Tuning for Tomatoes

[Farrell]

> "Anybody ever tune pianos for dental work?"

No, but I have had folks say that listening to a piano being tuned is a bit
like having a tooth pulled!

I have though bartered a console tuning for a very restorable square grand
(no comments please), a couple home cooked meals (for driving extra
distance), and several times I have bartered a piano tuning for a nights
lodging at little Bed & Breakfasts along to way to conventions, etc. The
B&Bs are usually quite a bit of fun (usually pretty bad pianos though). I
highly recommend trying it! What I do is call a few B&Bs near desired
overnight stops. "Hello, I'm interested in staying at your B&B, but I wish
to know whether you have a piano". They usually either reply "No" OR they
will say "Yes, we do, but I'm sorry, you may not enjoy playing it because it
hasn't been tuned in quite some time". Then I say "Well, have I got a deal
for you!" And basically, if it's a weeknight when other guests are not
present, they often go for it (like while you are travelling on a Monday or
Tuesday for the all-day-Wednesday class)! ;-)

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mitch Ruth" <mitch_ruth@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2000 7:03 AM
Subject: Re: Tuning for Tomatoes


> Great story!!!! You know, you can get money anytime, but you can only get
> good tomatoes at a certain time of year from people who care to grow them.
> I've done several like that and I do have regular "free" customers, that
> work has spawned several paying customers that I might not otherwise have
> had.
>
> It just proves two maxims I have about my business:
>
>                 1) There's more to life than money.
>                 2) If you don't nickel and dime your customer today you
>                    will make a dollar from him tomorrow.
>
> Anybody ever tune pianos for dental work?
>
> Mitch Ruth
> DeMossville, KY
>