Confessions of a "Lookerson"

[AlliedPianoCraft]

Correction. 11 years on the bench 20 years in the business.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: AlliedPianoCraft 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 8:56 AM
  Subject: Re: Confessions of a "Lookerson"


  David, my 2 cents.

  What are you worth? Only you can determine that. 
  What do your customers think your worth? Again, only you can determine that.

   After being taught by a master technician 8 hours a day, five day a week for about 1 year, and having regulated and voiced over 2000 pianos and being in this business for 11 years, I gave a customer a bill for the tuning. Her reply was, WOW you're right up there with the plumbers and electricians! That's when I decided I needed to get into a new business. I found something that paid me 3 time more than I was making with only about 1/3 the knowledge I had of pianos. at the time it was a no brainer.

  I soon realized that piano technology more than a business, it was also an art which I missed. After saving a nice sum of money, I decided to go back in the piano business on my terms. I will charge what I think I'm worth and I will be sure that my customers will feel that are getting their money's worth. I am now making more money than I did at the job I left the piano business for. Sorry for ending that sentence with a preposition.

  What do your customers think your worth?............Do you go to their home in shorts and a tee shirt in the summer? Do you go in jeans in the winter?  After speaking with you, do they feel you command the price you charge? Do you dress accordingly? Again, only you can determine that.

  When someone calls to ask you. "What do you charge for a tuning" ? Do you worry that you will loose them if you ask too much? Some may call me a snob, but frankly, I don't want to tune their piano. Shop for price when you know what you're getting. A car, TV, PDA, phone etc. You don't shop for price when you're looking for service, simply because the service people know what their worth.

  Again, my 2 cents.

  Al Guecia
  Allied PianoCraft
  PO Box 1549
  High Point, NC 27261
  (336) 454-2000
  PianoTech at alliedpianocraftcom
  www.alliedpianocraft.com


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: <david at piano.plus.com>
  To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
  Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 6:46 AM
  Subject: Re: Confessions of a "Lookerson"


  > This discussion made me think about the possible economic effects of no
  > piano tuning.  When I thought about it I realised that they are wider
  > than I imagined.
  > 
  > For the average home-ownes, piano tuning is not seen as a "vital" service,
  > in the way that fixing a faulty dommestic appliance or service is.  If the
  > ges or electric stove is bust, it has to be fixed, or no dinner that
  > night. If a drain is blocked, it has to be unblocked.  So the persons
  > doing those jobs can afford to charge a hefty call-out fee and in addition
  > a substantial hourly (or even quarter-hourly) rate - even though fixing
  > the stove may mean a very low-skilled part replacement.
  > 
  > In piano tuning we give at least an hour, all-in, of very concentrated
  > highly-skilled time,  and during that hour the skill is being fully
  > applied all the time.  But we can't in general charge rates comparable to
  > the stove or drain persons.
  > 
  > On the domestic front, if we all hiked our prices up to electrician or
  > plumber heights, people simply wouldn't get the piano tuned, and we
  > wouldn't get work, and homes would have out-of-tune pianos.  Perhaps there
  > would be negligible difference to the economy.
  > 
  > But what of tunings for recitals and studio recordings?  If there were no
  > in-tune pianos, would the piano be almost instantly wiped out as a musical
  > instrument and replaced with electronic keyboards?  Would pianos simply no
  > longer be featured in recordings?  Would CD sales drop?
  > 
  > I don't know!
  > 
  > 
  > Best,
  > 
  > David.
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > "Yep,? the treadmill guy is not over-pricing...Piano techs are under
  > pricing.?? I
  > once told a store owner it cost me less than 1/2 the store discount to get a
  > tuning.? The store discount was competing with my advertising and
  > referrals, and I
  > told that store owner he was losing and the discount had to change.? The
  > store
  > owner found another tech who liked working for peanuts.?? Outrageous store
  > and
  > school discounts fuel low priced techs, because they don't know any
  > different.??
  > Low priced techs then compete in the marketplace with low prices (because
  > thats all
  > they know) and keep market prices low.??? Many techs have the same high level
  > training and experience as surgeons, yet the pay remains as if they are
  > custodians,
  > relegated to sweeping the floor.? Bob".
  > 
  > 
  > 
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