<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <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" xmlns:ns0="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"> <head> <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="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I haven’t done work for a dealer in years, but would again if the opportunity presented. I would consider it a cost of doing business. The dealer wants his customer happy and taken care of. In return, you get a nominal fee plus a new customer, and typically new piano customers are a little better at rescheduling and regularly maintaining. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Getting new customers is expensive. And you are getting a premium new customer to boot that is more likely to schedule regular maintenance. So for an extra ½ hour of your time, you get a premium new customer. This is a great deal. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Do you service the pianos on the floor or give them a good prep? Sounds like some of these problems maybe should have been taken care of in store. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoAutoSig><b><font size=5 color=navy face="Lucida Calligraphy"><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:navy;font-weight: bold'>Dean</span></font></b><b><font size=5 color=navy face="CAC Leslie"><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"CAC Leslie";color:navy;font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face=AGaramond><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:AGaramond;color:navy'>Dean W May                        (812) 235-5272 voice and text</span></font><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face=AGaramond><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:AGaramond;color:navy'>PianoRebuilders.com           (888) DEAN-MAY         </span></font><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig><ST1:PLACE u1:st="on"><ST1:PLACE u2:st="on"><font size=2 face=AGaramond><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:AGaramond'><U2:CITY u1:st="on"><ns0:City w:insAuthor="Dean May" w:insDate="2012-04-04T22:15:00Z" w:endInsAuthor="Dean May" w:endInsDate="2012-04-04T22:15:00Z"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>Terre Haute</span></font></st1:City></st1:place></ns0:City></U2:CITY><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'> </span></font><ns0:State w:insAuthor="Dean May" w:insDate="2012-04-04T22:15:00Z" w:endInsAuthor="Dean May" w:endInsDate="2012-04-04T22:15:00Z"><U2:STATE u1:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on"><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>IN</U2:STATE></span></font></st1:State></ns0:State><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'> </span></font><ns0:PostalCode w:insAuthor="Dean May" w:insDate="2012-04-04T22:15:00Z" w:endInsAuthor="Dean May" w:endInsDate="2012-04-04T22:15:00Z"><U2:POSTALCODE u1:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on"><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>47802</span></font></st1:PostalCode><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>           Give us a LIKE on Facebook! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/PianoRebuilderscom/137780082943148">Go to PianoRebuilders.com</a></U2:POSTALCODE></span></font></ns0:PostalCode></span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </span></font></div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Joseph Rosenberg<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, April 04, 2012 9:11 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">pianotech@ptg.org</st1:PersonName><br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [pianotech] Dealing with customers</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>Hi everyone:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>How would you handle these 2 situations with dealer tunings that I had today:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>1. Customer 1 - lives in a $4 million house. I made the appt. for today @ 10am. Got there 9:45am. Woman didn't show up until 10:30am, no apologies or explanation. Very warm day, didn't offer anything to drink. Customer had some stuck key issues, which I stayed extra 1/2 hour. Usually I call dealer to get his okay so I can bill him, but couldn't reach him. Total time there - 2 hours, including waiting for her to come home. I get paid for 1 hr. only. No tip (only the poorer people tip when I do dealer tunings, NEVER the people with money).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>2. Customer 2 - Small house. Husband & Wife both out of work. Appt. was made for 1pm. I rushed to get there on time after delay of first job. When I was 5 minutes away, she called and asked me to come at 2pm. When I explained that I was almost there, she said she wasn't home and would be back at 2pm. I had no choice but to wait. At least she offered me a drink. Again, there were repairs that she hadn't told the dealer about, I couldn't reach him for approval, and did them - Total time: 1.75 hours. I got paid for the 1 hr. only. No tip.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>While I think the dealer or the customers should pay me for the waiting time, the reality is they won't.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>If I didn't wait for them, I would have to go back again anyway, or would lose this dealer's tunings.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>The dealer gives me enough tunings that I want to keep working for him. He basically pays me what he charges the customers, so it's not like he's being unfair to me.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>Is this just part of doing business, or do other tuners have ways of dealing with these things?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>Do other tuners who do dealer tunings generally get tips? Should I expect them?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>FYI, I am always professional and polite to the customers, even when they keep me waiting. I always try to be very nice, but the customers don't care.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'>Frustrated Piano Tuner :(<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>