<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16640" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US id=role_body vLink=purple link=blue bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>I now just have a poster in the window of a music store, with my toll free number. The store does not sell pianos.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>The people call me, and I tell them I will call them the night before with a time I will be there. The odd time I make an appointment say a week or two away, I find I forget or the customer forgets. The night before call works for me. The odd time someone will say could I call them 2 nights ahead.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Initially when starting out, I was associated with a store that sold pianos, I did their warranty tunings and gave them a discount on their work, I then had that customer and they referred all callers about piano tunings to me. That worked fine until they bought their delivery guy, a SAT, and then for some unknown reason, people who called the store didn't want me, just their guy.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Music teacher referrals are a good source of business, as is a letter sent to all the churches in your local area.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial> I had a contract with a University for 19 years, that gave me a lot of referrals too. Last October I indicated to the University, that I didn't want the contract for the coming year.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>I have tried the Yellow pages, newspaper advertisements etc. The BEST advertising is word of mouth. </FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Do good work at a fair price, and you should have no trouble building a successful business. Always bearing in mind your customers needs. Everyone does not need their piano brought to a concert standard.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV>John Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></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=tompiano@bellsouth.net href="mailto:tompiano@bellsouth.net">Tom Servinsky</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, April 13, 2008 1:08 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Courtesy Call</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>None of us likes the idea of rejection and making reminder calls puts us in that uncomfortable position. Additionally none of us likes telemarketers nagging us.  But reminder calls are a necessary evil for our type of business. Developing a friendly, folksy, non-pushing type reminder call is both necessary for good repeat business ,and most of all,be welcomed our clientele.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>I make it clear to the customer that it's part of my business practice to expect a friendly reminder by either an email ,post card reminder, or a follow up phone call. I usually let them dictate which they would prefer. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Century Schoolbook" size=2>Tom Servinsky</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=gnewell@ameritech.net href="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net">Greg Newell</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech List'</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, April 13, 2008 10:22 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Courtesy Call</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">If this is in response to my post, not necessarily. Keeping things positive just may change their attitude on a different day. They might just be having a bad day when you call but remember your positive attitude and call you later. Otherwise, yeah. C-ya! But still, a positive approach gives them less of a reason to complain about you to others if they were even thinking about it.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">Greg Newell<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">Greg's Piano Forté<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">www.gregspianoforte.com<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">216-226-3791 (office)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">216-470-8634 (mobile)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <DIV> <DIV style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 3pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none"> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'">From:</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'"> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Floridapianosvc@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, April 13, 2008 10:07 AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Courtesy Call<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><o:p> </o:p></P> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">In other words, "so long". = : (<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><BR><BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-margin-top-alt: 7.5pt" align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <HR align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 7.5pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on <A title=http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolcmp00300000002850 href="http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolcmp00300000002850" target=_blank>AOL Money & Finance</A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>