List, If you are not making a profit, you have a hobby, not a business. You can't eat hobby. James Grebe R.P.T. from St. Louis pianoman@inlink.com "Only my best is good enough" ---------- > From: THEOFONE@aol.com > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: piano scams > Date: Saturday, November 15, 1997 5:22 PM > > Mr Martin, > You dont blow your horn loudly enough!!!!!! We NEED these > lessons!!! > My complaint in my chapter is that dealers have the same K-Mart (as I call > it) mentality as the customers do!!! I said this about the guitar buisness > 20+ years ago"If you discount,you discount yourself OUT of buisness." They > feel that they have to discount to stay in buisness. Here is where the > problem arises. Not enough PROFIT!! ....so pianos dont get prepared and > serviced the way that they should,and the the dealer complains about not > making any money because his overhead is so high,then in frustration hes says > "you charge too much" meaning wen (as technicians) increase his overhead > also.Necessary evil as were called. As I see it,he doesnt charge enough in > this K-Mart mentality. I also dont believe in deceptive trade practices,BUT > maybe some form of this can be a solution.Take 2 years to Double the retail > price then discount 30%-40% then he will make 10%-20% above MSRP!!!!! > Results are more money to pay people and overhead is covered AND profit WILL > be assured.This is quite legal. According to the Federal Trade Comission, > their are NO retail price limits on pianos, therefore if the customer wants a > deep discount and does NOT want to sacrifice service,(because he thinks he > will get something for nothing),this IS the way to do it!!!....as the story > goes,a major retailer,(SEA--) couldnt sell sewing machines due to a slow > period, they RAISED the price and put a sale sign on them and sold out.The > key wasnt the money, it wthe PERCIEVED savings of the sale !!!! This could > be a good lesson for us and the industry. As you see< I ramble too > Theodore Mamel RPT > Pittsburgh Chapter
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