Do you sell pianos?

[Gregor _]

Hi Ric,
 
I just raised my prices in January form 70.- to 80.- Euro for a standard tuning because I have to pay sales taxes now. It´s a German special rule: if you have less than 17.500.- Euro exchange you are entitled to choose if you charge sales tax or not. Now, with my new store, I am definetly over that sum, but before i opted for not paying sales tax. So, the mentioned prices are including tax. And I had no customers complaining about the price raise.
 
Concerning the soundboard replacements: I don´t know *any* German rebuilder who replaces soundboards, even no greater workshops with several technicians on master level. We just don´t do that over here. And we don´t learn that, even not in school in Ludwigsburg. And because it´s not done in the workshops there is nobody who could teach that the aprentees. The German attitude seems to be to conserve old parts and repair them instead of exchanging. I think that way is not so bad. The soundboard is an essential part of the piano and the manufactures have developed a lot of expertise to make them. And every piano modell calls for some specialties that the maker of that pianos knows because he had a long and hard way to go until his piano reached the expected level of quality. When one makes a new soundboard for an old piano it is the question if he is aware of all the thoughts and experiences the manufacturer of that piano once had thought and made. My point is: is a new soundboard an equivalent replacement for the old one? Is it realy that what we need or want, even if it looks like a perfect one to one copy?
 
Another thought about that is the cost and time that is needed extra for a new soundboard. As a rule of the thump one can say that a complete rebuilding needs about 100 hours (without surface work like woodwork or painting and if no new pinblock is needed) and up to 1.000.- Euro for replacement materials (strings, pins.......). So, if you calculate correctly you have to charge at least about 6.000.- Euro (=8.800.- US Dollar) for a comlete rebuilding. That´s what a new Schimmel costs and customers know that. How many hours you need for a new soundboard extra to install even if you build it not by yourself but ordered it from a bonified guy who is specialised in that? And how many dollars you gave this specialist? And last but not least: even a repaired and not replaced soundboard sounds great when it´s done well!
 
Many of my collegues don´t do many complete rebuildings anymore because it´s not called for from the customers who better buy a new one instead of spending the same or even more money to get their old piano rebuilt. That´s true for my situation, too. I specialised myself on "ambulant" repairs, tunings and action jobs (taking the action to the workshop with following regulation) and, of course, selling pianos which brings definetly more money than tunings and repairs. As a consequence, my rebuilding skills became stunted. My last complete rebuilding is 15 years ago. Don´t ask me how to make a new bridge or even just hang in a new set of hammers. But I can live with that shortcoming and I still *love* my job.
 
Having said that, I see a potential need for discussion about soundboard replacements as it seems to be quiet usual in the USA to replace soundboards. Perhaps it might be better to open an extra posting for that?
 
Gregor
 
 
> Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:43:41 +0100> From: ricb at pianostemmer.no> To: pianotech at ptg.org> Subject: Do you sell pianos?> > Hi Gregor.> > Just a couple points. The bit about raising prices... the thinking is > not so much that some folks will react negatively and call the next > guy.... its more along the lines that those are the kinds of customers > you in the end want to not having to deal with.... AND that there ARE > folks out there... and plenty enough of them who DO think that a fellow > who is the cheapest.... is not what they want for their piano. If you > gradually steer your business to that end of the market and are able to > please these people by providing high quality dependable service they > appreciate... they will call you back and you will gradually get more > and more of that kind of customer.> > One other thing... do the prices you give below include or exclude VAT > down there ? And while we are on it... How many 1 man shops would you > estimate in Germany are doing soundboard replacements ?> > Cheers> RicB> > > I read the postings about valuing ourselves and David Love gave the> advise to expand the repertoire for having a better income. That> raises the question: what is your repertoire? Most of you readers> here might be located in the USA and I would like to know with what> you earn your money.> > The German situation is usually this: the typical piano tech who> runs a 1-man-business sells pianos besides from tuning, servicing or> rebuilding them. That does not necessary mean that they run a real> shop, but often there are occasions when you get offered an old> piano for little money or for free. Most of my collegues here in> Germany repair and sell such pianos even if they run no shop with> regular opening hours. There is a German proverb: *Ist der Handel> noch so klein, bringt er mehr als Arbeit ein.* That means: doesn´t> matter how small a dealing is, it allways provides more income than> your hands work. I think it´s true (like the most proverbs).> > So, my situation is typical: 3 days a week I am in field service and> 3 days I am in my store where I sell new and used pianos. And I am> happy that I am not located in a rural areal but in a city with> 280.000 inhabitants (50.000 of them university students) so that I> have not to drive far to my customers. But I think even in a rural> area it should be possible to sell some used pianos. What´s about> the US situation (or elsewhere, here are some british list members,> too)? And if the techs don´t sell the pianos, who then? Are the> dealers typically no techs, just sales people? Here in Germany> almost every dealer has a background as technician. Concerning the> prices: I charge (converted) 117 US-Dollar and the range in my> hometown is from 110 to 147 Dollar. That´s my orientation for my> prices. And I don´t feel better or worse than my competitors. I just> try to stay at the lower price level and I don´t think that I would> get more customers if I decided to raise my prices because customers> think: more expensive=better quality. Many people call and ask for> prices at the phone. Then they compare and call again (or not). All> competitors in my area have a good reputation, so for most customers> it´s a question of money. And it´s getting worse year by year: since> 6 or 7 years the German income situation has dramatically changed.> People from the middle income class can´t afford many products or> services anymore and money is getting shorter for many people. An> advertising slogan from the biggest electronic discounter is> "closefistedness is cool" and has meanwhile gotten proverb status.> So, it´s the price that counts when range of quality within the> competitors is small.> > Gregor> 
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