This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment and the point of this post is? Marshall ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Pianofxrguy@aol.com=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 1:21 PM Subject: An open letter to Marshall I would make this a private e-mail to Marshall, but he has been very = public in his comments: Marshall, This is John, one of the other South Bend tuner/techs. I am a = lurker on the list, because I only get to check every couple of days and = by the time I could make a comment on a topic it has usually been well = commented on by everyone else. I greatly value the information shared = among piano technicians on this forum and find that it echoes the = general helpfulness when techs get together in person. I feel that you need to chill out a bit in your opinion of this = area and the current piano business atmosphere. The "one" local dealer = has survived because he concentrates on selling pianos and being of = service to his customers instead of bashing other dealers and their = products the way the rest of the, now defunct, dealers in this area have = done. I have done floor tunings for him for over 30 years, and there are = 2 other tuners who also tune at the store part of the time. I don't = know, but I suspect that having yet another tuner coming in would be a = bit of overkill.=20 If you recall from our conversation a year or so ago, I told you = that I didn't have time to do a mentor/apprentice thing with you but = that the Potter course would be a good start and then you should get = further information from someone with knowledge about the particular = things you would need to learn as a sight challenged tuner. I also told = you that I would be happy to answer any questions that you had, but that = following me around on the days that I tuned in the store would be = inconvenient for my work and a little uncomfortable for the dealer. Most = dealers don't want people wandering around the store who aren't either = customers or doing some sort of work. A store is a place of business, = after all. If you had come in once a month or so, as I suggested, there = was some work, for instance de-stringing a grand piano in the back room, = that I was going to hire you to do. It would have been good experience = for you, kept me doing what I am mainly there to do, and the dealer was = fine with the arrangement. You never came back. I didn't know whether = that meant you were not all that interested in learning the business or = if you took offense at something I had said. I can now assume the = latter. In our area, every piano tech that I know of has come in and taken = a couple of years to get up and running with a business, working other = jobs at first to make ends meet and some finally going full time. Each = one has built up a client base and developed their reputation and has = worked hard to keep their business afloat. I don't think that any of us = is "hogging" piano customers, and I know that none of us is wealthy = enough to stop taking on new ones. Unlike most other service businesses, = tuners from time to time call another tuner to cover for them at a = particularly busy time of year or if there are scheduling conflicts that = can't be overcome, but we call on people whose tuning skills we are = familiar with and whom we trust with the piano of one or more of our = valued customers. You have been in the business a month or two and none = of us knows anything about your work. You may be a fine tuner, but it is = unlikely that I would recommend you to someone who trusts my judgement = until I know that you would do a satisfactory job. If you screw up, I = get the blame.=20 I think you need to work on your attitude toward the other tuners = in the area, every one of which has been in some measure willing to talk = to you and answer questions as far as I know. Regarding our area; I have = lived here all my life and love this area, even with its artistic = deficiencies, but if I hated being here, I think that would show in my = relations with my customers. If you are truly wanting to get started = around here, it would be to your benefit to work well with others. No = one owes you a start in this business, but if any of us can send = something your way when it seems appropriate, it is likely we would do = it once we know who and what we are dealing with.=20 I have, perhaps, been a little free with the terms "we" and "us" = since I haven't talked to anyone else about this. In fact, I only know 4 = other tuners personally, but from my understanding of the ones that I = know and from what I know about the others, I think we're a pretty laid = back bunch and fairly easy to get along with given a little effort. Call = any tuner you wish and offer some suggestions about how to demonstrate = your skills and I think you might pick up some referrals, but it would = be best not to assume that a tuner has a lot of time to chat in the = evening as he/she is either making business calls of their own or trying = to spend a little time with their family. Brief and to the point makes a = good call, maybe set up a mutually agreeable time to have a longer = conversation. I would not suggest that you make this your primary source = of customers, however, because other tuners are in the business of = building their own customer base and it may be that they would only have = something for you once in a while. You have had excellent advice from = others on the list on the topic of starting to build a client list, = including several things that I wish I had heard of 30 years ago.=20 It all comes down to you and the effort that you want to put out. = If you are seriously considering moving, you would probably not be = working with a mind set of long term customer relations and that might = effect the way you go about it. I would encourage you to sell your = skills and personality rather than trying subterfuge to gain business. = Keeping a reputation of honest dealings is more valuable in the tuning = business maybe than in some other service related fields. I am pretty sure there are plenty of pianos in the area if you = have the desire and perseverance to stick it out through the difficult = times.=20 Sorry for the length of this e-mail, you should see the stuff I = left out. Still available for consultation and question answering, John Stroup =20 =20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/2e/47/b8/86/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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