<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4134.100" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Comments below ...</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr 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=pianolover88@hotmail.com href="mailto:pianolover88@hotmail.com">pianolover 88</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, June 05, 2001 = 10:08 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> advertising & = stuff</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV> <P>Hi list,</P> <P>I just got a quote for running a "flyer insert" in the local = pennysaver; it would cover only 2 zones in the same city. I was SHOCKED when the rep = told me the price for ONE time insert: $1,080.00!!!!!!!!!! That's more than = 50k per year, if run weekely, and I would supply the master flyer! Enough to = make me VOMIT! I can get a decent Yellow page ad for about $1,200 for the = entire YEAR!</P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>What kinds of customers were you hoping = to attract with these pennysaver inserts?  My sense is that the people who = study the ads, flyers, etc. are bargain hunters looking for everyday stuff or = services that produce visible results (carpet cleaning, driveway coating, = etc.).  If they do locate you as a piano technician through this, what do you = want to bet the pianos you'd be asked to attempt to service would be long-neglected or clinically dead on arrival?  Mix that with the bargain-hunting mentality and ... ... ... sorry, I really don't = want to think of the implications of this.</FONT></P> <P>On a lighter note, If a customer failed to show up for a tuning appointment, would you charge her mileage to make a second trip? I = did.</P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>What about the time you had scheduled = to do this service call?  Couldn't you have been doing something = else if you hadn't scheduled her in the first place?</FONT></P> <P>Terry Peterson <BR>Precision Piano Service <BR>Torrance, CA </P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>How much you think your time is worth = in these circumstances is strictly your business.  My feeling has always = been if someone expects you to commit a chunk of your time to their "needs" = and you make the effort to be there on time ready to work, then they = ought to be held accountable even if you end up sitting in your car listening = to the radio the whole time.  What you are charging for is your availability.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>If the customer calls up within the = next few hours to apologize profusely for being a no-show, then I'm much more likely = to "be nice" to them and possibly not charge much, if anything.  These = people have the sense that your time is worth something.  Then there are = those people who feel that the world revolves around them alone = and the time scheduled for them is worth nothing unless their personal = treasure (whether nor not this was truly a piano) was worked on at their = convenience ....  Well, they ought to consider paying for their conveniences.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Just my 2-bit thoughts</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Z! Reinhardt  RPT<BR>Ann = Arbor  MI<BR><A = href="mailto:diskladame@provide.net">diskladame@provide.net</A></FONT><= /P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>