[pianotech] Complete piano service, was Workload

[Gerald Groot]

That's exactly right.  I've been working for 30 years on bringing in the
better clientele, bringing in better quality pianos although, I think we
still all tune whatever may come along at times.  I do.  It's hard to turn
people away but I do when the time is right and do not when it isn't.
Because of this shall we say, 'edging' toward those with more disposable
income and higher quality pianos, we are consequently not hit nearly as hard
as those that have lower quality instruments in a recession like Michigan
has had since about the year 2000.  We also get less of those that are not
worth repairing and less of those that cannot or will not repair them.  

I have a friend that just tells his customers.  "I am a full service
technician.  Either you fix the piano or, you call someone else."  Of
course, he tells this to clients that own Steinway's or similar product
levels but, it works for him.  I'm not quite that crass but I do get my
point across by often telling them that if a professional would not want to
play on it, why should I, or your child?  

Jer 


-----Original Message----- 
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Andersen 
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 9:47 PM 
To: pianotech at ptg.org 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Complete piano service, was Workload 



> David, your comments are very interesting, and make me envious!  We  
> did have some discussion on here a year or two, about difference in  
> prevailing market conditions in different lands/regions. 
That's right, and the upshot was, if I remember, that the fuller range  
of services you offer in any region or economy the better. 
> 
> In order for what you describe to work (which for you it obviously  
> does!), there has to be 1) sufficient 'population density' of  
> pianos, of decent enough quality to be worth spending the money on,  
> and 2) a good enough local economy, and a willingness of piano  
> owners with reasonable disposable income, to spend it on the piano. 
That's right; that's one of the reasons I choose to live in or near a  
major urban area; there's a lot of good players and good pianos and  
usually more disposable income. 
> 
> Here in the West of Scotland there is a dearth of both! 
And I'm sure there are compelling and elegant reasons you have for  
living there; my point is that wherever you choose to practice,  
offering more than tuning in an artisan, serious atmosphere sets you  
apart from the herd, and eventually gets you the great clients that  
are there... 
> 
> Best regards, 
> 
> David Boyce. 

xo, 
DA 
> 
> 
> 
> "That may sound brutal, but it's the truth. I make six figures every  
> year just on piano service, and I work five weeks out of every six  
> for medical reasons. That means I'm getting paid a lot; and I rarely  
> or ever work on more than two pianos a day, and often just one. 
> I would say 95% of the new client pianos I come to have not had any  
> regular service other than tuning in their lifetime---even studios  
> and serious players, although the percentage in those categories is  
> probably lower---70%---it's enough to keep us in work here in L.A.  
> for the foreseeable future. Once players hear and feel the radical  
> positive change we make by implementing complete piano service, most  
> of them become grateful, elegant clients for life. It's rewarding on  
> all levels". 



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