<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> >>you might find that customers are going want to put their piano tuning fee on their credit cards…<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> That may be, but it does cost us money every time we process one. So my thinking is to not encourage their usage. I’ve taken credit cards for 15 years, but process very few. I only let people know I take them if asked directly, or if they tell me money is tight as a reason to not schedule. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> There are philosophical issues as well. Taking plastic moves us even further from real money than the worthless paper with green ink does. It enables banks and the Federal Reserve to create money out of nothing with even greater ease. That house of cards is only going to last as long as the Chinese still think the dollar is worth something. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Have you ever been audited? I have, twice. The last time they went through not only all the usual business stuff but also all of my personal stuff, including personal bank statements and personal credit card statements, things that I did NOT use for any business purposes. They didn’t find anything of significance, but I still felt personally violated. Ever since then I have taken steps to use cash as much as possible for privacy’s sake. I would encourage everyone to do the same. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Among other things that nobody should have to explain to a federal bureaucrat they didn’t like how much I gave to charity. Now nobody knows how much I give except the One who counts.<o:p></o:p> <div> Dean<o:p></o:p> <u1:PersonName u2:st="on">Dean May</u1:PersonName>             cell 812.239.3359 <o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 <o:p></o:p> <u1:place u2:st="on"><u1:City u2:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Terre Haute</st1:City></u1:City> <u1:State u2:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</u1:State></st1:State>  <u1:PostalCode u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</u1:PostalCode></st1:PostalCode></st1:place></u1:place><o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Willem Blees Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 9:54 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: ETD & CC was Re: Accepting credit cards<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> The arguments for and against using CC is akin to the arguments many of us had when the ETD's first came out. There was a big reluctance to use the ETD's, arguing that customers don't want their pianos tuned "electronically". Now, customers are actually asking for "electronic" tuners. I'm not saying cash and checks will someday become extinct, but with more and credit cards offering cash back and other incentives, you might find that customers are going want to put their piano tuning fee on their credit cards, so they can take advantage of the incentives the cards are offering. Just some food for thought.<o:p></o:p> <div> Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Honolulu</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">HI</st1:State></st1:place> Author of The Business of Piano Tuning available from Potter Press www.pianotuning.com<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p></o:p> </div>  </body> </html>