Customer ethics--no more extras!

[William R. Monroe]

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Does anyone call their clients the night before?  I never used to, and, =
in fact, despise the practice in priciple.  I just don't like the =
thought that I'm enabling people to not have to keep track of their =
appointments.  However, I'm more OK with enabling than I am with lost =
income.  I call every night to confirm tomorrows appointments, and since =
I started, zero no-shows.  Never fails, BTW, the one time I don't call, =
it's a no-show.

William R. Monroe
Madison, WI
Assoc.
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: richard.ucci@att.net=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 7:51 AM
  Subject: Re: Customer ethics--no more extras!


  Ron,



  As one who has hade a rash of no shows this last summer, I know what a =
tough position it puts us in. I already told a client who had an obvious =
disregard for the value of my time to find another tuner.=20

  Others I don't call back and wait to see how long it takes for them to =
finally contact me.



   I would consider telling them that there is a missed appointment fee =
of half what you charge and make it sound like it is the dealer who is =
getting the money.



  Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano


    -------------- Original message from Ron Nossaman : --------------=20

    >=20
    > >I am more frustrated with customers than I am with the dealers. I =
usually=20
    > >charge the dealer something if my appointment goes into overtime, =
but I=20
    > >always give them a good deal. I have good relationships with =
them, and it=20
    > >has paid off. Lack of customer loyalty is my gripe here. MOst of =
the=20
    > >people who do the "free" tunings here do little more than that, =
and often=20
    > >don't even do a necessary pitch adjustment. I have always tried =
to make=20
    > >sure the customer is well taken care of, and as Mr. Bullock said, =
it is=20
    > >usually not recognized.=20
    > >=20
    > >Thanks for the input,=20
    > >=20
    > >Dave S.=20
    >=20
    > Dave,=20
    > At the risk of aggravating the situation, I'd like! to offer an =
observation.=20
    > I really - REALLY - dislike the concept and use of the term "free" =
tuning.=20
    > The implication (because of the word "free"), and resulting =
practice, is=20
    > that since it is "free" there's no penalty for being unavailable =
at the=20
    > time of the appointment. The assumption being that the tuner is =
paid by the=20
    > dealer whether he does any work or not (as is apparently the case =
in the=20
    > situation between the customer and their employer), and nobody =
pays a=20
    > penalty for a no-show. Far and away, the worst record for folks =
standing me=20
    > up on a scheduled appointment are for dealer tunings. That leaves =
me in a=20
    > position to decide who eats the income loss. By all that's right =
and=20
    > proper, it ought to be the twit customer who couldn't be bothered =
to meet=20
    > their commitment to someone else's time and livelihood, but they =
don't see=20
    > it that way because the tuning was "free". The d! ealer, =
rightfully,=20
    > shouldn't be liable for the service call for obvious reasons, nor =
is he=20
    > going to be amused if I monetarily penalize the twit customer for =
wasting=20
    > my means of eating. So I get a choice. I either offend the dealer, =
offend=20
    > the customer and the dealer, or take my shafting quietly without =
raising a=20
    > disturbance. I'll get the shafting in any case, but I get the =
luxury of=20
    > determining what sort of disturbance I'll cause en-route. A =
dubious benefit=20
    > at best...=20
    >=20
    > Ron N=20
    >=20
    > _______________________________________________=20
    > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives 
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