covers

[Newton Hunt]

Job titles often have different benefit packages.  Check
with your department person who knows where all the bodies
are buried.  Make sure you have disability coverage.  I did
but did not know it until I needed it.

Covers will be your undoing.  They will not be replaced but
remain on the floor getting dirty.  Even when moving they
remain on stage instead of on the piano.  

My priorities when I took over a similar situation was first
the concert instrument second the practice rooms (new
hammers, dampers, rebushing and regulator (as needed) THEN
the piano teaching studios.  The students will love you and
the faculty will consider you a hero until the job is
completely done and you are running around like a chicken
without a head to keep them that way.  The you become a
ne'er-do-well.  They quickly forget what the situation was
like when you came.  As you find all the pianos create a
spread sheet with information about each piano, serial
number, condition, room number, inventory number, age, year
of manufacture when purchases or donated and everything else
you can think of as possibly needed information.  Next
determine how often each piano needs tuning based upon it's
use, teaching studio piano, teaching studio flue or bassoon
(or other critical pitch instruments), teaching studio
other, class room, office, practice room, performance and
other (in shop, trade or to surplus inventory).  Each time
you tune or service enter the date, service, technician
(work study or other tech), retail value and what is
needed.  Set up the formulas so the next due tuning goes to
the top of the page based upon the formulas set up for
frequency.  

Post the whole list in a central location so EVERYONE knows
when their or other pianos will be serviced on which date or
near to.  List date serviced, service, date due, room
number, building, piano name and other information you think
important for everyone to know.  Update it weekly.

There are about 210 working days in a year.  Also you can
use a conditional statement like If date is greater than
July 1 but greater than Aug.1 then add Aug 1 to tuning date.

If the know what you are doing and when their piano is due
then they will leave you alone unless they have something
broken, then fix immediately.  

		Newton