Pianotech

I record who made the referral in Gazelle using the "referred by" feature, but I don't give any kind of discount, just a genuine thank you the next time I see the referring client. 

I don't like the idea of discounting. If so-and-so finds out you have their cousin a discount but not them they'll be mad, and that opens a whole can of worms. Another can of worms is building your business to attract the kind of people who will only call if there's a discount involved. The ideal clients are the ones who willingly schedule extra work and who don't complain when you raise your prices to compensate for double digit inflation. The discount crowd doesn't fit into that category. 

The only exception to that rule in my business is either specific cases where I'm working for the client more as a ministry than for business, or the local dealership. I do floor tunings at a significant discount because (1) I can do a lot of them in a shorter amount of time, thus making up for the difference in price; (2) because the referrals the store gives me generally yield nice clients with new pianos who want regular service, so it works out in the long run; and (3) it's something to do during the slower seasons. But other than those two exceptions, I don't discount. 

I record who made the referral in Gazelle using the "referred by" feature, but I don't give any kind of discount, just a genuine thank you the next time I see the referring client. 

I don't like the idea of discounting. If so-and-so finds out you have their cousin a discount but not them they'll be mad, and that opens a whole can of worms. Another can of worms is building your business to attract the kind of people who will only call if there's a discount involved. The ideal clients are the ones who willingly schedule extra work and who don't complain when you raise your prices to compensate for double digit inflation. The discount crowd doesn't fit into that category. 

The only exception to that rule in my business is either specific cases where I'm working for the client more as a ministry than for business, or the local dealership. I do floor tunings at a significant discount because (1) I can do a lot of them in a shorter amount of time, thus making up for the difference in price; (2) because the referrals the store gives me generally yield nice clients with new pianos who want regular service, so it works out in the long run; and (3) it's something to do during the slower seasons. But other than those two exceptions, I don't discount. 

Referral fees for a typical tuning business don't make much sense to me, simply because word-of-mouth is so integral to how most of us get business. Everyone would get discounts!

It's easy to get into the discount mindset when starting out. "They'll like me better if I give discounts for this, that, and the other thing."  I've gotten away from discounting. It's a rabbit hole. My only "discount" is splitting mileage fees.

I had a teacher recently that demanded a discount in return for referrals. She was the first to ask-I tune for a lot of teachers.

I let that one go.

The concept of discounting might actually be a good business article subject for the Journal…

In 41 years, I have only had a handful of people ask about a referral reward. Most didn't expect anything, just asked. I find people are acting out of gratitude towards me, and wishing good service to their friend when the recommend me. 

Teachers are a different category. 

I thought hard about it before I went to the MTNA national convention to represent the PTG. I told them I don't mind being asked about a discount, but it is generally a bad idea. If I am tuning for a discount, I will feel pressure to spend less time, not more. Pay me my standard fee and I will gladly spend a little extra time taking care of a problem. Teachers should want their piano to be in better condition than their students'. They expect me to be grateful for their imprimatur on my services to their students, and that will make me lots of money. I then explained most teachers have 20-40 students, and I might pickup a couple of them, for which I am grateful. I have more than 600 clients a year, and I am asked more than 40 times a year, "Do you know a good piano teacher?" I can make them more money than they can make me. I am happy to do so, because I am helping my client, the teacher, and the entire industry. 

Referral fees for a typical tuning business don't make much sense to me, simply because word-of-mouth is so integral to how most of us get business. Everyone would get discounts!

It's easy to get into the discount mindset when starting out. "They'll like me better if I give discounts for this, that, and the other thing."  I've gotten away from discounting. It's a rabbit hole. My only "discount" is splitting mileage fees.

I had a teacher recently that demanded a discount in return for referrals. She was the first to ask-I tune for a lot of teachers.

I let that one go.

The concept of discounting might actually be a good business article subject for the Journal…

Whenever I refer a friend, acquaintance, whatever, to someone, usually for non-piano work, it's because I want that person to get the best service they can and because I believe in the person I am referring them to. I really don't expect even a thank you from the person I'm referring them to. It's more important, to me, to learn that my friends were happy and that they agree that the person I referred them to did a good job. In other words, I'm not making the referral to please the person being referred to. I make it to please the person I am referring. In regards to my own business, I want my customers to treat me the same. I want them to like my work enough to refer their friends to me because they believe in me, and they want their friends to receive the same quality service. Not because they expect to receive thanks from me or to get paid for the referral.

I have found in my work that pretty much the only people that ever ask me for discounts for referrals are method teachers. Teachers that are not teaching method styles are almost always teaching because they love what they are doing and they want their students to love music, too. Method teachers, in my experience, are generally more money and award motivated. I routinely tell them no. They, in turn, seldom refer anyone to me and seldom bring me back to service their piano again. But sometimes they do. And I'm quite fine with that either way.

The only discount I give is for servicing multiple pianos in the same household or location, on the same visit, or within, perhaps, a walk across the street when the two parties have scheduled their tunings back-to-back. If I have to get in my car to get to that additional piano there is (generally) no discount. My discount is 10% on all service provided on that visit. I have one customer that calls me to service three pianos for his family all on the same day. All very close. I give him the usual 10% discount. One time he started to barter with me for more of a discount. I asked him to please not barter with me. This is my already discounted fee. He smiled, paid me, and I still see him, and those three pianos regularly.

In my database I always make a note of how the customer found me. These days much of my business is usually word-of-mouth from a friend. The next time I see that referring customer I am frequently greeted with their thanks for having taken care of their friend, who was quite happy with my work. However, if they don't bring it up I do, and thank them for the referral. 

Whenever I refer a friend, acquaintance, whatever, to someone, usually for non-piano work, it's because I want that person to get the best service they can and because I believe in the person I am referring them to. I really don't expect even a thank you from the person I'm referring them to. It's more important, to me, to learn that my friends were happy and that they agree that the person I referred them to did a good job. In other words, I'm not making the referral to please the person being referred to. I make it to please the person I am referring. In regards to my own business, I want my customers to treat me the same. I want them to like my work enough to refer their friends to me because they believe in me, and they want their friends to receive the same quality service. Not because they expect to receive thanks from me or to get paid for the referral.

I have found in my work that pretty much the only people that ever ask me for discounts for referrals are method teachers. Teachers that are not teaching method styles are almost always teaching because they love what they are doing and they want their students to love music, too. Method teachers, in my experience, are generally more money and award motivated. I routinely tell them no. They, in turn, seldom refer anyone to me and seldom bring me back to service their piano again. But sometimes they do. And I'm quite fine with that either way.

The only discount I give is for servicing multiple pianos in the same household or location, on the same visit, or within, perhaps, a walk across the street when the two parties have scheduled their tunings back-to-back. If I have to get in my car to get to that additional piano there is (generally) no discount. My discount is 10% on all service provided on that visit. I have one customer that calls me to service three pianos for his family all on the same day. All very close. I give him the usual 10% discount. One time he started to barter with me for more of a discount. I asked him to please not barter with me. This is my already discounted fee. He smiled, paid me, and I still see him, and those three pianos regularly.

In my database I always make a note of how the customer found me. These days much of my business is usually word-of-mouth from a friend. The next time I see that referring customer I am frequently greeted with their thanks for having taken care of their friend, who was quite happy with my work. However, if they don't bring it up I do, and thank them for the referral. 

Whenever I refer a friend, acquaintance, whatever, to someone, usually for non-piano work, it's because I want that person to get the best service they can and because I believe in the person I am referring them to. I really don't expect even a thank you from the person I'm referring them to. It's more important, to me, to learn that my friends were happy and that they agree that the person I referred them to did a good job. In other words, I'm not making the referral to please the person being referred to. I make it to please the person I am referring. In regards to my own business, I want my customers to treat me the same. I want them to like my work enough to refer their friends to me because they believe in me, and they want their friends to receive the same quality service. Not because they expect to receive thanks from me or to get paid for the referral.

I have found in my work that pretty much the only people that ever ask me for discounts for referrals are method teachers. Teachers that are not teaching method styles are almost always teaching because they love what they are doing and they want their students to love music, too. Method teachers, in my experience, are generally more money and award motivated. I routinely tell them no. They, in turn, seldom refer anyone to me and seldom bring me back to service their piano again. But sometimes they do. And I'm quite fine with that either way.

The only discount I give is for servicing multiple pianos in the same household or location, on the same visit, or within, perhaps, a walk across the street when the two parties have scheduled their tunings back-to-back. If I have to get in my car to get to that additional piano there is (generally) no discount. My discount is 10% on all service provided on that visit. I have one customer that calls me to service three pianos for his family all on the same day. All very close. I give him the usual 10% discount. One time he started to barter with me for more of a discount. I asked him to please not barter with me. This is my already discounted fee. He smiled, paid me, and I still see him, and those three pianos regularly.

In my database I always make a note of how the customer found me. These days much of my business is usually word-of-mouth from a friend. The next time I see that referring customer I am frequently greeted with their thanks for having taken care of their friend, who was quite happy with my work. However, if they don't bring it up I do, and thank them for the referral. 

Whenever I refer a friend, acquaintance, whatever, to someone, usually for non-piano work, it's because I want that person to get the best service they can and because I believe in the person I am referring them to. I really don't expect even a thank you from the person I'm referring them to. It's more important, to me, to learn that my friends were happy and that they agree that the person I referred them to did a good job. In other words, I'm not making the referral to please the person being referred to. I make it to please the person I am referring. In regards to my own business, I want my customers to treat me the same. I want them to like my work enough to refer their friends to me because they believe in me, and they want their friends to receive the same quality service. Not because they expect to receive thanks from me or to get paid for the referral.

I have found in my work that pretty much the only people that ever ask me for discounts for referrals are method teachers. Teachers that are not teaching method styles are almost always teaching because they love what they are doing and they want their students to love music, too. Method teachers, in my experience, are generally more money and award motivated. I routinely tell them no. They, in turn, seldom refer anyone to me and seldom bring me back to service their piano again. But sometimes they do. And I'm quite fine with that either way.

The only discount I give is for servicing multiple pianos in the same household or location, on the same visit, or within, perhaps, a walk across the street when the two parties have scheduled their tunings back-to-back. If I have to get in my car to get to that additional piano there is (generally) no discount. My discount is 10% on all service provided on that visit. I have one customer that calls me to service three pianos for his family all on the same day. All very close. I give him the usual 10% discount. One time he started to barter with me for more of a discount. I asked him to please not barter with me. This is my already discounted fee. He smiled, paid me, and I still see him, and those three pianos regularly.

In my database I always make a note of how the customer found me. These days much of my business is usually word-of-mouth from a friend. The next time I see that referring customer I am frequently greeted with their thanks for having taken care of their friend, who was quite happy with my work. However, if they don't bring it up I do, and thank them for the referral.