Agreed : 2 comments today : "my piano sound like when it was new" - and "gee, that's a totally new instrument" for a large vertical TOYO and a 2.20 Grotrian, where I made cleaning, filing hammers, tightening screws, the grand have been bring to pitch a week ago installed firm punchings and a bit pre regulation done, today I almost finished regulation, and do a basic voicing pass , plus tuning. The complaint on this 4 years old Grotrian was that it was a very singing instrument in when coming home, but after the first tunings, the charm diseappear (indeed hammers where too much needled and regulation not that expressive) Now it begin to sing again ; for the vertical, took me 4 hours to do the job, filing/mating voicing tuning, cleaning lubricating, side play of keys ... I don't consider I worked that fast in fact, just making one thing then the other. Customer pay happily pay me the same as if I made 6 service calls of 1 1/2 and I am planned for a following in a few weeks. and key bushings are planned for April (these are professional musicians). I prefer spending more time in the same place that running from one customer to the other. Absolutely necessary is to gain experience with shop repair to be at ease in customer's home. Knowing how a piano is supposed to sound and work is also helpful. When a new customer call, I ask about the service history of the piano and I say that possibly more than one trip will be necessary, then, I offer to come to begin the job, I only tell my hour rate, explaining that I'll spend probably 1 hour or 11/2 the first time but I will be able to give a complete figure then. I rarely tune only, I've tried to use a 90 min approach, but it turns to be unrealistic too often. I know of some colleagues that could work like that but prefer do standard tuning schedule (and less heavy bag), in recession time, I guess that is just a fear reaction. On the other hand when the money is rare people appreciate not to spend much, so I can understand that too. I just have to wait for more willing to pay customers, the others having the habit of asking a minimal work will always have a supplementary work done if I work on their piano - I noticed that they generally know that these services are necessary, but sometime, as years go by and their tuner always do the same minimal job, they begin to comfortably believe it is normal. It is not that difficult to wake them up (assuming you don't abuse of the situation !) What I had to learn with time is that when I begin something, I may be able to finish it (more or less) during the service call. People are unable to understand completely that the newly shaped hammers have to be voiced, or that the piano that was bring to pitch need another tuning soon, they stay with the impression that you have finished the work you where there for, even if you have to come later. As when you begin to ameliorate the regulation and tone, the defects stand up very apparent, one may be able to organize to leave things in a reasoneable play state, this is the difficult part I guess. Best regards to all full service techs ! Isaac OLEG ------------------------------------ Isaac OLEG accordeur - reparateur - concert oleg-i@noos.fr 19 rue Jules Ferry 94400 VITRY sur SEINE tel: 033 01 47 18 06 98 fax: 33 01 47 18 06 90 mobile: 033 06 60 42 58 77 ------------------------------------ > -----Message d'origine----- > De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org > [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la > part de David Love > Envoye : vendredi 7 novembre 2003 15:56 > A : Pianotech > Objet : Re: Full Service Appointments > > > I guess it depends on what you consider basic. I think > Barbara, Carol, Del > and I are suggesting that some things beyond just tuning > are basic. My > approach has been to never underestimate what the customer > is able to > perceive. While there may be a few who cannot tell the > difference, there > are many more who can but don't realize that a better > sounding piano was a > possibility. I think you'd be surprised at how often a > little bit of > voicing will elicit the "Gee, I never knew my piano could > sound like that" > response. It's that kind of response that often leads to a > dialogue about > additional work or, as Del mentioned, complete rebuilding. > > David Love > davidlovepianos@earthlink.net > > > > [Original Message] > > From: Clyde Hollinger <cedel@supernet.com> > > To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> > > Date: 11/7/2003 4:11:29 AM > > Subject: Re: Full Service Appointments > > > > Friends, > > > > Let me chime in here with another viewpoint. We need full service > technicians > > for those who can recognize and want that level of > service for their > pianos, > > but we also need those who do good work but are willing > to keep their > services > > pretty basic. > > > > I have customers who would never want to pay for full > service because > when the > > technician is finished they can't tell the difference > anyway. I heard > such a > > comment several days ago. People hate paying for > something that has no > benefit > > they can recognize. > > > > When customers seem to be asking me for services I am not > skilled enough > to > > provide (which rarely happens), I am very comfortable > referring them to > someone > > who is more qualified than I. That basic honesty seems > to go a long way. > I > > came into this profession rather late and did not have > the benefit of > formal > > schooling or working in a piano shop, so I will never be > qualified at the > same > > level some of you are. > > > > But I have been successful, too, judging by the referrals > I get, many > more than > > I could ever handle, even though I suspect my charges are > above the > average. > > And my income is above average also, while tuning only > four days per week. > > Yes, I service a lot of mediocre pianos and some rotten > ones, but someone > has > > to do good work on them, too. > > > > I have tremendous respect for piano rebuilders, whom I > think must know > > everything about everything. But then again maybe they > don't. Some of > us in > > the field become pros at things they never have to deal > with and may not > be as > > good at as we are. So I maintain that there's room and > need for all of > us, > > understanding of course that no one should be ripping off > their customers > by > > charging for doing crappy work. > > > > Regards, > > Clyde Hollinger, RPT > > > > Delwin D Fandrich wrote: > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Barbara Richmond" <piano57@flash.net> > > > > > > > David, > > > > > > > > Well, I must admit, I get rather passionate about the > topic. It was > my > > > path > > > > to success. You *could* say it was what separated me > from the rest of > > > the > > > > boys. ;-) I certainly didn't lose any money on the > deal--just > gained a > > > > good reputation and lots of loyal, regular customers. > Don't get me > > > wrong, I > > > > charged for extras--it just depends on your > definition of "extra." > > > > > > > > Barbara Richmond, RPT > > > > Somewhere near Peoria, IL > > > > > > My practice (until I quit doing in-home servicing) was > to charge a base > fee > > > for two hours. Then I did whatever I could do in those > two hours. It > worked > > > quite well. And I agree about picking up numerous > not-quite-happy > clients > > > from folks who were really quite good tuners. I also > picked up quite a > bit > > > of rebuilding work from customers who had been asking > their former > tuners > > > about various tonal and performance questions for > years. They knew > > > something was wrong even if their tuners did not. > > > > > > Del > > > > _______________________________________________ > > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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