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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I had tuned for "Six Flags Over =
America" here in
Allenton, MO, just outside of St. Louis for 2 summers a number of years
ago. At the end of the 2nd season I tuned all 3 of their pianos at =
no cost
and told them how I appreciated their business. I had been =
tuning
these pianos every couple of weeks early on Sunday mornings. After =
doing
the work and giving them the short thank you letter I was never called =
back
again. Go figure.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>James Grebe<BR>Piano-Forte Tuning & Repair<BR>Artisan of =
Wood<BR><A
href="http://www.JamesGrebe.com">WWW.JamesGrebe.com</A><BR>1526 =
Raspberry
Lane<BR>Arnold, MO 63010<BR>BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE!<BR><A
href="mailto:pianoman@accessus.net">pianoman@accessus.net</A></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=dlbullock@att.net href="mailto:dlbullock@att.net">D.L. =
Bullock</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">PTG</A> ; <A =
title=Piannaman@aol.com
href="mailto:Piannaman@aol.com">Piannaman@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, September 19, =
2004 8:42
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Customer =
ethics--no more
extras!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=843503301-20092004><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff size=2>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.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=843503301-20092004><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=843503301-20092004><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff size=2>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>D.L. =
Bullock
St. Louis<BR></STRONG></FONT><A =
href="http://www.thepianoworld.com/"><FONT
face=Arial><STRONG>www.thepianoworld.com</STRONG></FONT></A><FONT =
face=Arial
color=#000000><STRONG> </STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>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 </FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff =
size=2><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></FONT></DI=
V></FONT></DIV></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT =
face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> =
Piannaman@aol.com
[mailto:Piannaman@aol.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, September 19, =
2004 9:45
AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Customer =
ethics--no
more extras!<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT =
size=2
PTSIZE="10">List, <BR><BR>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. =
<BR><BR>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. <BR><BR>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. =
<BR><BR>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. <BR><BR>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.
<BR><BR>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.
<BR><BR>My vow: from now on when I do "free tunings," I =
will
give only the requested service, and I will charge for it =
accordingly.
<BR><BR>End of Whine, <BR><BR>Dave Stahl</FONT>
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