Small colleges in remote towns

[Ron Nossaman]

>> Is the local tech competent?  Is his/her tuning up to the level they
>> need?  If not, they might just have to get a better local tech.
>
>This college I have not yet visited has made use of all the local techs and
>still feels the need to call on me.

Hi Kent,
That's it then, isn't it? If they aren't happy with the local service,
going outside the area to someone with a good reputation is their next
logical step. If they were contracting based on price, you would never have
gotten the request - just a rate prospecting call.



>> If enough budget to tune frequently enough is the problem, you'll
>> only exacerbate the problem with your higher costs.  They'll just
>> have to bite the bullet and come up with the money.
>
>Indeed. I can't help but think that extra money would be better spent with
>the local techs rather than with me. However, It may very well be that the
>only way they are going to break loose of extra money is if it is going to
>go to an outside tech with (perceived) greater credibility than the local
>techs. I think their evaluation of me and my work will be colored by the
>perception that I _must_ be better since I am the outside expert costing
>them all this extra money.
>
>It's not fair, is it!?
>
>Kent

I can't say about fair, but someone out there needs a little more
education. Before going, I'd ask them what the perceived problems with the
local techs involve. If the locals aren't producing usable initial tunings,
there's no reason you shouldn't tune them at your price and meet their
needs. That is, after all, what you do and good work costs money. If the
locals are doing acceptable tuning, but the tunings don't last as long as
the administration thinks they should, then you should tune some for them
(again, at your price), and give them the climate control lectures they
possibly haven't gotten from the local techs. If the locals have already
tried to educate the administration regarding humidity control, then your
lecture, at your price, will reinforce that their local techs have told
them and everyone gains a notch in credibility. If providing good quality
service and needed information indirectly makes the other tech look less
than adequate, then they need to be spending some time and money upgrading
their information and skills - like you did, and continue to do. If you are
repeating what the local techs have been trying to hammer into the
administrative heads all along, it should (but won't necessarily) indicate
to the too often petrified administrative heads that the problems lie in
their expectations being contrary to the reality of the condition of the
facilities and probably the pianos too.

I've had it go both ways. Sometimes, what I tell them makes the local tech
look good, sometimes not. I do, however, always try to approach it from the
facility and piano condition down, rather than the quality of the last
tuning up. But you already do that.

Bottom line: If their needs can't be locally met, but you can meet them,
and if you are willing and able to fit them into your schedule, then the
fact that it is going to cost them more money isn't something for you to be
concerned with. After all, you didn't outline the requirements.

Ron N