[pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

PTG exists because its members pay to support it. Your annual dues are your share of the cost.
If for some reason you are ill or have a special hardship, an exception may be granted, but the vast majority of our membership consider it a bargain and pay happily to maintain their membership status and our organization.

Business advisors have a concept called "permission of the market." When people buy your product at a price that keeps you in business, you have permission of the market. If people don't buy your product, you don't have permission of the market. To succeed in business you need to change your product or change your market until you get permission of the market to exist as a business.

The fact that PTG exists, has thousands of members, and can afford to give some of its product away for free indicates that PTG has permission of the market.

Ed Sutton

-----Original Message-----
>From: Matthew Todd <toddpianoworks at att.net>
>Sent: Sep 2, 2011 12:44 AM
>To: "pianotech at ptg.org" <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?
>
>So if you become an RPT, and then fail to pay your dues one year, do you get stript of your RPT status until you give the guild your money?
> 
>Matthew
>
>
>From: Gerald Groot <tunerboy3 at comcast.net>
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Sent: Thursday, September 1, 2011 8:37 PM
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?
>
>I love my work.  I really do.  But, if I couldn't make a living at it, I
>would do something different.  But, I would most certainly not bite the hand
>that feeds them.... Meaning, all of the learning you're received for nothing
>here. 
>
>I would think that anything a person could do to improve one's likelihood of
>acquiring more business would be most prudent. As I said, I have received
>numerous emails from people that have looked on the PTG website looking for
>a piano tuner.  2 emails from the PTG website easily pays my dues for a
>whole year.  :)
>
>Jer
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>Of Duaine Hechler
>Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 8:30 PM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?
>
>On 09/01/2011 05:53 PM, Gerald Groot wrote:
>>
>> That isn't true at all Matthew. That, my friend, is a frame of mind - a
>mindset that you and many other tuners have 
>> made for yourself that sets your prices low and keeps them low. What you
>think, is not necessarily the actual way 
>> things work in business. In any business. Prices must be raised from time
>to time in order to keep up with the cost of 
>> living and in order to make a living. I've heard many tuners say that "my
>customer won't pay that!" That's wrong. I 
>> have a friend here who lives in Grand Rapids 12 minutes from where I live
>that says the same thing. Yet, I have the 
>> same exact customer types as he does. Mine pay it. His might not though
>but, that is only because of his negative 
>> attitude.
>>
>> Case in point. As an example only. My base fee for tuning here, is $150.
>That is JUST for tuning only! Major pitch 
>> raises are extra. Removing the action is extra. Repairs are extra. Sure, I
>toss little things in here and there, we 
>> all do that. But, that is besides the point. I average well above that
>price for most tunings. I tune at least 3 or 4 
>> a day and am always booked ahead all year long. I used to tune 6-9 a day
>but at age 55, I'm intentionally slowing 
>> myself down, trying to go for 3 tunings a day but, I'm far too busy to do
>that so, I keep tuning more and more. JFor 
>> this next month, I will be tuning no less than 5 a day, 6 days a week. I
>am booked solid through September. I have 
>> most of October booked out. I have all of November booked out. I have all
>of December booked out. I have all of 
>> January booked out. I have all of March booked out. By booked out, I mean
>NO openings at all. I have 4 or 5 action 
>> jobs already scheduled for next summer. So, if what you said were true
>about raising prices, I would have gone out of 
>> business long ago.
>>
>> That did not come by me "naturally." I worked my tail off for years to
>build up my business and my reputation so that 
>> I could be that busy. The fact is, our business is built up on our own
>reputations. On our honesty, our integrity, our 
>> quality of workmanship, on our dependability and much more not to mention
>how we treat our customers. It's no wonder 
>> so many tuners are complaining about a lack of work with how they treat
>the RPT's in here. If they treat their clients 
>> the same way, I would never call them and being an RPT that knows these
>people, I would NEVER recommend them nor would 
>> I sub contract anything to them. That becomes their loss. Attitude is
>everything.
>>
>> Jer
>>
>Jer,
>
>That's great if you can get 5 or 6 tunings a day - really it is.
>
>BUT - again, it called demographics - if the business ain't there - it ain't
>there. You just can't go around drumming up 
>business out of thin air. If nobody has pianos anymore then where are you
>going to find them - in hideouts, in 
>speakeasy's - do you get my point ?
>
>And, No, I can't move where the pianos - a r e - because I have family
>obligations here.
>
>So - now that you know and understand the facts - where do I get this
>business to get 5 or 6 tunings a day ?
>
>I hope you are - not - going to tell me that obtaining RPT status is going
>to drum up the pianos that ain't there ?
>
>Duaine
>
>-- 
>Duaine Hechler
>Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ
>Tuning, Servicing&  Rebuilding
>Reed Organ Society Member
>Florissant, MO 63034
>(314) 838-5587
>dahechler at att.net
>www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
>--
>Home&  Business user of Linux - 11 years