[pianotech] pros and cons of discounts

[David Ilvedson]

You don't bill before the work is done.   It doesn't matter if they want it right away.   Now that you have experienced the reason why...make it your official policy.   Big discounts sight unseen is asking for trouble...discounts, if you feel you must offer them, should come after a business relationship is actually happening...i.e. the next tuning if they get on a scheduled service.   I still think the best thing is to give them more service for the money.  Clean the pianos when you tune, pedals etc.  

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "Matthew Todd" <toddpianoworks at att.net>
To: pianotuna at yahoo.com; pianotech at ptg.org
Received: 3/27/2010 5:48:14 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] pros and cons of discounts


>PLUS, I gave a $45 discount off per piano.  So at the bottom line , the school still 
>came out ahead.  Maybe that'll be less "tacky" for ya ;-).  Still my fault for not 
>mentioning this previously.


>TODD PIANO WORKS 
>Matthew Todd, Piano Technician 
>(979) 248-9578
>http://www.toddpianoworks.com

>--- On Sun, 3/28/10, Don <pianotuna at yahoo.com> wrote:


>From: Don <pianotuna at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] pros and cons of discounts
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Date: Sunday, March 28, 2010, 12:18 AM


>Hi Mathew,

>While it would be within reason to charge for an appraisal fee--keeping the funds for 
>unperformed service is at best tacky.

>If I were the person doing the hiring you would be "off my list" and I'd tell everyone 
>I knew about it.

>Mathew Todd wrote:

>One time I submitted an invoice to a school to tune four pianos.  They wanted me to 
>fax the invoice right away because they only had a few days to use their funds 
>before the next budget year started.  So I submitted it for four pianos (yes, with a 
>break for each one).  Anyway, when I got there to tune we (the choir director and 
>myself) had discovered one of the pianos had been vandalized.  (Some kid dumped a 
>bucket of water in a grand).  So I skipped that one.  When I finished the three, I 
>submitted another invoice for the three I did.  When I got the check a few weeks 
>later, I found they had still paid me for the four (my original invoice).  You know how 
>much of a hassle it can be to try and deal with this, when you are probably dealing 
>with a dozen different people at the school, so I didn't bother (not my mistake).  Oh, 
>and I don't give credits either.

>Regards,
>Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
>Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat
>mailto:pianotuna at yahoo.com    http://www.donrose.ca/
>3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7
>306-539-0716


>      
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