advertising & stuff

[Z! Reinhardt]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Comments below ...
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: pianolover 88=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 10:08 PM
  Subject: advertising & stuff


  Hi list,

  I just got a quote for running a "flyer insert" in the local =
pennysaver; it would cover only 2 zones in the same city. I was SHOCKED =
when the rep told me the price for ONE time insert: $1,080.00!!!!!!!!!! =
That's more than 50k per year, if run weekely, and I would supply the =
master flyer! Enough to make me VOMIT! I can get a decent Yellow page ad =
for about $1,200 for the entire YEAR!

  What kinds of customers were you hoping to attract with these =
pennysaver inserts?  My sense is that the people who study the ads, =
flyers, etc. are bargain hunters looking for everyday stuff or services =
that produce visible results (carpet cleaning, driveway coating, etc.).  =
If they do locate you as a piano technician through this, what do you =
want to bet the pianos you'd be asked to attempt to service would be =
long-neglected or clinically dead on arrival?  Mix that with the =
bargain-hunting mentality and ... ... ... sorry, I really don't want to =
think of the implications of this.

  On a lighter note, If a customer failed to show up for a tuning =
appointment, would you charge her mileage to make a second trip? I did.

  What about the time you had scheduled to do this service call?  =
Couldn't you have been doing something else if you hadn't scheduled her =
in the first place?

  Terry Peterson=20
  Precision Piano Service=20
  Torrance, CA=20

  How much you think your time is worth in these circumstances is =
strictly your business.  My feeling has always been if someone expects =
you to commit a chunk of your time to their "needs" and you make the =
effort to be there on time ready to work, then they ought to be held =
accountable even if you end up sitting in your car listening to the =
radio the whole time.  What you are charging for is your availability.

  If the customer calls up within the next few hours to apologize =
profusely for being a no-show, then I'm much more likely to "be nice" to =
them and possibly not charge much, if anything.  These people have the =
sense that your time is worth something.  Then there are those people =
who feel that the world revolves around them alone and the time =
scheduled for them is worth nothing unless their personal treasure =
(whether nor not this was truly a piano) was worked on at their =
convenience ....  Well, they ought to consider paying for their =
conveniences.

  Just my 2-bit thoughts

  Z! Reinhardt  RPT
  Ann Arbor  MI
  diskladame@provide.net


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/10/67/58/d3/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--