A Question re: Stealing Customers??

barre46@ibm.net barre46@ibm.net
Tue, 02 Mar 1999 00:32:36 -0600


It is a little difficult for me to see how you can steal a customer. Bad mouthing
technicians has been mentioned but how did you get there to bad mouth them? Also most
people are turned off by someone bad mouthing others. One way might be for you to call
the customer in question and offer your services cheaper but I don't believe that this
makes much sense or is very profitable.

I have been a member of the P.T.G. for about 12 years. One time a member accused me of
stealing his customer. I was astounded because I had no idea that he had ever tuned her
piano. The lady had been referred to me by my next door neighbor of many years who also
played the organ with her at church. I simply told him that she called me to tune her
piano so I did and that I did not know that he had been her tuner.
The point is simply this. You do not own a customer. A customer will be loyal to you if
you service them to their satisfaction. They may decide to chose someone else if a
friend of theirs goes into the business or they may have lost your card and you did not
follow up, but cheer up, how many more tuners would we need if people had their pianos
tuned when they should?  How many times have you heard, "My piano hasn't been tuned in
several years"?
There is more than enough work to go around. I cannot please everybody. I will do the
best I can and that will please enough people to keep me in business but the are some
people who will like you better so you work to please them and we will all be happier.

Norm Barrett
Memphis, TN




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