<html>  <head><style type='text/css'> p { margin: 0px; } </style></head> <body>  Hi Dean and Carol,   Good stuff!! I started taking a digital photo of every piano tuned,and sending it to them about a week before they were due based on the appointment we made at the last tuning. They love getting a picture of their piano in the mail.   I use a website called amazingmail.com that does it all. Cost is $1 including postage.   I still follow up with email, and phone on Sun. nite 7-9   Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano  <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message from "Dean May" <DEANMAY@PIANOREBUILDERS.COM>: -------------- > Great points, Carol! > > Four years ago I started collecting email addresses from my clients. Lots of > people have them. I explain we like to send an email reminder as it is less > intrusive than a phone call, and they are all for it. > > When I first started out, all I did was phone call reminders. It works > really well, but does take some work. I used a flat file database (several > different ones over the years, starting with SuperBase on a Commodore 64!). > When entering the customer's record I enter the date of the most recent > tuning and also the callback/reminder date (ex: 200410 for October of 2004), > When October rolls around, I print out all the records that are less than or > equal to 200410 sorted by zip code. This gives me everyone due for October > and all those overdue grouped together by neighborhood/city. Then I make my > calls with pen in hand. If they say call back in 4 months, I mark up the > printout for 200502. If they say, we'll call you when we are ready, > depending on their attitude/tone of voice/or my previous experience with > them I'll mark them up as due for 12-24 months from 200410. If they say call > back next month, I just leave it alone as I know it will automatically come > up on next month's list. Then before I print out next months callback list, > I update all the records using my marked up list. > > After I started collecting email addresses I added sending the email > reminder. For those reminders I only choose the records that are due for > this month. I don't want to be sending emails every month and be a nuisance. > I extend an offer for a $4 discount if people set up their tuning by email. > And people really take advantage of it. I use Word to mail merge all the > personal details. Word allows you to merge to electronic mail. > > About 3 years ago I started using post cards as well. For those records I > choose all those due for 200410, plus those overdue whose due months are > October or April (e.g., 10/04, 4/04, 10/03, 4/03, 10/02, 4/02, etc). This > strategy gives everyone overdue a postcard every six months. I include the > $4 discount offer on the postcard if they respond by email. Since I started > doing the postcards I've scheduled tunings for clients I hadn't heard from > for 5-10 years that I had written off. We must remember that lots of people > don't care that much about their pianos. But if they are reminded that it > has been many years they will go ahead and schedule. > > The combination of email and postcard has also made the calling easier. Now > it doesn't hit people out of the blue. They've already been prepared. > > For the postcard I use Word to mail merge again. On the stamp side I have > the customer specific message on one half, their mailing address on the > other half. On the flip side I have a general feel good message about how > great an in tune piano sounds with a grand piano graphic. Both sides are > printed on my laser printer on blank 4x6 cards. It is really easy. > > Julie, if you wait for your phone to ring for all your appointments you will > starve. Nobody remembers when their piano was last tuned. Many people want > to keep their pianos properly maintained. You are doing them a service to > keep them reminded. And for those few who let you know in no uncertain terms > they absolutely don't want reminded, adjust your records accordingly. > > If you need help with the mail merge, try using the Help feature first. Or > you can email me privately. > > Blessings, > > Dean > Dean May cell 812.239.3359 > PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 > Terre Haute IN 47802 > > > Sample Email Message (personal details changed): > > Hen & Yuli Chou > 72 S Kings Ct > Terre Haute IN 47807 > > Hi Hen & Yuli, > > It is time again for your piano to be tuned. By using this email to remind > you, we don't interrupt your dinner with a ringing telephone and it saves us > time trying to catch you at home. > > Our records show that your piano was last tuned on 06/05/2001. As a special > incentive for you to take advantage of this reminder, we are offering $4 off > our normal tuning price if you respond within the next 30 days to schedule a > tuning appointment by email. The normal tuning price inside of Vigo County > is $75.00 and out of county it is $79.00. > > Here is how it works: just click the reply button in your email reader and > tell us your preference for an appointment time, what day of the week and > whether you need a morning or an afternoon appointment. Try to give us at > least two options. We will then email you back with a firm appointment time. > If this is too high tech for you, call us the old-fashioned way at (812) > 235-5272, or (800) 776-4912. Mention that you are responding to this email > alert to get your $4 discount. > > Sample postcard: > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives </BLOCKQUOTE>  </body> </html>