> I think we must be talking about two different things. I, too, service several > Des Moines area schools on a one on one basis on my own terms. Because of the > quantity of pianos I usually give a small discount, but not much. > > The bidding system is only for the inner city schools and is always awarded to > the lowest bid. I confirmed just today with an area dealer that is very close > to the whole process, that indeed the contract has been awarded for $10 per > piano before. We know the tuner involved. > > If you were paid by Riemans, you may have been involved in something else > altogether, I don't know. If you or Riemans were able to get a fair price for > tuning out of these schools somehow, then my hat is off to you. I would be > curious to know who the contact person is that you reffered to. > > You may not of had to do any free tunings, but I would hate to have that legal > clause hanging over my head in case there was an unusually sharp turn in the > weather or some staff member deciding that things were going to be different > this year. > > By the way, beautiful spring weather here. Hope its not getting too ungodly > hot there in Arizona. HA HA > > OK, when its November, you can take your turn. > > Dave Bunch Hi Dave! No, I'm serious, I worked on many inner-sity schools. Not as their "official" tuner via the bidding of course, but I was often sent out by Riemans at their request. More than likely this was because the service they thought they should be getting via the contracted tech wasn't as good as they had perceived. It is interesting how what comes around goes around. If they had accepted bids on merit rather than just what was "cheep" they probably wouldn't have had to be do that. Duh! When I departed Des Moines, Peter Olson told me he had just gotten the contract. I don't know if you knew Peter, but he was a youger guy who was still in the learning process. I'm sure he was doing a pretty good job because I looked at his work and he seemed to be progressing nicely and was taking it very seriously. I'm not 100 percent about who had the contract before that, but I think we both probably have a good idea. I remember when the contract came around. I was called in by Don Cox at Riemans and he asked Dave and I if we should consider bidding. I asked him what they were asking and he said it started at $30. He proposed that we bid $35. I told him I had no interest in it at $35 because I knew how bad most of those pianos were and that I felt that any bid should also include at least some kind of an additional contract to put some technical work into the instruments. Dave agreed that he had no interest, so we let it go. Anyway that's the way I remember it. My overall feeling is that school contracts are really not worth a whole lot unless you can get into a new district somewhere with good pianos and start things of right from the very beginning. Either that or a distoric that he been serious and responsible and understands the real needs. They always seem to want something for nothing and when you tell them the pianos need more work they think your trying to rip them off. Just prior to my departure Des Moines East bought a nice new K from Reimans. I really feel sorry for that instrument. I bet it has already taken a fair beating and I know it will never receive proper maintenance. The contact person to which I was referring is Lisa Kelsey. I don't know if you remember her but she used to work for Riemans- Selling pianos. She knows the importance of maintenance and regular tuning, and she also knows what a proper tuning should cost and why. Lisa left Riemans about two years ago and is now employed as a music teacher in Ankeny. She called me out to service their pianos several times because she couldn't find anyone else who would do a decent job. She scheduled David to come out a couple times too, but he would often forget or have some other excuse and wouldn't show up. Anyway, as a music school music teacher and former piano sales person she probably would be an excellent person to connect with and get support to help with the negotiations of any school contract. That is, if you REALLY want one. Lisa is very nice and has become fed-up with bad School pianos. Yes, I am enjoying Arizona very much, thank you. Actually I am living in Northern Arizona which is in the mountains. It snows here quite a bit in winter, and is very mild in the summer. I am currently working for the university full-time and doing a lot of concert work but I don't intend on making a career of it here. Like all other school contracts they don't pay enough and the pianos need a lot of work. When I leave here the pianos will be in MUCH better shape then when I started (96 total), but will still need more work. Fighting the beurocracy of the administration is the most difficult part of it because I can't get a real budget to buy parts. I did negotiate a deal for them to buy a new "D" recently however, and I also sold a Pianodisc to them. It would seem that it is easier to get them to buy new stuff then to invest in the old. Typical government logic. I am currently looking into the possibility of becoming a partner in a large-scale rebuilding shop. Hopefully that will go through and it will become my career. Anyway that's the poop. Take care and say hi for me to anyone who may care. Rob Goodale, RPT
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