price-shoppers!

[Isaac OLEG]

After having asked how did they get my phone, when did they had that
piano and who was tuning it habitually, (and discover they moved or
t-he piano was just bought, or the usual tuner moved) I give a price.
If the piano is due for supplement PR and work, I simply tell them
that to call a tooner if that is the price they are after, I add that
there are in the sector some tuners very ready to tune a piano 1/4 or
1/2 tone lower than usual, and if that is what they are after they can
go for it.

After that they can call them, and they understand may be better the
prices that are given them.
Sometime they call back (and I discover they are nice people only used
to compare prices and service before making their mind)

It is useless of course to get aggressive about it, I have the
pleasure to send a full budget proposition to a little music school
who asked for the usual "2 tunings/year price" (was around 10 times
the prices they asked). This turn to be a big help, not for me, but
for their usual tuner who get more ease with them (I was not really
interested nowadays)
I explained them that I had no interest in "tuning 2 times/year" but
in "full maintenance course" and that it was a different story

I understand that it is  good for us to keep our level even if the
demands seem to ask for something else.

A 21 pianos schools accepted a real maintenance course as based on the
CAUT work lately, that is a first timer in Paris (for what I know)
Being able to give them numbers and percentages is of course a big
help.

I digress...

Best to all


Isaac OLEG

Entretien et réparation de pianos.

PianoTech
17 rue de Choisy
94400 VITRY sur SEINE
FRANCE
tel : 033 01 47 18 06 98
fax : 033 01 47 18 06 90
cell: 06 60 42 58 77

> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la
> part de pianolover 88
> Envoyé : mardi 17 juin 2003 04:19
> À : pianotech@ptg.org
> Objet : price-shoppers!
>
>
> Just wanted to get some feedback on how everyone ELSE
> handles first-time
> customer calls that begin: "HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?" I've
> tried many
> different approaches because there is that segment of first
> time callers
> that are more interested in getting the LOWEST price,
> rather than the best
> service, or at least that seems to be their number ONE
> priority. Should I
> just give my price point blank and then shut up and wait
> for there response?
> Usually, before i tell the customer my fees, I ask them:
> "when was your
> piano last tuned", and then get a little more pertinent
> piano info, THEN
> tell them my prices. But then you get that all too familiar
> response...: ok
> thanks, I call you back", or: " well, let me talk to my
> Husband/wife", etc.
> Fortunately, I book a fair percentage of my first time
> calls, but does
> anyone on the list have a favorite, effective way to handle
> these calls? I
> know we can't book EVERY call, but that's what I'm striving
> for! What I
> DON'T want to do is get caught up in a "price war" with
> other tuners. I know
> there are some tuners out there that will cut their prices
> to the bone, just
> too appeal to those price hunters, but I hate to have to
> stoop to "price
> wars" to compete with the few who charge $55 a tuning! I'm
> striving to
> emphasize Quality, precision, and professional, curteous
> service, and I know
> my loyal cusomers appreciate this.
>
> Terry Peterson
>
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