<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1458" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Why would any competent tuner GIVE away a tuning unless you just did a = complete restoration?  I have tried giving extra work to customers many = times in the last thirty years.  One out of 20 appreciates it and sends more = work my way.  The other 19 just ignore my good work, forget me, and = usually go somewhere else for their next tuning.  My customers who are major = musicians always send me customers, so my work must not be too shabby.  = Customers do not appreciate being given anything.  Sales of pianos is another = thing, do anything to get the sale.  But normally in the service sector they = don't appreciate free or cut rate work.  They will cut your throat every = time you give them something free and then ask for more.  The world's worst = about this are institutions and some friends.  Churches are especially = bad about this.  They seem to respect you much more if you charge them a = market price.  Some appreciate it more if your price is slightly higher = than average.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> D.L. = Bullock    St. Louis <A = href="http://www.thepianoworld.com/">www.thepianoworld.com</A>  <DIV> <DIV>Put the worlds greatest = healer to work for WHATEVER health problem you may have----YOUR OWN IMMUNE = SYSTEM.  Your body is capable of healing EVERY disease if you give it the right fuel.  Visit <A href="http://www.mannapages.com/dlbullock">http://www.mannapages.com/dl= bullock</A> to learn how to get the right fuel.  Also <A href="http://www.glycoscience.org/">www.glycoscience.org</A></DI= V></DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>-----Original Message----- From: Piannaman@aol.com [mailto:Piannaman@aol.com] Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 = 9:45 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Customer = ethics--no more extras! </DIV>List, I've been self-employed nigh on 4 years = now.  I have reached a point where I have enough customers where I could get = by without doing free tunings for the couple of stores I still contract = for, but I like to keep an influx of new customers and new pianos.   = One thing I've learned in doing these free tunings is that no matter how = much "extra" stuff I do, there is absolutely no guarantee that the customer = won't find a "tuner that his friend recommends," or "teacher that tunes on = the side," or other form of tooner whose work I often eventually = follow-up.   And no matter how much we as technicians feel that new pianos = should be prepped at the store, they usually are not.  In trying to be = ethical and make the piano right for the customer, I have often given extra service--i.e. key easing, lubrication of knuckles and keypins, some regulation--in addition to tuning the thing for the first time. Yesterday I called a customer whose piano had had numerous = sticky note problems back in January, at which time I made a special call just to = ease keys, lube, and regulate.  I got paid by the store, but I put in = far more work than I was actually paid for in the hopes that the customer would = recognize this and keep me as his tuner.   I went back a = couple of months later to give him his "free" tuning, but nobody was home. =  The Mrs. called me a couple of weeks later, apologized for missing the appointment, and begged me to come and tune the piano, which I = eventually did--though I got nothing for the missed appointment--once again = hoping that the extra service would create a client/tuner bond.   = Obviously, I had too much faith in first-time client loyalty.  Yesterday I = was told that this customer had found another tuner recommended by a friend. =  It was a bit of a slap in the face, but rejection is part of the game. =  And that rejection drove home a valuable lesson: DON'T GIVE AWAY ANYTHING = on these first appointments.   My vow:  from now on when I do = "free tunings," I will give only the requested service, and I will charge = for it accordingly.   End of Whine, Dave Stahl </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>