<div>I will be going this afternoon to evaluate a piano.  The lady wants to sell it, but it needs work first, so I will be giving her an estimate.</div> <div> </div> <div>Do you keep these clients in your database, even if you may never see her again?  And if you do, how long before she, or any customer for that matter, is removed?</div> <div> </div> <div>Matthew Tom Servinsky <tompiano@bellsouth.net> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Ed Well said. There are multiples ways you can deal with the occasional no show. I agree that finding a way which fits your comfort zone is best.. If you're the type that wants to leave a bill and demand your time be reimbursed, go for it Been there, did that. Never, never, never did I ever get reimbursed with that approach. Plus I lost the customer for good at that point. My current approach is to let sleepy giants sleep. Usually I have a lot of other customers I can plug and feel that time on a short notice. I'll leave my card and if an apology doesn't come my way in a very short order, the customer is fired at that point. However most times it generally is an honest mistake and the customers are very apologetic. If the customer offers a little something extra for my extra trip I'll usually down-play it and say that isn't necessary, but graciously accept the gift. Tom Servinsky ----- Original Message ----- From: <A440A@AOL.COM> To: <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG> Sent: Friday, August 01, 2008 6:25 AM Subject: Re: No- shows..... again > > << How do you deal with a no show appointment? Do you bill them? Bill > half? > Not > at all? Any other way to deal wit them? >> > > Greetings, > I think it depends on what you want. Some customers are worth keeping, > some not. That may mean sending a bill for your time, overlooking it in > the > interest of greater profit, (or good), or adding a surcharge on the next > visit, > etc. > There are customers that will offer to pay for your time, and others > that > will not even register that their carelessness has cost you. I suggest > do > whatever keeps you from feeling resentful. It may take a little courage, > up > front, but step by step, we effect our lives in a positive way by speaking > our own > truth and letting our world reflect that. > Our day by day decisions determine what our life is like, and gradually, > over the years, our clientele develops around our own personality. They > aren't > really "them", but, rather, "They are us", so we are responsible for what > kind of a career we have. We, in some way, choose our customers, and If > taking > care of ourselves means that we lose the occasional inconsiderate > customer, > is that a big loss or simply cleaning up our customer base to better suit > our > vocation? > Regards, > Ed Foote RPT > http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html > www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html > ************** Get fantasy football with free live scoring. > Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy Football today. > (http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020) > </BLOCKQUOTE>