People -- Best Part of the Business

Kevin E. Ramsey kevin.e.ramsey@cox.net
Sat, 14 Dec 2002 17:26:11 -0700


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Good for you Alan, you're doing everything the right way, and it just =
gets better.=20
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: tune4u@earthlink.net=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2002 5:20 PM
  Subject: People -- Best Part of the Business


  Delivered a set of re-covered keys today after they'd been "in the =
shop" for four days.

  Youngest child, age 5, sees me getting out of the ol' Tunemobile, =
comes out into the yard and yells at me. "It's about time you showed up! =
Why did you take our piano keys?"

  Hmmm...

  Installed keys, handed the boy's mom the bill. She says, "Is that all? =
They look so beautiful and you did so much work on my piano ... etc. ... =
I'm going to pay you thus and such ..."

  I've been given house tours, cookies, complete meals, occasionally an =
extra $5 or $10 because they feel guilty about living so far out, or =
something, and was once offered a cat. But this was a pleasant first: a =
$50 bonus, tip, whatever...

  Ain't life grand.

  I've been in PTG meetings where people, usually the more introvert =
types, discuss "how to get the customer to shut up and leave you alone =
so you can tune." Well, sometimes you just have to ask. But I think I =
build a lot of loyalty--and I know I get referrals--because I do take =
time to listen to lonely old people, or people with family stories to =
tell, etc.

  For the first time I know of, I lost a client to another tuner this =
week. I had only tuned for her once and her comment to the new tuner was =
that I took too long. Okay, misread that one. But showing real interest =
in people and taking time to build relationships with them is the only =
way I, for me,  (and I do stress "for me") to be in this business.

  You can keep the cat, but I do like cookies.

  Alan Barnard
  Salem, MO
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