<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="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> I offer a $4 discount if they respond to the card by email to set up an appointment. They give me two dates that work for them with an afternoon or morning preference. I can almost always get them on my schedule in one of their given time slots. Email works, is easy, and can be handled at my and their convenience. <o:p></o:p> <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"><u3:place u4:st="on"><u3:City u4:st="on">Terre Haute</st1:City></u3:place></u1:CITY></u3:City> <u1:STATE u2:st="on"><st1:State u5:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</st1:State></u1:STATE></st1:State>  <u1:POSTALCODE u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode u6:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</st1:PostalCode></u1:POSTALCODE></st1:PostalCode></st1:place></u1:PLACE><o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <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: Friday, February 08, 2008 2:06 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: disounting tunings, was Re: how to politely ask for a raise<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Kerry<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> I used to offer $5 off for regular customers if they called within 30 days after they got my reminder card. (This was 10 years ago when I was charging $60 or $70 for a tuning). Overall, I don't think it increased the number of tunings. A few people asked for the discount, but these people would have called me anyway. Most of the time I had to ask customers if they got the $5 discount card. In other words, I was giving away $5, when I didn't have to.  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> -----Original Message----- From: Kerry <kkean@neo.rr.com> To: l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net; '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName>' <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Fri, 8 Feb 2008 3:34 am Subject: RE: how to politely ask for a raise<o:p></o:p> <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_b8454a50-06de-4911-bf4f-44d5911998d9"><pre style='background:white'><tt>I took that to mean that when adjusted for inflation, folks are not getting<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>ahead, not that they're making the same amount of money. A lot of what we're<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>dealing with in setting prices is perception, both customers' perception of<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>how they're doing vs. the need for tuning, and their perception of us as<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>techs. I recently raised my tuning price and got some comments for the first<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>time in 30 years, which definitely made me stop and think. <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Does anyone out there offer discounts to regular customers? If so, what are<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>your parameters? I was thinking of lowering price for those who get a tuning<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>at least once a year. Has that worked for anyone? It seems as if that might<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>work better in the current environment than trying to point out the extra<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>things I do for regular customers when the tuning goes quickly.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Kerry Kean<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>-----Original Message-----<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>From: Leslie Bartlett [<a href="mailto:l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net?">mailto:l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net</a>] <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 5:19 PM<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>To: '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName>'<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Subject: RE: how to politely ask for a raise<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>I heard on NPR this week, from a former Labor Secretary, that the "take home<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>dollars" are no greater than they were in 2000 for the average person.  That<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>makes me a bit more conservative..........<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>les <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">bartlett</st1:place></st1:City> <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>-----Original Message-----<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>From: <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org?">mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Of Kerry<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:55 PM<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>To: '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName>'<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Subject: RE: how to politely ask for a raise<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>I went to an online Inflation calculator and figured the inflation rate from<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>January 2000 to December 2007 as 24.43%. So just to keep up with cost<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>average cost increases, if you were charging $80 for a tuning in January<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>2000, you should be charging $100 now. Here's the URL:<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><a href="http://www.inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflation_Calculators/InflationCalcul" target="_blank">http://www.inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflation_Calculators/InflationCalcul</a><o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>ator.asp<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>If nothing else, it's fun to play around with...<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Kerry Kean<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre></div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-top:7.5pt;text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> More new features than ever. Check out the new <a href="http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp00050000000003" target="_blank">AOL Mail</a>!<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>