<WBR>Once I tried to reason with a customer to pay me for a missed appointment. I asked her how she would like it if she showed up for work one day, and after working for 3 hours, her boss told her to go home, and not get paid for the day. She said she didn't like that, but she didn't understand how that applied to me. <br> <br> My wife teaches piano lessons. She has students, and/or their parents, call at the last minute to cancel a lesson, and don't want to pay for it. They don't seem to understand that it is lost income that can never be repaid. <br> <br> If doctors can do it, why can't we? Maybe we're too "soft" on our customers. But then some of us need all the income we can get, even it it costs us a no-show once in a while<br> <br> <div style="CLEAR: both">Wim<br> <br> -----Original Message-----<br> From: Joey Recker <tech@onkeypiano.com><br> To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 12:32 pm<br> Subject: RE: No- shows..... again<br> <br> </div> <div id=AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1> <STYLE> @#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} #AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 p.MsoNormal,#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 li.MsoNormal,#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";}#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 a:link,#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 span.MsoHyperl ink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;}#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 a:visited,#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;}#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:Arial; color:navy;}@#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 div.Section1 {page:Section1;} @#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 list l0 {mso-list-id:21714248; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:150119824 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}@#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 list l0:level1 {mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;}#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 ol {margin-bottom:0in;}#AOLMsgPart_2_1cd3934b-5dd0-4606-8ab2-17171c793dd1 ul {margin-bottom:0in;}</STYLE> <div class=Section1> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I leave a bill for my minimum “trip charge”.  This results one of the following:</SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT></div> <OL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in" type=1> <LI class=MsoNormal style="COLOR: navy; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">They call with great apology and re-schedule and pay the additional fee20with no complaints.</SPAN></FONT></LI> <LI class=MsoNormal style="COLOR: navy; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">They call to tell me of an emergency or something beyond their control.  At that point I decide whether or not to charge the “trip charge” based on my previous experience with the customer.  Many times I’ll forgive it if the appointment is close by.  </SPAN></FONT></LI> <LI class=MsoNormal style="COLOR: navy; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Only once has a customer refused to pay and complained.  Amazingly she still wanted her piano tuned! But said that she didn’t do business “that way”.  Meaning she would re-schedule but would not pay the trip charge.  I refused to re-schedule until the charge was paid in full.  To date she has never paid and she is on my short list of customers I refuse to tune for.  As a matter of fact; a good friend of mine is an appliance repairman and I found out later that she was already on his list of customers he would not work for.  </SPAN></FONT></LI></OL> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Doesn’t happen often, but it works for me.</SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT></div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> <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>] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B><A href="mailto:VOCE88@aol.com">VOCE88@aol.com</A><br> <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Friday, August 01, 2008 12:15 AM<br> <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> <A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A><br> <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> No- shows..... again</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Just curious List,</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial "> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">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?</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">TIA</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">,</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Rich</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Galassini</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cunningham Piano Company</SPAN></FONT></div> </div> <div class= MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><br> <br> </SPAN></FONT></div> <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><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <HR align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 7.5pt"><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Get fantasy football with free live scoring. <A title=http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020 href="http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020" target=_blank>Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy Football today</A>.</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT></div> </div> </div> </div> <div id='u8CAC26D43C22280-954-688' class='aol_ad_footer'><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">It's time to go back to school! 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