<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=windows-1252"> <STYLE type=text/css>P { MARGIN: 0px } </STYLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1458" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2>Does anyone call their = clients the night before?  I never used to, and, in fact, despise the practice = in priciple.  I just don't like the thought that I'm enabling people = to not have to keep track of their appointments.  However, I'm more OK = with enabling than I am with lost income.  I call every night to confirm = tomorrows appointments, and since I started, zero no-shows.  Never = fails, BTW, the one time I don't call, it's a no-show.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2>William R. = Monroe<BR>Madison, WI<BR>Assoc.</FONT></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=richard.ucci@att.net href="mailto:richard.ucci@att.net">richard.ucci@att.net</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, September 21, = 2004 7:51 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Customer = ethics--no more extras!</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <P>Ron,</P> <P> </P> <P>As one who has hade a rash of no shows this last summer, I know = what a tough position it puts us in. I already told a client who had an = obvious disregard for the value of my time to find another tuner. </P> <P>Others I don't call back and wait to see how long it takes for them = to finally contact me.</P> <P> </P> <P> I would consider telling them that there is a missed = appointment fee of half what you charge and make it sound like it is the dealer who is = getting the money.</P> <P> </P> <P>Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano<BR></P> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px = solid">-------------- Original message from Ron Nossaman <RNOSSAMAN@COX.NET>: = -------------- <BR><BR>> <BR>> >I am more frustrated with customers than I = am with the dealers. I usually <BR>> >charge the dealer something if = my appointment goes into overtime, but I <BR>> >always give them = a good deal. I have good relationships with them, and it <BR>> >has = paid off. Lack of customer loyalty is my gripe here. MOst of the <BR>> = >people who do the "free" tunings here do little more than that, and often = <BR>> >don't even do a necessary pitch adjustment. I have always tried = to make <BR>> >sure the customer is well taken care of, and as Mr. = Bullock said, it is <BR>> >usually not recognized. <BR>> > = <BR>> >Thanks for the input, <BR>> > <BR>> >Dave S. = <BR>> <BR>> Dave, <BR>> At the risk of aggravating the situation, = I'd like! to offer an observation. <BR>> I really - REALLY - dislike the = concept and use of the term "free" tuning. <BR>> The implication (because = of the word "free"), and resulting practice, is <BR>> that since it is = "free" there's no penalty for being unavailable at the <BR>> time of the = appointment. The assumption being that the tuner is paid by the = <BR>> dealer whether he does any work or not (as is apparently the case in = the <BR>> situation between the customer and their employer), and = nobody pays a <BR>> penalty for a no-show. Far and away, the worst record for = folks standing me <BR>> up on a scheduled appointment are for dealer = tunings. That leaves me in a <BR>> position to decide who eats the income = loss. By all that's right and <BR>> proper, it ought to be the twit = customer who couldn't be bothered to meet <BR>> their commitment to someone = else's time and livelihood, but they don't see <BR>> it that way because = the tuning was "free". The d! ealer, rightfully, <BR>> shouldn't be = liable for the service call for obvious reasons, nor is he <BR>> going = to be amused if I monetarily penalize the twit customer for wasting = <BR>> my means of eating. So I get a choice. I either offend the dealer, = offend <BR>> the customer and the dealer, or take my shafting quietly = without raising a <BR>> disturbance. I'll get the shafting in any case, = but I get the luxury of <BR>> determining what sort of disturbance I'll = cause en-route. A dubious benefit <BR>> at best... <BR>> <BR>> = Ron N <BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________ = <BR>> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives </BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>