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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I call the night before always AND when =
I don't, no
shows are common</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>James Grebe<BR>Piano-Forte Tuning & Repair<BR>Creator of =
Handsome
Hardwood Caster Cups<BR><A
href="http://www.JamesGrebe.com">WWW.JamesGrebe.com</A><BR>1526 =
Raspberry
Lane<BR>Arnold, MO 63010<BR>BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE!<BR><A
href="mailto:pianoman@accessus.net">pianoman@accessus.net</A></DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=A440WRMPiano@tm.net =
href="mailto:A440WRMPiano@tm.net">William R.
Monroe</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> Tuesday, September 21, =
2004 1:56
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Customer =
ethics--no more
extras!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2>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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2>William R. =
Monroe<BR>Madison,
WI<BR>Assoc.</FONT></DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=richard.ucci@att.net
href="mailto:richard.ucci@att.net">richard.ucci@att.net</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> Tuesday, September 21, =
2004 7:51
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Customer =
ethics--no more
extras!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><!-- WEBMAIL STATIONERY noneset -->
<P>Ron,</P>
<P> </P>
<P>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. </P>
<P>Others I don't call back and wait to see how long it takes for =
them to
finally contact me.</P>
<P> </P>
<P> 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.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano<BR></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff =
2px solid">--------------
Original message from Ron Nossaman <RNOSSAMAN@COX.NET>: =
--------------
<BR><BR>> <BR>> >I am more frustrated with customers than =
I am
with the dealers. I usually <BR>> >charge the dealer =
something if my
appointment goes into overtime, but I <BR>> >always give =
them a good
deal. I have good relationships with them, and it <BR>> >has =
paid
off. Lack of customer loyalty is my gripe here. MOst of the =
<BR>>
>people who do the "free" tunings here do little more than =
that, and
often <BR>> >don't even do a necessary pitch adjustment. I =
have
always tried to make <BR>> >sure the customer is well taken =
care of,
and as Mr. Bullock said, it is <BR>> >usually not =
recognized.
<BR>> > <BR>> >Thanks for the input, <BR>> > =
<BR>>
>Dave S. <BR>> <BR>> Dave, <BR>> At the risk of =
aggravating
the situation, I'd like! to offer an observation. <BR>> I =
really -
REALLY - dislike the concept and use of the term "free" tuning. =
<BR>>
The implication (because of the word "free"), and resulting =
practice, is
<BR>> that since it is "free" there's no penalty for being =
unavailable
at the <BR>> time of the appointment. The assumption being that =
the
tuner is paid by the <BR>> dealer whether he does any work or =
not (as
is apparently the case in the <BR>> situation between the =
customer and
their employer), and nobody pays a <BR>> penalty for a no-show. =
Far and
away, the worst record for folks standing me <BR>> up on a =
scheduled
appointment are for dealer tunings. That leaves me in a <BR>> =
position
to decide who eats the income loss. By all that's right and =
<BR>>
proper, it ought to be the twit customer who couldn't be bothered =
to meet
<BR>> their commitment to someone else's time and livelihood, =
but they
don't see <BR>> it that way because the tuning was "free". The =
d!
ealer, rightfully, <BR>> shouldn't be liable for the service =
call for
obvious reasons, nor is he <BR>> going to be amused if I =
monetarily
penalize the twit customer for wasting <BR>> my means of =
eating. So I
get a choice. I either offend the dealer, offend <BR>> the =
customer and
the dealer, or take my shafting quietly without raising a <BR>> =
disturbance. I'll get the shafting in any case, but I get the =
luxury of
<BR>> determining what sort of disturbance I'll cause en-route. =
A
dubious benefit <BR>> at best... <BR>> <BR>> Ron N =
<BR>>
<BR>> _______________________________________________ <BR>>
pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives =
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