Europe vs. USA

[Yardbird47@aol.com]

Barbara Richmond testifies, 4/29/96:
<<Maybe voicing and general making-a-piano-perform-well lag behind because
many technicians base their service rate only on tuning instead of servicing
the whole piano and have the attitude that tuning costs this much and by God,
I'm going to get paid for anything else extra I do!  I'm not suggesting
giving one's services away, but taking the time (and charging thus) to truly
make a difference in the performance of the piano.  It worked for me!  I was
always the highest priced tech in town, did no advertising and had a steady
supply of customers, most with *very* nice pianos (even before I had a
university job).  My ability to voice and get a piano playing up to its
potential [among other things :-)] really set me apart from the rest of the
boys!>>

Couldn't agree more. Simple tuning is entry level work, and who wants to
knock shoulders with the competition at that level. Plus there's some much
more to be experienced with these pianos, once you start working with their
sound and feel. And once you get known for providing sound and feel, your
reward is increasingly better pianos to take care of.

Difficulty in getting paid for this work? Don't know where to start? The
following strategy has worked well for me. I first ask whether they're happy
with the piano's current sound and feel (-no sense is trying to sell music
lessons to a deaf person). I then take the dissatifactions they give me, and
explain where each one comes from, with possibly a quick demo of the remedy
and the quality the piano gains thereby. If the piano owner at all apreciates
what I have to offer, this conversation will blossom into a long list of
what's between the piano in its current condition, and the piano's real
potential. (And the piano's owner may already know of the potential.)

With the owner thus educated (and quite likely salivating for your services),
you can then explain that the piano got this way because only the tuning was
being tended to, that to put sound and feel back into condition may take one
or two or more days, and that once that is done the piano will be in such
condition that maintaining sound and feel can be done with fifteen or twenty
minutes at the end of each tuning. (Yes, this is a good rule of thumb. If the
weather or the workload is pushing the tuning around  in any significant way,
you'll be in that more frequently for those "fifteen or twenty minute"
sessions with the regulation and voicing.) If they appreciate this, they'll
find a way to afford this. If they can't appreciate this, they may be better
off with a digital piano.

The selling point is once the major action regulation/voicing has been done
to get the piano up to 97% perfect, then if the pianist lets you back at the
piano on any kind of regular basis, fifteen or twenty minutes should be
enough so that the pianist will never have to see the piano sag down to 95%.
That's when the word gets around that pianos are healthier and happier under
your care.

<<Paul, I learned everything I know about voicing from going to PTG classes,
talking with other technicians at or after meeting them at PTG meetings,
seminars and conventions and experimenting and practicing on my own.>>

Another reason to join  PTG is for access to its technical bulletins which
are great educating and selling aids.

This sort work is a long road, but filled with much quiet glory.

Bill Ballard RPT
NH Chapter

".......true more in general than specifically"
Lenny Bruce, spoofing a radio discussion of the
                        Hebrew roots of Calypso music