<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY text=#000000 bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>I'm not sure I exactly understand what you're asking but I'll respond ...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>Only on one occasion did I do extra work without pre-agreement. That was a major pitch raise when the piano owner was not there when I arrived (another family member let me in). When I gave her the bill she freaked, it was very ugly. On the other hand, she was very upset about something from the moment she walked in the door--I was just the last straw, as it were.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>In this case, I had pretty much carte blanche but only charged her for the tuning and PR, the rest was just piddley adjustments, a little hammer fitting, etc., that I do as part of tuning anyhow, if there is time.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>I have, on many, many occasions turned a "normal tuning" into a 2 or 3 hundred dollar job. On about five occasions, I turned them into 2 and 3 thousand dollar jobs. I DO sell work, but I don't twist arms. Here is the situation, here are the needs, here are your options, this is how your piano could be, here are the economic issues as to now and future market value of the piano, etc. You don't have to be a good salesman, really, you just have to open your mouth. Same thing on selling caster cups, Dampp-Chaser systems, and so forth. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>You present, they say yes or no, you make more money, they get a happier piano. Win, win, win. Never think of selling as something where the customer loses if you "win" -- that's for shysters. Good selling is just presenting need, information, options, long term benefits, etc.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>Alan Barnard</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>Salem, Missouri</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV></DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=koko99@shaw.ca href="mailto:koko99@shaw.ca">carl teplitski</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 12/20/2005 1:29:44 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Unintended Results</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2>Did you and customer agree on the need and actually start the work immediately ?<BR>Were you able to give her an idea how much job would cost ?  In my experience, <BR>most people are not  that quick to agree to  a job which would  come to much more<BR>money than a tuning, on the first visit . Though it has happened to me , also, but a normal<BR>tuning turning into a $ 2 or $ 300.00 job, is not the usual occurance.  Maybe I'm not that<BR>good a sales person.  Just curious.<BR><BR>Carl / Winnipeg<BR><BR><BR><BR>Stéphane Collin wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE cite=mid000c01c604cf$49910520$aa844157@ordinateursteph type="cite"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>hihi</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>nice story</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Stéphane.</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(0,0,0) 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: rgb(228,228,228) 0% 50%; FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; moz-background-clip: initial; moz-background-origin: initial; moz-background-inline-policy: initial"><B>From:</B> <A title=tune4u@earthlink.net href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">Alan Barnard</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 19, 2005 7:57 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"><B>Subject:</B> [Norton AntiSpam] Unintended Results</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <P></P> <DIV>Had a new customer on a referral from a referral from a referral from a referral--always gratifying. Arrived to find a crummy old Wurly console in bad shape. But since the customer (wife of an Army colonel which explains the reference to "one more move") is a good player and is in this chain of referrals, I took pains to make necessary repairs, minor regulation, a little tone work, pitch raise and two-pass tuning. It ended up a much happier piano than when I arrived. During the job, she asked if I knew of a decent grand for sale. We discussed several options, including a beautiful S&S M that I know is for sale at a decent price. She got excited and wrote down all the info I was giving her. Today I got the following note in the mail ...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><IMG alt="" hspace=0 src="cid:410-2200512220201359151@13071999" align=bottom border=0></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Screwed up again!!! </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I had a chance to get a much nicer piano in my customer base and messed it up by making her piano acceptable to her. Rats.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Only kidding ... sort of.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Alan Barnard</DIV> <DIV>Salem, Missouri</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>