FEEDBACK REQUESTED

[Daryl Matthies]

Larry,

I believe it is best to quote the appraisal or repair estimate fee over the
phone when setting up the appointment.  Especially when going out to look at
an old piano. I've found that most customers will not want to spend the
money on old upt.  Sorry, but in this case I think the customer is right.


Daryl Matthies
MATHIS PIANO TUNING & SERVICE






At 06:25 PM 11/11/95 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi All,
>
>I thought this forum would be a good sounding board for some feed back
>concerning an event that happened to me recently.
>
>     A customer calls and says they want me to restore their upright piano, and
>I tell them initially that the cost could be around $2000-2500 for a typical
>restoration not including refinishing and providing the piano is worth it to
>begin with.  This being understood, the customer has me come out and do an
>estimate anyway.  On paper I show them that indeed the restoration comes to
>around $2200 and proceed to tell them that the estimate is $35 for the house
>call and that the $35 will be taken off the final bill if they decide to have
>the work done.  They inform me that they won't pay it because I didn't tell
>them in advance that the estimate would cost them and they wouldn't have had me
>come out it they knew it would cost them.
>
>     It boiled down to two statements.  Me saying to the customer, "I never
told
>you this was free." and the customer saying, "You never told me it would cost
>me."
>
>     I'm open for comments here.  I'm toying with the idea of mailing the
>responses to the customer, so please indicate if you would like to remain
>annonymous.
>
>     It's only $35, but I'm at odds with the reasoning.  Usually I don't have
>to deal with this sort of thing, my clientelle knows I don't work for free.
>The customer knew the estimate ball park previous to the call, and had no
>intention of spending that much for the job, but still had me come out anyway.
>
>Larry Fisher 11/11/95
>
>
>
>
>
>
>--- Larry Fisher RPT, Portland Metro's Authority on PianoDisc Systems
>        For more information call (360) 256-2999 in Vancouver, Wa.
>                      or email larryf@pacifier.com
>
>
>