[pianotech] Credit Card Service providers - which one

[William Monroe]

Right, I understand that.  Which is why I wrote:

"I won't say you can't generate extra business by offering the convenience
of a cc - particularly if you do a lot of retail sales such as tools, or
accessories - it can make it very easy to buy, and customers like
convenience.  But there are trade-offs and again, in the field, my
experience is that won't make two bits difference."

I should have written, "my experience is that it won't make two bits
difference *for me."  *To expand, I'm busy.  Extremely busy.  I'm not
looking for more work.  If I were, I might consider adding CC service, but
while I might end up taking CC quite often for services rendered, most of
those who do pay with CC will also be willing to pay with checks.  I would
still maintain that it would be hard to justify the convenience for the
very very few who might not be willing to write me a check.

Just sayin' back at you.

WRM




On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 8:34 PM, <tnrwim at aol.com> wrote:

> William
>
> In all my adverting and on my web site it says I accept cc's. So you might
> even know you're loosing business if you don't say you accept cc's on your
> web site, and your competition does.
>
> Just say'n
>
> Wim
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jan 24, 2013, at 8:18 AM, William Monroe <bill at a440piano.net> wrote:
>
> I agree with Larry.  For most of us in the trenches, offering credit card
> services is a convenience, not a requirement to do (good) business.  Just
> because I use my card for lots of things, doesn't mean I have to offer it
> for my piano service business.  Occasionally I run into the same thing at
> other businesses, and while it may be less convenient for me to pay cash or
> check, it's just that convenience.
>
> Larry's point is valid that as a business, we pay for our client's
> convenience if we accept cc's.  We can offset that cost in many ways, but
> it is still legitimately a cost.  And, I can honestly say that I have never
> lost business or a sale explicitly or implicitly because I didn't take
> cc's.  I've only had folks ask maybe a dozen times if I'll take cc, and
> it's never been a problem that I haven't.  Not as convenient for them,
> perhaps, but it hasn't lost me business.  That includes everything from a
> service call to full rebuilds costing over $30K.
>
> And, to suggest that those of us who don't take cc's are not "good
> business [people]" is overly judgmental.  Define "good business person."
>  If "good business person" means offering every available convenience to
> our clients, then yes, I fail, and I run a poor business.  But I think
> there are other measures that are more meaningful.  Plus, I think that
> folks have a pretty easy time accepting that all of us enigmatic,
> eccentric, odd ducks that call ourselves piano technicians often shun
> (select) modern conveniences.
>
> I won't say you can't generate extra business by offering the convenience
> of a cc - particularly if you do a lot of retail sales such as tools, or
> accessories - it can make it very easy to buy, and customers like
> convenience.  But there are trade-offs and again, in the field, my
> experience is that won't make two bits difference.
>
> William R. Monroe
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 10:07 AM, <tnrwim at aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Larry
>>
>> For what it's worth, not accepting cc's for the reasons you describe is
>> like not tuning the rest of the pianos in a church because the church is
>> now using an electronic piano in their sanctuary.
>>
>> Yes, many of my customers use a cc so they can get miles, or cash
>> back. But I do the same thing. I used my miles to fly to Phoenix for the
>> Westpac convention.  I also get a check from Costco twice a year that helps
>> pay the groceries.
>>
>> It's also much more convenient. There are so many times that I need a cc
>> because cash won't do. Just yesterday, when I flew to a neighbor island to
>> tune some pianos, the airline would only accept a cc, for the $15 bagage
>> fee.
>>
>> And last, I have "made" money, because a customer put the repairs, or
>> even a tuning, on a cc because they didn't have their check book. I've had
>> a brother who lives in New York, instead of sending me a check, and having
>> to wait for it to clear, give me his cc to pay to have his sister's piano
>> tuned as a gift, the nest day..
>>
>> I'm sorry you had a problem. But accepting cc's is part of being a good
>> business person. It's like not using the internet because of
>> scammers.  Yes, it costs a few dollars, but so does using an ETD. It's
>> convenient, it's fast, and it saves a lot of time.
>>
>> Just my 3 cents worth. (I'm cheap, but everything is more expensive in
>> Hawaii)
>>
>> Wim
>>
>>   -----Original Message-----
>> From: Larry Fisher RPT <larry_fisher at pdxtuner.com>
>> To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
>> Sent: Thu, Jan 24, 2013 5:19 am
>> Subject: [pianotech] Credit Card Service providers - which one
>>
>>   Hi Jurgen,
>>
>> I’ve heard good things about The Square as Wim has reported.
>>
>> I have had one experience with plastic.  It wasn’t good.  In 2005 I made
>> the massive mistake of being part of a restaurant venture with a total
>> trash talking fool.  A few months later I was left holding the bag and
>> painfully lost lots of money.  A local processing company was paid off in
>> full and I thought that was the end of it.  Central Processing has been
>> calling me ever since to collect on a card processing machine that I paid
>> off through the local processing company.  CP doesn’t have a good following
>> on the web.  My story is repeated in lots of places by lots of people.
>>
>> It caused me to continue to take a strong stand on the idea of accepting
>> plastic.  I don’t need to entice additional work by accepting plastic.  I
>> can live nicely with out the perceived losses of not gaining the income
>> from people that need to use their cards so that they can get the points so
>> they can get something made poorly for free or dirt cheap.  In short, I’m
>> supporting someone else’s spending plus a processing company by giving up a
>> percentage of my income  .....  and then there’s the additional
>> bookkeeping.  If that’s not enough, there’s the CP factor that endures the
>> ages.  I’ll pass.
>>
>> Just my dollar two thirty eight.
>>
>> Good luck with your search.
>>
>> Lar
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
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