First Satisfied Customer
I had my first official customer today, and a satisfied one at that. As mentioned a couple of posts ago, I've been attempting to repair an old mower owned by "Pat", the lady who actually got me started on this whole Small Engine Repair idea. I was able to fix the damaged wheel-adjuster by using an oversized washer to brace what was left of the metal, and it worked splendidly! With the mounting bolt torqued down nice and tight, and the moving parts well lubricated, that adjuster may well outlive the rest of the machine.
I was a little concerned about the total on the bill, but she was more than happy with it. Apparently, my rates are considerably lower than what people had charged in the past, and the fact that I'm an official authorized service centre adds to my credibility. True to her word, Pat has been spreading the news about my new venture, and she says that she's got a number of people all champing at the bit, wondering how to get hold of me! As per her request, I gave her a stack of my business cards which she'll hand out. You really can't get better advertising than positive word-of-mouth, especially in a small town!
I'm charging a shop-rate of $45 per hour, which the Briggs & Stratton rep thought was a little low, and Pat seems to have confirmed. I'm also giving a 10% discount to seniors, so hopefully that will make people happy as well. I may raise the prices a little here and there in the future, but I think it's better to have lower prices and plenty of work, than high prices and little (or no) work.
Here's hoping for continued Satisfied Customers! :)
I was a little concerned about the total on the bill, but she was more than happy with it. Apparently, my rates are considerably lower than what people had charged in the past, and the fact that I'm an official authorized service centre adds to my credibility. True to her word, Pat has been spreading the news about my new venture, and she says that she's got a number of people all champing at the bit, wondering how to get hold of me! As per her request, I gave her a stack of my business cards which she'll hand out. You really can't get better advertising than positive word-of-mouth, especially in a small town!
I'm charging a shop-rate of $45 per hour, which the Briggs & Stratton rep thought was a little low, and Pat seems to have confirmed. I'm also giving a 10% discount to seniors, so hopefully that will make people happy as well. I may raise the prices a little here and there in the future, but I think it's better to have lower prices and plenty of work, than high prices and little (or no) work.
Here's hoping for continued Satisfied Customers! :)