YO Dudes and Dudettes, Wally wrote: >Has anyone had the experience of buying another piano technician's >business? I would like to discuss it. > >Wally Scherer >E-mail: WallyTS@iName.com (Please use this new address now!) Well, sir, I've had the opportunity to acquire a fellow technicians clientelle. I got it for no money out of pocket. I also acquired some nice additions to my shop ...... an air compressor, collapsable piano tilter, some assorted tools, a huge bunch of parts .... new and used, and a Disklavier customer ... the tuner's widow. All this for a few tunings including the Yamaha service bond proceedure. I sent out special post cards to his clientelle list (about 150 customers or so) that was no older than 4 years. Uh, the list, not the customer, BOZO!! Granted he was only in bizz in the area for a short time before he went to the big piano bench in the sky, and granted he gathered his clientelle by calling everyone in the phone book asking if they owned a piano. (crude but to the point) All this was considered before I agreed to exchange anything for all his index cards. He charged less than I do for tunings. He attracted a different kind of clientelle than I'm used to working with. Out of the roughly 100 post cards I sent out, that I know of, I only got about 5 responses. I could have persued this market with more zeal and enthusiasm, however, I haven't really needed the extra work, and have enjoyed the "au naturelle" method of business enhancement. With some phone work and some serious gum flapping, I would imagine I could have turned quite a few more customers of his my way. The price I paid and the level of service clientelle I was seeing didn't dictate that kind of effort. Good luck on your venture. Lar Larry Fisher RPT specialist in players, retrofits, and other complicated stuff phone 360-256-2999 or email larryf@pacifier.com http://www.pacifier.com/~larryf/ (revised 10/96) Beau Dahnker pianos work best under water
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