<HTML><HEAD> <STYLE type=text/css> p { margin: 0px; } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> I'd call the teacher and tell him to quit= recommending the new tuner to your customers.   Don't= get steamed on the phone with the= teacher.   What's wrong with that?   He= just may say OK unless you've really ticked him off= somehow...;-]    On a related note...you will NEVER keep all your= customers.   The best you can do is do top notch work= and be as friendly and interested in their piano/them as you= can.   I keep names of children, pets etc. in my= database to refer to when calling.  Most importantly keep= the regular contact for service and that's all you can do. = Creating some sort of personal bond with the customers does= beget loyalty.  That being said, I've lost oodles of= customers over the years...usually from my neglect of contact,= they moved, quit playing the piano and yes, sometimes another= tuner is referred...   David I.     ----- Original message= ----------------------------------------> From: <<A= href="mailto:richard.ucci@att.net">richard.ucci@att.net</A>><= BR>To: <<A= href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> Rec= eived: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 19:32:08 +0000 Subject: ethics= question OK guys , here's the deal. A piano teacher I tuned for years ago, stopped using me for= reasons unknown, and started using a competitor.  He then= started telling clients who were mine originally and referred to= him for teaching, to use the other tuner.   Last night I lost another one. The woman said," Oh we just had= it tuned.Our teacher suggested someone else. But if it= doesn't sound good later we'll call you".   I replied ,"Thank you for your loyalty". "I'll certainly be= waiting by the phone for your call"." I am deleting you from my= files, Good Bye".   Has this ever happened to you guys and what if anything= can I do about it and still be ethical. I deal with about= fifteen or more teachers now but I'm really starting to get= steamed.   Thanks, Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano</BODY></HTML>