Too much of a good thing

[David Renaud]

> Clyde Hollinger wrote:
>
>  I am swamped with work.  How does one go about reducing a
> > workload?
>

>From David Renaud, RPT         Ottawa-kingston chapter, CanadaI've found
myself in the same position,I tried responding to excess work by  not
calling
back clients and letting them call me,
but found this made the problem worse, not better.
I found myself more scattered, taking
whatever comes on a first come first serve basis,
and often working on "grandmas recently
donated piano" that had not been serviced since
the ice age , just after having discouraging a client
with a Steinway who had called that morning by telling
her I could be there in 8 weeks.
So how was I to control not only the volume, but also quality??.

 I call the clients we want,
tell them we are becoming booked up,
and ask if they would like  to reserve a spot
before Christmas, Easter, whatever, or would they prefer to wait.
Most clients I've had for years know I'm busy
and appreciate knowing they are getting a priority call.

I always try to book these proactive appointments
about 6-8 weeks ahead, even if I
could do it sooner.

I find this improves my workload in the following ways.

1) Having booked one client in area " x " 8 weeks in advance
    the chances of finding other clients to call from area "x",
    or getting a call from a new client in the area
   some time in the next 8 weeks is very high. I can control
    my driving patterns far better, once one client is booked use the
    database, and be proactive about targeting that area. refuse to
    take new clients that day unless they are in the immediate area.
    Even if there is a spot or two left, I am booked, and not available
    that day for anything not in the target area.

> 2) Less panic. If I don't call,  eventually they call me because

    now they "need" a tuning , yesterday, 8 weeks is "unexceptable"I feel
obliged to fit them in  at 7 am, or sometime when I will be tired
and rushed. After all, I've done them for ten years, and I want to try.
I found not calling clients back created more scatter, & stress for me.

  3) More money---- I can tune five pianos(If I have to) in a well
     planed day, with min. travel, and regular pianos at pitch, or close
     to pitch, with the same or less stress then four, or sometimes even
    three new clients with old, and/or flat pianos.

   4) More respect---New clients don't know me, it is a harder sell
      if other work is required & takes time to explain. I'm a sucker for
     taking 30 min to walk a client through various regulation, voicing
     procedures, like to spend time educating clients.
     Old clients trust your recommendations with much greater ease.
     I would rather loose two new clients then loose an old one.

>   5) I feel better about refering  a new client then an old one.

          I find I am giving out more referrals then I use to, this is
good          for my relationship with other technicians.

>  After so many years of building, building, the buisness, it is hard to

break the habit of taking everything that comes. One person can onlygrow so
much. For me it became a choice of loosing old clients, or
loosing new clients. Being a bit of a workaholic that wants to please
all the clients that call me, it is hard to break the very habit that
helped
build my business so well in the first place.

'tis the season to target the work.

Some technicians I respect have increased their travel'n fee, as
a way to discourage distance tuning, and offer small discount to
clients extremely close to home base.

Any thoughts on that??

                                              David Renaud
                                              RPT
                                              Studio Renaud