This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Dean -- =20 I guess that does have to be considered into the calculation. Still in = the beginnings of this career move I am, in fact, feeding off the lower end = of the food chain. Nice to learn that trust and negotiating gets easier as = one moves up. Yet even more reason for me to continue reaching for RPT = status. =20 -- Geoff Sykes -- Assoc. Los Angeles -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On = Behalf Of Dean May Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 7:41 AM To: 'Pianotech' Subject: RE: How to sell a broken string As David and others have said it is primarily a matter of confidence. I remember in the early days sweating how to explain to the customer that = they were going to have to pay extra for a new string. Now I charge three = times as much for a string as I did then and it is never a problem. Of course = I break fewer strings now as well.=20 =20 I tell them that if a string is going to break it is most likely to = break during tuning since that is when it is bound to see its greatest stress load. It could have been any one of the faults David listed, but it will happen when the string gets the extra stress load of tuning.=20 =20 Another factor is when I first started tuning my customer's tended to be lower on the food chain than the customers I have now. I was underpriced = and I attracted customers who were very price conscious and who thought = tuning once every 20 years was adequate. That kind of clientele is going to be = more suspicious of upsells.=20 =20 Bottom line: be confident of your skills, develop a smooth pitch on the reasons for string breakage, don't undercharge. =20 Dean Dean May cell 812.239.3359 PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 Terre Haute IN 47802 =20 -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On = Behalf Of Geoff Sykes Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 12:23 AM To: Pianotech@Ptg. Org Subject: How to sell a broken string =20 Greetings all, and happy holidays to everyone -- =20 I had such great success with my last question that I thought I would = post a second one. (I have a third one coming in a couple of days.) =20 Broken strings happen! Sometimes you can see the precursor evidence that indicates strings MAY break, but there really is no way to know for sure that it may until it does. =20 When a string breaks, how do you explain to your customer that it wasn't your fault? Naturally this may be a little easier with established = customers with whom you have developed some trust. But what about those first time customers? The ones to whom you may have already had to explain the = concept of pitch adjustment and stability, and that subsequent additional = charge. How do you explain the situation, either before or after the fact, so = that they will not only pay for the repair, but also (hopefully) call you = again? =20 Bonus question: What measures do you take, beyond being careful and = crossing your fingers, to help prevent string breakage? =20 -- Geoff Sykes -- Assoc. Los Angeles ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/2d/8e/48/61/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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