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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Delivered a set of re-covered keys today after =
they'd been
"in the shop" for four days.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Youngest child, age 5, sees me getting out of =
the ol'
Tunemobile, comes out into the yard and yells at me. "It's about time =
you showed
up! Why did you take our piano keys?"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hmmm...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Installed keys, handed the boy's mom the bill. =
She says,
"Is that all? They look so beautiful and you did so much work on my =
piano ...
<EM>etc. ... </EM>I'm going to pay you <EM>thus and such =
</EM>..."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I've been given house tours, cookies, complete =
meals,
occasionally an extra $5 or $10 because they feel guilty about living so =
far
out, or something, and was once offered a cat. But this was a pleasant =
first: a
$50 bonus, tip, whatever...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Ain't life grand.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I've been in PTG meetings where people, usually =
the more
introvert types, discuss "how to get the customer to shut up and =
leave you
alone so you can tune." Well, sometimes you just have to ask. But I =
think I
build a lot of loyalty--and I know I get referrals--because I do take =
time to
listen to lonely old people, or people with family stories to tell,
etc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>For the first time I know of, I lost a client to =
another
tuner this week. I had only tuned for her once and her comment to the =
new tuner
was that I took too long. Okay, misread that one. But showing real =
interest in
people and taking time to build relationships with them is the only =
way
I,<EM> for me, </EM> (and I do stress "for me") to be in this
business.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>You can keep the cat, but I do like
cookies.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Alan Barnard</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Salem, MO</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>