price-shoppers!

[Z! Reinhardt]

+Comments below ...

----- Original Message -----
From: "pianolover 88" <pianolover88@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 10:19 PM
Subject: price-shoppers!


"HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?"

Should I
just give my price point blank and then shut up and wait for there response?

+ I should hope the price you quote is for a double appointment.  The pianos
involved are almost invariably long-neglected "family heirlooms" or "if you
can move it you can have it" specials.  They will need plenty of work to
make them at all playable in addition to tuning.

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.

+ Let them take the time to think it over.  They may be coming to the
realization that their piano isn't worth the cost of its maintenance.

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?

+ Give them time and room to think it over.  It has happened for me -- after
lengthy consideration, a price shopper has hired me to do the job despite my
not being the cheapest around, because they liked my answers about why the
first appointment might be very expensive.

I
know we can't book EVERY call, but that's what I'm striving for!

+ Do you REALLY want all those "basement specials" that are clinically dead?
Do you really want to be under the constant scrutiny of the customer who
tries to direct the work being done against your better judgment in the name
of shaving pennies from the total job?

+ Another grim reality are the price shoppers who book an appointment with
you, then call late the night before the appointment to cancel it at a time
when you can't fill the time slot with a more deserving customer ... or
worse, the customer of your choice wanted the piano serviced before an event
and had to turn to someone else this time around because your schedule was
occupied by that price-shopper and others of that ilk.

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!

+ Whenever a customer tries telling me about somebody else's rates, I tell
them to go ahead and hire that person.  "But don't you need the business?
I'm giving you the wonderful opportunity to tune my piano!"

+ "No thanks -- I have plenty of other work to tend to ..."  [Let that other
person lose his shirt and his underwear in dealing with this price shopper.
The non-scheduled holes in my schedule will be used for practicing new
skills or improving old skills ... contacting preferred customers whose
pianos are due for service ... contacting superior technicians for help
and/or insights ... ordering in supplies ... ... ... I really don't have the
time or patience for being strapped into a thankless situation only to
emerge from it broke.]

I'm striving to
emphasize Quality, precision, and professional, curteous service, and I know
my loyal cusomers appreciate this.

+ Way to go ... keep it up.

Terry Peterson

+ The loyal customers will also appreciate your availability to work on
their pianos if you keep the price shoppers weeded out of your customer
base.

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