[pianotech] To Don, Mark, and Roger. Was Jeannie, etc (E. A. Snow)

[Leslie Bartlett]

Hi Elizabeth:

 

I am sane because I am no longer a piano dealer, and have not been one since
2002.  My standing joke is:  " I used to be a Baldwin dealer, but I am
feeling much better now!"

 

I had employees, and they did much of the regulation, while I took care of
the higher end stuff.  I remember at one time when the economy was good and
I was selling lots of pianos.  I was tearing my hair out because we never
got into the shop to touch the rebuilding for over a month, because we were
so busy doing uncompensated prep work, most of which should have been done
by a manufacturer.  Think about it, you're selling lots of pianos, and the
moniey is going right by you without stopping to say hello because you don't
have time to do the work that compensates you.  I also remember at the end
of that year, my best year ever, looking at my tiny profit, and thinking,
"That's it, that's ALL for my 80 hour weeks??!!."  That's when I started
thinking it just wasn't worth it because if it is this hard when things are
good, what are my chances of making a decent living when it is not?  

 

You have not heard me criticize other dealers for not doing prep work,
because I know why they don't do it.  Not only does it reduce their profit,
it makes it harder to survive.  

 

Let me state the obvious for some who have missed it:   THERE IS NO DAMN
MONEY IN THIS BUSINESS

[Les]   Now Wim, you have to be consistent. About 15 years ago you did this
program in Houston where you were selling and renting pianos and it was a
going thing, and we should all gobble up the used pianos and turn them into
rentals and make lots of money...  Now, I'm old and I get confused very
easily...........     What about all those guys who are tuning 6-8 a day?
2-3 a day is about all I can manage to do decently, and there isn't a whole
lot of money in that either....

[Les] les bartlett

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