callbacks

[Z! Reinhardt]

For the record ...

I'm one of those people who uses the PTG reminder cards -- you know, the
ones with the cute graphics on the front and a message on the back.  I try
to do a mailing every month, and the cards get *customized* with the
thought of the month (for example:  October = Tricks are being planned --
play a TUNED piano).  A few days after the cards go out, I start in with
the phone calls.  By then, the customers are ready to think about setting
up appointments, because the calls don't come out of the blue like junk
(solicitation) calls.

The customizing of the reminder cards has increased the response rate
dramatically.  I haven't figured it out statistically, but I well imagine
that it is "up there."  I suspect this goes hand-in-hand with something
that appeared in a post within the last few months about using one's own
words in printed material to pass along to the customers.

Z! Reinhardt RPT
Ann Arbor  MI
diskladame@provide.net

----------
> From: Kenneth W. Burton <kwburton@calcna.ab.ca>
> To: pianotechlist <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Subject: Re: callbacks
> Date: Monday, August 03, 1998 8:38 AM
> 
> 
> 	Wally,
> 
> 	Your callback plans also sound good. I never bothered with sending
> cards but simply called my clients when the time came which they had
> requested. There were always some who had changed their minds and wanted
> to postpone but I would ask them when would be a good month and I would
> call them again during that month.
> 	I found, though, that it was important to avoid any pressure at
> all. I would usually say, "I tuned your piano last September. Would you
> like to have it tuned this year?" Then I would wait. No arguments. No
> reasons why they should have it tuned NOW. In all cases with only a
> handful of exceptions, they welcomed my calls; some would say they were
> expecting my calls.
> 
> 	Hope this helps.
> 
> 	Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta
> 
> On Sun, 2 Aug 1998, Wallace Scherer wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Ken Burton wrote:
> > Wally,
> > This looks like a very complete examination of your advertising
> > posibilities. Do you also tell the customers you tune for that you will
> > call them when it is time for the next tuning (at the time interval
which
> > they choose?) I feel this is one of the most important factors in
keeping
> > a growing list of clients.
> > Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta
> > Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 05:56:55 -0600 (MDT)
> > From: "Kenneth W. Burton" <kwburton@calcna.ab.ca>
> > To: pianotechlist <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Subject: Re: My exp. with adv.
> > 
> > 
> > Yes, Ken, I have been encouraging customers to let me call them in 6
months
> > or a year (depending on the piano and their use of it) for another
tuning,
> > and I do. This has generally resulted in about a 35% to 40% repeat rate
at
> > that time. Some postpone it for a few months. A few don't want to
bother
> > with regular tunings at all; "they will call me".
> > 
> > I have also just started using the automatic appointment cards with the
> > customers who let me, and most do. I tell them that if they want
regular 6
> > month or 12 month tunings, I will send them a card about three weeks
ahead
> > of time with the day, date, and time of their next tuning appointment.
This
> > is generally about the same day and time as the tuning I am at their
house
> > for at that moment. The card explains that if the appointment time
presents
> > an "unavoidable problem" to please call me a week in advance to
reschedule.
> > I won't know how this approach will work until this time next year.
Others
> > I have heard from that use this method have been very positive.
> > 
> > Wally Scherer
> > E-mail: WallyTS@iName.com (Please use this new address now!)
> > Web page: http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/2411
> > "Speak to strangers - all your friends once were!"
> > 
> >   
> > 
>