Interesting point about her being a "partner"... she has taken you on as a partner, thus endorsing your work, site and sound unseen and unheard. That's good for you, not necessarily good for her... if she just pulled your number out of the phone book then you could be any schmuck with a student lever, for all she knows. Sadly, as it turned out, she's your second bad customer in ten years... but you were probably her tenth tuner in ten years (assuming she's conscientious enough to get her "work" piano tuned that often.) It's sad that she can't make the connection between her poorly-regulated piano/player and a poorly-regulated funky old thang... Paul Bruesch Stillwater, MN On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 11:39 AM, <david at piano.plus.com> wrote: > Terry, you say they PRESUMABLY now have the impression no additional work > is needed. > > I think you have to find out if that presumption is correct. > > If it is, and they believe the 'teacher' is more expert than you, (or > believe her implicit suggestion that you've been trying to con them), then > I would just say to them that you will be happy from now on to leave their > piano in the hands of their expert music teacher, and move sweetly on. > > Agreeing to a discount for all the teacher's clients, kinda makes her a > party in all those customer transactions, and it already sounds as if she > is a most undesirable partner, quite prepared to interfere between you and > your customer every time. > > Why should you charge less than your work is worth, just at the request of > this lady? A recommendation from her will probably count for very little, > and she does not have it in her power to compel her pupils' families to > choose you! > > The relationship between service provider and customer can't be improved > by the interference of a third party, and it's just asking for trouble. > > I have customers who are music teachers, and they recommend me. I > appreciate that they do, and that they are happy with my service. But > they don't ask for, or receive, any discount on my price. (In any case, if > they are legitimate their income will be declared to the IRS, and piano > tuning will be an allowable expense deductible from the profits of the > business). > > What I MIGHT sometimes for music teacher customers with whom I am on very > good terms, is offer an extra level of service out of appreciation - > perhaps some free action regulation etc, if they have been customers for > some years. But within strict limits! > > A nasty business! Extricate yourself as gracefully as possible...... > > Best regards, > > David > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20100323/2b7956a2/attachment.htm>
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