<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">  <title>Message</title> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'>Don:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'>After I read your note below, I clicked on the Shigeru Kawai web = page.  Nice.  It listed the SK2 – 7 models, but no EX.  = <??!><o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'>dp<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt'>David M. Porritt</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt'><a = href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a></span></font><o:p><= /o:p></p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font = size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </span></font></div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span = style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font = size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> = caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On = Behalf Of </span></b>Don Mannino<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, June 15, = 2005 1:14 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> College and = University Technicians<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [CAUT] Shigeru = Kawai in-home service</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Hi = all,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>It's only natural that people will = find angles to poke fun at (or argue against) competitive manufacturer's business practices.  I thought I would spell out what the Shigeru = Kawai service program actually is.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>The Kawai concert technicians = (which we call MPAs) are the people who actually do all of the final assembly, regulation, tuning and voicing of the Shigeru Kawai pianos in = <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>.  Since Kawai was starting a whole new piano line with these models, we = felt that the condition of the piano when it got to the home was critical to = building a reputation, and for that reason we have sent the technicians around = checking the pianos in dealer showrooms.  As most of you know, convicing = dealers to hire the best technicians in town to prep pianos in their stores is not = an easy task, so this way we see each piano at least occasionally and can make = sure they are presentable.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>The purchaser also is given a one = day service appointment by one of these MPAs in the home, and this has a = number of functions:</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>-  First, we strongly = encourage the buyers to have their own technician come visit during that service = day, so that the tuner can pick up the specific regulation and voicing tips that = work well with these pianos.  This is a chance for a sort of "on = the job training" session that can really help you all keep the SK pianos = in good shape over the  years.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>- Second, we get very = valuable feedback to the factory from these visits, as the Japanese technicians = get a chance to see how the pianos are performing in the real world = in much more variable climates than they would otherwise ever = see.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>- Finally, the customer also gets = a chance to have the piano voiced to suit their home and useage type, and has the security of knowing that the piano has been well set up properly from = the start, so their responsibility then becomes only to maintain the piano.  </span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Kawai does offer a one week = training seminar for technicians in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> specifically geared towards Shigeru Kawai service.  Some on this = list have already attended, and others are already on my waiting list for = this seminar.  If you want to get on the list feel free to write to = me directly (not through CAUT).   The seminar is intended to = equip the better technicians in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> to do the same type of service and know the specific techniques as the = Kawai MPAs.  We have already made use of some of these SK Academy "graduates' for servicing the store pianos, although the one = in-home service will always be performed by one of the MPAs who builds the = pianos.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>The MPAs are not available for = routine service, so there is no effort underway to "outsource" service work.  The whole concept is kind of silly, actually, when you = consider the costs involved.  All any technician needs to do to perform the same = kind of work is equip themselves with the knowledge and skills, and then = offer it to their customers!  So many <st1:country-region = w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> technicians prefer to just do quick tunings - I have found a strong resistance by technicians to doing full service appointments for = quality pianos.  1/2 day and full day appointments for customers with = high quality grand pianos should be a routine thing, yet they are rarely = done.  If the local technicians offer it to their customers, and the whole mystique for using outside "experts" dissapears, and the local technician becomes the special one.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Don Mannino RPT, Director<br> Shigeru Kawai Field Services<br> <a href="http://www.shigerukawai.com/">www.shigerukawai.com</a><u><br> </u><a href="mailto:tech@shigerukawai.com">tech@shigerukawai.com</a> = <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>