Because old customers move away, or get rid of their piano, or lose interest in keeping their piano tuned because "nobody plays it anymore", or they got another tuner, etc., I lose customers each year and must replenish the supply with new ones. New ones may have just moved into the area, or just acquired a piano from Great Aunt Gertrude, or after years of disinterest suddenly were inspired to take lessons in retirement, or little stuff is now old enough for lessons, etc.
Each year I do review of where my last year's new customers came from. Here are the recently tabulated results:
Yellow Pages listing 20.2% (One line in two books)
Referrals from Music Teachers 19.0% (Some not my customers)
Car Sign 15.2% (Magnetic, side and back)
Internet search 12.7% (Not just my web page)
Referrals from other customers 11.3% (I ask them to refer me.)
Referrals from a music store 8.9% (Disc. on their tuning)
Referrals from other tuners 6.3% (When on vacation, etc.)
Social Contacts 5.1% (Church, etc.)
Unknown, Misc. 1.3% (I forgot to ask.)
The percentages for each category changes some each year. The order changes slightly from year to year as well, but is mostly similar.
These can be divided into two main categories: Media and Personal.
The media items are Yellow Pages, Car Sign, and Internet. The rest are personal. This year media = 48.1% and personal = 51.9%.
I live in an area of about 1 million population. My customers are from 35 miles north, to 20 miles west, to 25 miles south, to 7 miles east (bordered by ocean).
Hope this is helpful to someone.
Wallace T. Scherer, piano technician, music educator
P.O. Box 4121, Lantana, Florida, USA, 33465
Telephone: 561-432-4121
Web page: http://aftune.angelfire.com
------------------------------------------------
FREE TICKETS: http://aftune.angelfire.com/freetics.html
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC