Piano care: more than tuning

     Tuning a piano and caring for a piano are two very different things.  I employ tuners and I have had a very difficult time finding tuners who will do more than basic tunings.  There is also a difference between educating the customer about their piano needs and upselling for the purpose of greater profits.
     One common piano problem for instance is sticking keys.  This can be a difficult problem to fix because there can be many causes of the problem.  Tuners do something called key easing if the problem is friction in the key bushings.  The bushing is a material lining the slot in the front of the key and so this bushing can swell creating unwanted friction as the key moves.  The problem is to compress the bushing enough to stop the friction.  Too little compression and the key could return to sticking after the tuner has gone and then you get a call back.  Too much and you could damage the key or cause the key to wobble from side to side.  Tuners not interested in caring for the piano will compress too much to avoid being called back.  This fixes the problem of sticking but is not the best thing for the customer's piano.
     This is actually a easy problem to explain to the customer because you can show the key sticking and show that the key is sticking and not another part of the piano action  by moving the action from just above the key and if that moves freely it is the key.  My customers appreciate my taking the time to show them the cause and solution to a problem and then have no problem authorizing the repair.  Tuners that work for me will usually not take this personal interest in the customer.  I am constantly trying to educate my tuners with this concept of customer care verses just being a piano tuner.  This helps them give better care to their own customers and gives value to them sticking with me.  The other problem with employing tuners is that as they become better and get more of their own customers they eventually leave my employ so I have to keep finding new tuners as well as customers.

Strategic closing: Sometimes necessary

     Most business plans include an "exit strategy".  sometimes a business needs to close with a specific plan to reopen.  Reasons could be: 1) Another better leasing opportunity:  The economy continues to pressure landlords to reduce leases costs to get spaces occupied.  A business needs to continue to sample the market to find these deals and consider the value to a relocation.  As people sometimes walk away from a house these days one can walk away from a lease  if circumstances make this option attractive.  There are many things to consider including tax implications but this option is increasingly attractive.
     2) How long it will take to turn a profit:  It is the norm to work for a long time without paying yourself a dime and often if the original business plan is sound the current lacation can be made to work if your personal circumstance can allow you to hold on long enough.  sometimes one re-evaluates when the profitable date might happen and it is not possible.  You can shutter a business and sell online of at flea markets of Expos to keep alive and re-open with better circumstances and get profitable sooner thaan if you held on in the first location.
     It is good to have cheap rent but if there is sufficient business the higher rent is sometimes better.  The bottom line something you have to consider.

Driving business traffic

     Unique products:  If the product or service cannot be found in competing businesses in the area customers will drive considerable distances to get what they need.  With fusion marketing you put something in another store and that store puts something in your store and both send customers to each other.  If you offer a service that another simjilar business does not offer and the other business offers something you do not offer you can send customers to each other too.  Having items in the store made by local craftsman that are unique is a little different than fusion marketing because the items cannot be found elsewhere and I have tried to do that with gift items with a musical theme.
     Substantial savings:  Big stores often advertise a few items at very low prices.  I think some of these items might be sold at cost or under and a big store can do that easier than a small one because once a customer is in the store they often buy many other things providing profit from the total sale.  A small store like mine cannot do that as easily as customers come for a few specific things.  The convenience of getting something close to home would offset saving on a few relatively inexpensive items.
     What would be most effective with a small store like mine is making the visit itself a value to the customer.  If a musician can feel welcome and perhaps talk with other musicians or sit and play an instrument that is in stock of a brand or model that he might not be familiar with the visit itself has value.  Too often if a customer does not buy anything he is made to feel like he is unwelcome.  I am happy to have customers visit and look at what I have in the store.  His talking about visiting the store with friends is valuable advertising that could produce sales and if the potential customer feels good about a visit the next time there might be a sale.
     I am delighted whenever anyone walks into my door and I think customers pick up on that.