[pianotech] Group discount idea for building customer base.

[Chuck Behm]

>because I don't have the luxury of relying on my 30 or 40 years of
reputation in the same town, I have to do all I can to gain customers.< Wim

Wim - Along with offering a basic rate that is competitive, you might
consider offering a group discount for new customers. This has worked well
for me.

Basically, when a new customer calls, tell her that if she is interested in
a tuning, and would like to take advantage of the group discount, that if
she would be willing to schedule 2 or 3 more tunings for you on a
predetermined day in addition to hers (a week or so in the future seems to
work well), each customer's piano would be tuned for, say, $10 less than
your base rate (which is already competitive). Give her the time frame for
the day (I go 9, 11, 1 and 3 o'clock for new customers), explain that there
needs to be some flexibility built into the time schedule to allow for the
unexpected, and have her do the legwork. Tell her you will call back on such
and such a date to verify the names, addresses and phone numbers of you
tuning scheduled for that day.

Then, when at the homes for each tuning, explain  whatever additional
services might be considered, either on that day or in the future. (The key
here is to offer only what is really needed) The most common additional
service that I offer on the day of the tuning is a vacuuming of the action
and under the keys (for vertical pianos), which rarely has been done. This
is not, as has been stated, important to the performance of the piano, but
is certainly beneficial from a simple health standpoint. I've become
severely allergic to dust over the years of working in my shop, and I can
testify that the difference between working and playing on a clean piano and
a filthy one is huge. I charge half the price of tuning for the vacuuming,
do it about 3/4 of the time for a new customer, and therefore more than make
up for the discount that is being offered for the group.

Finally, when booking future tunings, offer a $5 or so discount for the same
group to schedule you in again. This works well in filling entire days with
a reasonable amount of work.

Beats sitting at home watching soaps.  Chuck Behm
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