<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content=Word.Document name=ProgId> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2769" name=GENERATOR> <META content="Microsoft Word 10" name=Originator><LINK href="cid:filelist.xml@01C60AD2.0DB69FC0" rel=File-List> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Tahoma; } @font-face { font-family: Bradley Hand ITC; } @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; = mso-header-margin: .5in; mso-footer-margin: .5in; mso-paper-source: 0; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; = mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single } P.MsoAutoSig { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoAutoSig { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoAutoSig { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; = mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman" } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-style-type: personal-reply; = mso-style-noshow: yes; mso-ansi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: = 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; = mso-bidi-font-family: Arial } SPAN.SpellE { mso-style-name: ""; mso-spl-e: yes } SPAN.GramE { mso-style-name: ""; mso-gram-e: yes } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US style="tab-interval: .5in" vLink=purple = link=blue> <DIV>Dean --</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I guess that does have to be considered into the calculation. Still in the = beginnings of this career move I am, in fact, feeding off the lower end = of the food chain. Nice to learn that trust and negotiating gets easier as one = moves up. Yet even more reason for me to continue reaching for RPT status.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>-- Geoff Sykes</DIV> <DIV>-- Assoc. Los Angeles</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr = align=left>-----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On = Behalf Of Dean May Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 7:41 = AM To: 'Pianotech' Subject: RE: How to sell a broken string </DIV> <DIV class=Section1> As David = and others have said it is primarily a matter of confidence. I remember in the = early days sweating how to explain to the customer that they were going to have = to pay extra for a new string. Now I charge three times as much for a string = as I did then and it is never a problem. Of course I break fewer strings now as = well. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I tell them = that if a string is going to break it is most likely to break during tuning = since that is when it is bound to see its greatest stress load. It could have = been any one of the faults David listed, but it will happen when the string = gets the extra stress load of tuning. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Another = factor is when I first started tuning my customer’s tended to be lower on = the food chain than the customers I have now. I was underpriced and I attracted customers who were very price conscious and who thought = tuning once every 20 years was adequate. That kind of clientele is going to = be more suspicious of upsells. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Bottom = line: be confident of your skills, develop a smooth pitch on the reasons for = string breakage, don’t undercharge.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> Dean<o:p></o:p> Dean = May           &n= bsp; cell 812.239.3359<o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272<o:p></o:p> Terre Haute = IN  47802<o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Geoff = Sykes Sent: Tuesday, December 27, = 2005 12:23 AM To: = Pianotech@Ptg. Org Subject: How to = sell a broken string <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> Greetings all, and happy = holidays to everyone --<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> I had such great success = with my last question that I thought I would post a second one. (I have a = third one coming in a couple of days.)<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Broken strings happen! = Sometimes you can see the precursor evidence that indicates strings MAY break, = but there really is no way to know for sure that it may until it does.<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> When a string breaks, = how do you explain to your customer that it wasn't your fault? Naturally this may = be a little easier with established customers with whom you = have developed some trust. But what about those first time customers? The ones to whom you may have already had to explain the concept of pitch = adjustment and stability, and that subsequent additional charge. How do you = explain the situation, either before or after the fact, so that they = will not only pay for the repair, but also (hopefully) call you again?<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Bonus question: What = measures do you take, beyond being careful and crossing your fingers, to = help prevent string breakage?<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> -- Geoff Sykes<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> -- Assoc. Los = Angeles<o:p></o:p></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTM= L>