Retail prices & piano teachers et al.

[Tom Dickson]

Wimblees@AOL.COM wrote:

> In a message dated 98-09-17 17:45:14 EDT, you write:
>
> << Dear list:
>  A short while ago, a list member asked for pricing advice on items sold.
>  I am (blowing off steam) and asking the list how they deal with music
>  teachers, church music directors, et al. who ask for a price on an artist's
>  bench, or a grand piano truck, and then proceed to give you flack for
>  daring to get a reasonable profit on the deal. These otherwise wonderful
>  customers themselves receive various musical supply catalogs which list
>  these items at prices very near our piano supply house wholesale prices
>  ("Gee I got a piano truck for $250 only five years ago", to quote an
>  otherwise delightful music director).
>  What do YOU do?
>
>  Aargh!
>  Patrick Draine
>   >>
>
> If you make sure your "retail" price is at least twice what you paid for it,
> then you can give a "discount" to music teachers or churches. They willl feel
> like they got a discount, and you still made some money.
>
> The reason teachers and churches want a discount, is because they think they
> are giving you customers. But unless you are getting a lot of referrals from
> them, don't be hasty in giving them a discount. If you don't want to give it
> to them, then don't, and let them try to get it somewhere else. It is the law
> and demand thing. If they want something bad enough, they will pay the asking
> price, unless they can get it from someone else for less. In that case, let
> that other person not make any profit on the item.
>
> Just my thoughts.
>
> Wim

Regarding the latter part, I recall an idea from Randy Potter's business advice.
He suggested some type of voucher system, if I am not mistaken, whereby members
of a church ( for example ) have their own pianos tuned and for each tuning, the
church receives a credit amount.  After a certain number of congregation tunings,
the church tuning is basically free.  I haven't tried it, but it is a twist that
might be of use to you in the future.


Tom Dickson