Advertising budget (who's responsible?)

[Susan Kline]

Since I follow Steve's rebuilds over time, I can say that his customers
have been very happy, and remain happy long-term, which makes it a lot
easier for me when I tell other people about him.

I think I might go so far as to say that doing good work, over and
over, and taking care of any problems happily is the _true_ advertising.
Anything you have to buy with money is just pretend. In fact, over
years of looking at yellow pages listings for piano tuners, I can say
with some degree of confidence that a big display ad is a real
red flag. If someone has to pay all that money for a big
fat ad, he probably needs it because happy, vocal customers just
aren't there.

Susan Kline

At 09:06 AM 12/17/2005 -0800, you wrote:
>In response to the problem with the falling music desk, the issue of whose 
>fault, and the happy ending; this is why pleasing the customer in every 
>case I call my advertising budget.  I don't put out any money for normal 
>advertising except the free(?) listing in the phone book.  Yet through the 
>years I have lost "money" on jobs from time to time in order to please a 
>customer who was in all probability 'trying to take advantage of me'.  Yet 
>by doing so, willingly, I have found that my reputation has steadily grown 
>and now I have all the work I can do or want.  Now obviuosly I still have 
>to do the best work I can, and advertising isn't everything.  Yet by 
>pleasing the customer every time I have developed a confidence that I can 
>please the customers.  This is a great help in selling the work, this 
>confidence.  Now my work is rebuilding.  I am asking the customer to pay 
>me a lot of money on my say so that the will be happy with the product 
>when I am done.  Without confidence it is hard to sell this work.  Always 
>pleasing the customers, even when I'm 'right' and they are 'wrong' gets 
>around the neighborhood and really helps the business.  Just look at the 
>'loss' as your advertising budget.
>Steve Ganz
>
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