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PLAYER SECTON
NEW YORK, JULY 29, 1922
Piano Tuners as Player Roll Salesmen
The Problem of Establishing Close Contact With the Owner of a Player-piano After the Instrument Has Been Purchased
Can Be Solved Through the Medium of the Tuner—Some Suggestions for Using the Tuner as a Liaison
Man Between the Dealer and the Customer, With Advantage to All Concerned
Jt is rather a curious fact that in all the dis-
cussions which have taken place over the best
methods for merchandising the music roll on a
larger scale there has been so little mention of
one special possibility, of a possibility which looks
unimportant at first glance, but is seen to be
anything but that when it is examined closely.
It has been recognized clearly by the best men
in the trade that the chief difficulty in the retail
music roll business is to establish contact with
the owner of a player-piano after the instrument
has been purchased, and after the first lot of
music rolls which went with the purchase has
been delivered. When this first complete trans-
action is closed the great problem is to main-
tain contact with the customer and to get him
or her into the habit of buying regularly. There
are many reasons why this is harder in the case
of music rolls than it has been with talking ma-
chine records, and the principal reason is prob-
ably that the public has been wrongly educated
in the first case, but rightly educated in the other.
In other words, the people know the value of a
talking machine record and have been educated to
go into the stores monthly and buy new ones as
they come out. In the case of the music roll
they have not been educated into the true value
of music rolls. They therefore do not buy stead-
ily or in large quantities.
Now, there may be all sorts of other ways than
the one we shall now discuss for bringing the
customer into contact with music rolls. We shall
confine ourselves, however, to this one, because
it is, we believe, new and has not been discussed
in this department before.
In a word, we want to see the experiment tried
of enlisting the tuners in the work of merchan-
dising the music roll. The employed tuners W T C
mean, of course, for we believe that probably it
would be useless to ask any large number of in-
dependent tuners to consider the question. In
fact, from their own point of view they are prob-
ably wise in refusing, as most of them do refuse,
to undertake any side lines. But from the point
of view of the merchant who is employing tuners
to maintain the technical service his customers
require the matter is much different.
Importance of the Tuner
The tuner employed by a retail house comes in
contact with all the house's customers who own
player-pianos. If the house maintains its serv-
ice department from the right point of view it
realizes that service is the most important fea-
ture of that part of the sales policy which con-
sists in keeping an instrument sold after it has
been installed in the purchaser's home. The
tuners have to do a work which is little appre-
ciated at its true value by any save themselves.
They have first to gain the confidence of the
customer. They must make good on any wild
statement made by an ignorant though enthusias-
tic salesman in the heat of a sales talk. They
must keep the purchased instrument in good order
and attend to the frivolous and often unnecessary
complaints which are so constantly made about it.
They usually, in fact, succeed in doing all this
and thereby establish themselves in the good
graces of customers to a degree which their em-
ployers apparently do not always realize. Ob-
viously, this good will should, if possible, be
turned to good account.
Could not each tuner employed outside the
store by a retail house be also employed as a
traveling salesman for the music roll department?
For instance, whenever he calls upon a player-
piano customer he might have with him some six
of the newest rolls from the monthly bulletin,
done up in a neat box, easy to carry and not
heavy. In the country he will travel in a Ught
car, probably, and that makes the matter still
simpler.
But, in any case, suppose that when a tuner
goes to fix up a trouble, or complaint, he has
with him a selection of nice salable rolls. Sup-
pose that when he has fixed up the trouble he
takes out one of these" and plays it nicely! Com-
ment is sure to follow, and from comment to ex-
planation, from explanation to sale are surely
short steps. Rolls, of course, would not be de-
livered on the spot, but orders would be taken and
delivery be made the next day or day after.
Maintenance and Roll Selling
This is putting the matter briefly, but the de-
tails are easily filled in. Without doubt, in our
opinion, every player-piano sold ought to be sold
upon the basis of an agreement that the customer
shall take out a maintenance contract for at
least a year, whereby the safety of the instru-
ment and its continued efficiency during that time
may be guaranteed. If, in pursuance of such a
contract, the tuner calls regularly each month
it is obvious that he ought to be able to sell a
great many music rolls. For it is not that the
customer does not like music.
It is simply, on the other hand, that the cus-
tomer has been miseducated about the whole busi-
ness and has come to believe that the music ought
to be thrown in with a player-piano purchase.
So believing, from the general practice of the
trade, the customer fails to maintain the mental
picture of a music roll library and so simply
messes around with the music already provided,
until this becomes intolerable through constant
repetition. Especially in the case of ephemeral
popular music this staleness develops with un-
expected rapidity. Then, and only then, the
player-piano purchaser feels that he or she must
buy a few new rolls.
And this sort of customer is just the one who,
when the question of buying a few rolls has ac-
tually come up, cannot see why such a roll should
cost one dollar or more.
The tuner here emerges as the savior of the
situation and it seems to us that he can be used
with the greatest effectiveness in the manner
whereof we speak.
Similar considerations apply, of course, to the
reproducing piano. It is being found already that
even with all the merchandising advantages
possessed by this instrument the establishment
of music roll contact demands just as much in-
telligence and just as much persistence as the
original sale ever did, if not more. The music
question is the crux of the whole player merchan-
dising question. It is a case of educating the
people and keeping them up to the mark by
steady advertising and personal contact. They
will respond readily enough, for in their hearts
they want the music we have for them, but they
will not buy if left to themselves.
Here, then, is a new idea for roll salesmanship.
It is not, of course, wholly novel, but now is a
good time to discuss it.
STRIKES AFFECT TRADE, SAYS DUN'S
nience and delay in transportation. Doubts re-
garding future costs and supplies make some
producers hesitate to book additional contracts,
while different buyers are increasingly anxious
about deliveries.
From a manufacturing standpoint, some set-
back has been experienced and the idleness among
workers resulting from the strikes naturally has a
bearing on the public purchasing power. A re-
assuring feature is the fact that not a few trades
report a further broadening of activities, despite
seasonal restraints, and the disposition to antici-
pate requirements more freely, if not everywhere
manifested, is increasing. There are many good
signs in business, and no general lessening of con-
fidence is witnessed.
iij t ;.
Many Good Signs Noted Despite Curtailment of
Buying in Some Lines
The effect of strikes in impeding the business
recovery has become more marked, the gains of
earlier months not being maintained in all lines,
says Dun's review of business conditions this
week. Encouraging progress has continued in
various quarters, but general reports are less uni-
formly favorable and the immediate outlook is
more uncertain. Hopes of an adjustment of the
industrial disputes have not yet been realized, the
coal controversy being in its sixteenth week and
the railroad troubles are causing more inconve-