price-shoppers!

[Farrell]

"Whenever a customer tries telling me about somebody else's (cheep) rates..."

Someone posted a while back a good response to this: " Most certainly, tooner X knows best what his/her services are worth."

I like that.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Z! Reinhardt" <diskladame@provide.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: price-shoppers!


> +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
> 
> 
> 
> 
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