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[Dave Dermont]

RYAN LOUDMUSIC JENKINS wrote on Wed, 23 February 2011 09:43

Mike Monte wrote on Tue, 15 February 2011 20:48 Amongst my other sound gigs, I provide the sound/lighting production for three yearly "non profit" events in my community.  My personal tech services are invoiced as "free" but there is a fee for my gear rental. When the "non-profit" calls just tell them that you'll tech the event for free (an important word) as long as the gear (that you spec) is provided (rented/installed, etc.).  You give "your rider" to the promoter and steer him/her to whom to rent from and the promoter will call you back in sticker shock.... Tell the promoter that he can rent the gear from you...for a negotiated price (even 5% less than the local rental house). The gig is yours. Mike M   I don't know how the laws in your state are but I would do it differently here.  You never give away what you do for a living.  Charge for your labor and donate/discount the rental portion to a non-profit that you want to support.  We have to charge tax on rentals but not on labor.  If you charge for labor but discount the rental you are saving the client even more money while maintaining your bottom line.

This is how a company I work with regularly handles their many requests for donations. He donates equipment rentals to causes he chooses to donate to, and bills out the labor at regular rates.

[Dave Dermont]

Price competition is a part of doing business. Sometimes the clients who base their decisions based solely on price are not the best clients to have.

Nobody wants to pay more than they have to for anything. I your clients are jumping ship and not returning, you have a gap between your price and the perceived value of your service.

Perception is indeed reality.

Or...

He who lives by the basement band shall die by the basement band.

[Ron E. Dee]

If anyone is trying to survive on product alone, then start your bankrupcy paperwork now.

"Great" service is the key!

A good friend and myself started a musical instrument repair & "service" operation for some extra cash. We don't compete w/ GC or any online merch dealers...we can't!

We tell NEW potential "merch" buying customers to find their own best deal on a product.... and then we tell them whether they got screwed or not. Most retailers have a good return policy, but lousy customer services.

It works out pretty good actually. We usually end up being a consultant, setting up their "deal", and selling them accessories! Eventually we earn trust, and sales on more expensive stuff that we have.

When I...and most likely YOU look for an auto mechanic, we don't look for the cheapest. RIGHT? We look for "the" guy that we can trust, and get us a decent deal. And a lifetime relationship! I remember going into panic mode when my GREAT mechanic retired a few years back!

Lets face it...we look for someone to trust, and build a relationship with on major things we don't know or understand! It frees us to think about other things in our lives! Human nature.

There is a way to work the system "if" you keep your head and wits about you!  

Keep in mind that SERVICE is now king....and not necessarily "low price" in the current marketplace!