<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:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" 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 12 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I don’t agree with this all.  I have a close colleague who phased himself out slowly handing off clients by referring them to other techs.  He continued to work for select clients for many years and still does.  I know as I have many of his old customers and have known this tech for many years.  The customers that he no longer works for are not upset in the least.  They understand that he chooses various criteria for how to cut back and that might include them.  <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>There are several things that can be done.  You can simply pass on customers that you don’t wish to work for explaining that you are cutting back on your workload.  Do that when they call.  A cordial thank you for giving you the opportunity to work with them over the years will be fine.  Explanations about “why them” aren’t and won’t be necessary for most customers but can be ascribed to travel time, giving up certain types of uprights for physical reasons, whatever.  You can then recommend a replacement who you think will serve them well and remain available by phone if there are any problems with your referral.  <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Or, better, you can hire the apprentice, tell your customers that you are sending them for reasons given above and then bill them yourself from which you pay the apprentice and keep a small percentage.  Depending on how your rate compares with the apprentices that might give the customer a slightly reduced rate.  Your referral percentage will keep you in the loop, make the customers more loyal to the apprentice and increase the chances that they will both use and keep the apprentice once you are out completely.   It will give you continued access to the customer to maintain the relationship, smooth the transition and allow you to call to make sure everything went ok etc.  That feedback will help your apprentice as well to develop their customer rapport and skill set.   <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bottom line is that I strongly disagree that you are forced to either service all your clients or retire completely.  People transition out of service businesses slowly all the time and there’s no reason to fear that people will be upset with you.  They may be disappointed t that they can’t have you come anymore but it won’t result in negative publicity.  <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>You are allowed and entitled to work at any level you want.  If cutting back means that some clients can no longer be serviced then that’s fine.  You will likely cut out the clients with whom the relationships are less close,  that live farther away, or who have pianos that you simply don’t care to service anymore.  While brutal honesty is probably not the best approach as to why you are giving them up, a tactful explanation can give you the opportunity to still benefit financially somewhat from the relationship.  Establishing a mentor/apprentice arrangement which still keeps you in the picture will help the customers feel more comfortable with the transition, still give you some income benefit, and keep you accessible if things don’t go quite right.   <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>David Love<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>www.davidlovepianos.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>tnrwim@aol.com<br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, April 15, 2012 8:47 PM<br><b>To:</b> edwcarw@yahoo.com; pianotech@ptg.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [pianotech] transferring clients<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Ed<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The problem is, you're not completely retiring from the business. All you want to do is give some of your clients to someone else, while you're continuing to service the other clients. In a small rural area like yours, word will get around, and some people are going to be upset that you're no longer servicing them. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>That's kind of like a minister semi-retiring, but staying in the same church. The new minister is never going to get the respect of the congregation as long as the semi retired minister is still there. And when there is a wedding or a funeral, the people will want the semi retired minister. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>So you need to make a decision. Either continue to service all your clients, or retire, and not do any of them. The least you can do is not accept any new clients, but give them to the new guy. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>In my book, "The Business of Piano Tuning", is a chapter on how to buy or sell a piano tuning business. (available from Randy). There are some suggestions on not only how to put a value on your business, and but also how to go about informing your clients about the "new guy". <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Good luck<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Wim<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><br><br> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>-----Original Message-----<br>From: Ed Carwithen <edwcarw@yahoo.com><br>To: Piano List <pianotech@ptg.org><br>Sent: Sun, Apr 15, 2012 11:20 am<br>Subject: [pianotech] transferring clients<o:p></o:p></span></p><div id="AOLMsgPart_2_ae6e7402-3831-4d26-9fdf-2cdbf72eb370"><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#777777'><a href="https://www.boxbe.com/overview" target="_blank"><span style='color:#5E96EA;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=64 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.boxbe.com/images/logo_dark_small.png" alt=Boxbe></span></a><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://www.boxbe.com/stfopen?tc=11107133131_822919228">You chose to allow Ed Carwithen (<a href="mailto:edwcarw@yahoo.com">edwcarw@yahoo.com</a>) even though this message failed authentication <br><a href="https://www.boxbe.com/anno?tc=11107133131_822919228&action=authfail&set=false" target="_blank"><span style='color:#5E96EA;text-decoration:none'>Click to disallow</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div id="AOLMsgPart_5_ae6e7402-3831-4d26-9fdf-2cdbf72eb370"><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>I live in a very rural area and travel a lot to take care of my clients; often 120 miles one way.  As I am now 74 years old I plan on cutting back significantly on the travel and tuning.  There are a couple of tuners in this area, but not much in the way of technicians.  There is one man working on his training and plans to take the RPT exam as soon as he is ready.  He is already tuning and seems to be getting along well.  I have been trying to help him as much as I can.  He has taken Randy's course, and went to the recent convention in Utah.  In any case I need to transfer a number of clients to someone else.  I tried to do this once before for clients in a town that was really out of the way for me.  I sent a letter to the clients involved, and told the new person to contact them directly.  Not one client transferred to the new tuner (an RPT yet).  A couple responded that they felt "abandoned."<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>I want my clients served well as I have formed pretty good relationships with most of them.  How do I make them comfortable with a new technician?   How do I make the transition better?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Ed Carwithen<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Eastern Oregon<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>