In a message dated 98-01-06 00:43:29 EST, Phil Bondi wrote: << ...good points as always, Jim..but..what if the no-show is a Warranty tuning for the local dealer you work with and is the bulk of your growing data base, like myself?.. ...do you charge the dealer?..do you charge the customer, who thinks that this is a FREE tuning for them..?? >> Don't know about Jim, but this is how I handle it. I charge the dealer for the warranty tuning, and then leave a bill with the customer for an identical amount as a *rescheduling fee*. Very seldom have I had anybody refuse to pay. I should also say that I explain when they call that all I have to sell is my time, and that I can't schedule anyone at the last minute to take their place, so I have virtually lost my income for that part of the day. I also let them know when I first schedule that if there is any need to cancel, postpone, or reschedule, they must contact my office by 9 pm the evening before, or there will be a rescheduling/missed appointment fee. If they are going to complain about the fee, then they are not likely to call and reschedule their *free* tuning. When they realize that their payment is to make up for my loss in wages, the largest majority of them pay. Like Jim, I don't go after, them. I only talk with the ones who call me. If there is an emergency that caused their *no show*, then I can always recind the fee. That is my option. With my *real* customers, I bill them close to 60% of my service charge (in rounded numbers. My time and expertise are worth something, and most of them realize that this is how I earn a living (meager as it is). The biggest complainers have been doctors and dentists, who always charge for missed appointments! Go figure! John Elving, RPT San Leandro, CA JElving@aol.com
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