<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Jan 31, 2007, at 10:42 PM, <<A href="mailto:lafargue@bellsouth.net">lafargue@bellsouth.net</A>> wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><SPAN class="937273103-01022007"><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">Sorry if this is a duplicate, My other computer doesn't appear to be posting this msg.....</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="937273103-01022007"><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">Can anyone advise me on advising a university here on how to word a bid to techs and maximize the chance of getting what they want as far as level of work. I mean, is "to factory spec"the only thing they can use as a standard to level the playing field on bidders? If they asked for a price on regulating a piano, seven techs will do more than one level of work and charge different amounts and all be able to call it a "regulation" (and factory spec is not even optimum at the highest levels). They can ask for bids for concert tuning and voicing and get lots of different levels of work, even from RPT's. Are there sources of info on handling this and optimizing the chances of getting what they are paying for? The whole system just doesn't seem to be conducive to getting good quality work, just the cheapest price. Thanks in advance.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV> </DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>This might just be the biggest problem we have in our profession. And it doesn't end with schools putting out bids. It happens every day when you get that call from people getting prices from the yellow pages advertisers. RPT doesn't guarantee any level of skill, just a floor level of basic competence, and we all know non members and associates alike who just aren't interested in joining organizations or being tested but whose work far surpasses RPT level. Since our profession is not regulated, we run a huge risk of anti trust legal problems if the PTG dictates to private or public employers what constitutes competence.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>The CAUT committee is currently working on a form of continuing education credit one can add to his or her resume, but it will only be based on attendance of whatever classes happen to be available. There is no skill level testing. The only skill proving prerequisite is RPT.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>We have the same problem in the full time CAUT setting with wording job descriptions. The only wording I have seen that seems to indicate a higher level of ability says something along the lines of "successful concert preparation experience at the level required by professional touring artists", and to provide some evidence of that experience. But even that has holes. Perhaps requiring a list of references?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Unfortunately, you are correct. The bid process is designed to produce the lowest initial cost, and this is a very difficult obstacle to navigate in our unregulated profession.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Fred Sturm wrote:</DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">How to describe the work they want done? I'm not sure factory spec is going to lead to the results they want.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Yes, but factory spec is better than nothing. I would suspect in most cases the pianos stay so far out that factory spec is a very desirable improvement. I've got a host of pianos here, myself, that I wish I had time to keep at least in the ballpark of factory spec. Workload is so more the issue in most situations that being able to exploit potential is an impossible dream. Agreed, yes, one needs to have that ability when it comes to the concert piano. But it is still a workload/cost issue.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Jeff Tanner, RPT</DIV><DIV>University of South Carolina</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>