Potential Customers

[Farrell]

1. I always ask how long it has been since last tuning, and about how the piano might need a pitch raise. I ask them if they can play the piano over the phone so that I can establish some sense of where the pitch might be. When done, they have some idea if the piano will need a pitch raise, how many pitch raises, and how much it will cost on top of the tuning. I absolutely HATE sitting at a piano and having to tell the customer that it is going to cost more than I thought!

2. No. Often the bozo will have low fees. If someone tells me that Tommy Tooner only charges $$(something significantly less than my fee), I think the best response is (I think I have to thank Randy Potter for this one): "Tommy Tooner should know best what his services are worth". And leave it at that.

3. Do good, prompt work, charge a fair fee, shower in the morning, smile, and offer to put all their stupid &*%$ trash back on top of the piano when done servicing it. (And pray to the goddesses often!) I don't think there is much to do over the phone to get the caller's business. I think often if they don't use your services, it may be the case that it's better that way - you might regret it if you did get their business! I guess I'm just not very aggressive over the phone.

Are you trying to increase your servicing volume?

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan R. Barnard" <mathstar@salemnet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2002 12:26 PM
Subject: Potential Customers


I'd like the list to share ideas about this:

Telephone call: "How much do you charge to tune a piano?"

1. If it is obvious from the conversation that a pitch raise or other work will be needed, do you talk about charges beyond the standard tuning?

2. If you have a reeeeally incompetent bozo 'tooner' in the area (armed with a tuning hammer and electronic guitar tuner and literally does not know the meaning of the terms temperament, tempered tuning, inharmonicity, etc.) do you try in any way to steer the caller away from that person?

3. What "techniques" do you use to try and secure the business?

Thanks

Alan R. Barnard
Salem, MO