Is my memory going?

[David Love]

I think it's best to discuss with the customer how often the piano should
be serviced (and how often they want it serviced) at the first appointment.
How frequently you end up doing it will depend on a number of factors. 
After that, you can either book the next appointment while you are there or
put them on a reminder schedule, which is what I do.  I generally send out
a preprinted postcard.  With a database that has a mail merge it takes only
a few minutes each month to get the cards out.  If I don't hear from them
after the card has been sent, I call.  I send out cards each month and I
call all those who have not responded before I send out the next month's
reminders.  Since you've already established that the customer wants to
keep the piano on a certain schedule, the phone call becomes a courtesy
rather than telemarketing call.   I find that about half respond to the
cards and the other half need to be called  as well.   

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: John Ross <jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca>
> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 4/8/2004 4:51:29 AM
> Subject: Is my memory going?
>
> Hi List,
>
> I went to an appointment the other day. When I went in the house, the
> customer said, "you were the last one to tune it."
>
> I said, I am sorry I don't remember. She said don't feel bad, it was 19
> years ago. Ok, definitely too long. But..
>
> This was a little old lady, who only used it to play for herself.
> Sure, it should have been tuned sooner. Actually only two unisons were
> really bad, and she said she still played it, and enjoyed it. It was down,
> 10c - 35c.
>
> I got thinking, (I know something new), this is a situation, where calling
> and recommending, a tuning every year or more, was not required.
>
> I would feel bad, calling this woman regularly, and saying time to have
your
> piano tuned, and taking her money.
>
> That is why I never call. I always let them call me.
>
> If I was to call everyone, the year wouldn't be long enough to do them
all.
>
> I feel in some cases, calling people and doing there piano, on a frequent
> basis, is unethical. Now I am talking of the little old lady, on a fixed
> income, that only plays for her own enjoyment.  Not a situation, where a
> child is taking lessons, or a serious player.
>
> After a piano is stabilized, I see nothing wrong, with every 3 or 4 years,
> for a tuning.
>
> Any comments?
>
> Regards
> John M. Ross
> Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
> jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives