise between my single card, and the aggressive telemarketing.

JMO, and YMMV.

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: 
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: 10/7/2006 8:06:13 AM 
Subject: Business: getting and keeping customers


Greetings, 

        Is it advantageous to be agressive with customers, ie; sending reminder cards twice or calling if they dont call for a tuning within a month after you'e sent them one reminder? Or....is it a turn off. I tend to think it is a turn off.

        Before I was a tuner, when I needed my piano tuned, I simply called my tuner. IMHO, it is something you just neeeed as a piano player!  My tuners throughout the years never sent me a reminder card.  I do send them to my customers. I usually ask if they want a reminder.  Thoughts?

Julia 
Reading, PA
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