In a message dated 98-07-01 10:22:18 EDT, you write: << Very few of us can work full time as both a tuner and a rebuilder. Don't think there are that many hours in a day. ;-) Like you, most of my time is spent in tuning, minor repairs, and action work; however, I offer my clients full piano service through a partnership I have with another technician. He does all the major rebuilding; I limit myself to action rebuilding only. Many times I subcontract the entire rebuilding job to him. I sell the initial job to my customer and do all the follow-up work after the piano is delivered. The client always remains mine, but the rebuilding contract with the customer is in both our names. The responsibility for the finished product belongs to both of us. This format works well for us; other technicians have other formats that work equally well. The key to our success is total and complete trust and respect for our partnership. Each of us knows exactly what/how/when/where/why/who for each aspect of the job. If something unexpected occurs, we address the details and work out a solution that is equitable to both of us. Foremost, always, is our mutual obligation to the customer. Subcontracting can be a scary premise, especially if you haven't established a trusting relationship with your subcontractor. It's up to you to do your homework: not only do I recommend that you see some of his/her work yourself, I also recommend you check out their business reputations. Honesty, pride and quality of work go hand in hand. Once you find the right person to work with, you have the potential to increase both your incomes. Gina Gina Carter, Charlotte NC >> I spend 3 days per week making house calls in tuning and repairing. 2 days per week rebuilding in my shop. I like the flexability. I may not be fast in getting the product out of the shop, but the customers I work with do not mind. The reason for this type of schedule is when I get tired of tuning all day, I can look forward to the solitude of my shop. When I spend a hard working day in the shop, I look forward to tuning the next day. They both compliment each other. And I still make a decent living. Dave Peake, RPT Portland, OR
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC