Do you sell pianos?

[Richard Brekne]

Hi Gregor.

Just a couple points.  The bit about raising prices...  the thinking is 
not so much that some folks will react negatively and call the next 
guy.... its more along the lines that those are the kinds of customers 
you in the end want to not having to deal with.... AND that there ARE 
folks out there... and plenty enough of them who DO think that a fellow 
who is the cheapest.... is not what they want for their piano.  If you 
gradually steer your business to that end of the market and are able to 
please these people by providing high quality dependable service they 
appreciate... they will call you back and you will gradually get more 
and more of that kind of customer.

One other thing... do the prices you give below include or exclude VAT 
down there ?  And while we are on it... How many 1 man shops would you 
estimate in Germany are doing soundboard replacements ?

Cheers
RicB


    I read the postings about valuing ourselves and David Love gave the
    advise to expand the repertoire for having a better income. That
    raises the question: what is your repertoire? Most of you readers
    here might be located in the USA and I would like to know with what
    you earn your money.
     
    The German situation is usually this: the typical piano tech who
    runs a 1-man-business sells pianos besides from tuning, servicing or
    rebuilding them. That does not necessary mean that they run a real
    shop, but often there are occasions when you get offered an old
    piano for little money or for free. Most of my collegues here in
    Germany repair and sell such pianos even if they run no shop with
    regular opening hours. There is a German proverb: *Ist der Handel
    noch so klein, bringt er mehr als Arbeit ein.* That means: doesn´t
    matter how small a dealing is, it allways provides more income than
    your hands work. I think it´s true (like the most proverbs).
     
    So, my situation is typical: 3 days a week I am in field service and
    3 days I am in my store where I sell new and used pianos. And I am
    happy that I am not located in a rural areal but in a city with
    280.000 inhabitants (50.000 of them university students) so that I
    have not to drive far to my customers. But I think even in a rural
    area it should be possible to sell some used pianos. What´s about
    the US situation (or elsewhere, here are some british list members,
    too)? And if the techs don´t sell the pianos, who then? Are the
    dealers typically no techs, just sales people? Here in Germany
    almost every dealer has a background as technician. Concerning the
    prices: I charge (converted) 117 US-Dollar and the range in my
    hometown is from 110 to 147 Dollar. That´s my orientation for my
    prices. And I don´t feel better or worse than my competitors. I just
    try to stay at the lower price level and I don´t think that I would
    get more customers if I decided to raise my prices because customers
    think: more expensive=better quality. Many people call and ask for
    prices at the phone. Then they compare and call again (or not). All
    competitors in my area have a good reputation, so for most customers
    it´s a question of money. And it´s getting worse year by year: since
    6 or 7 years the German income situation has dramatically changed.
    People from the middle income class can´t afford many products or
    services anymore and money is getting shorter for many people. An
    advertising slogan from the biggest electronic discounter is
    "closefistedness is cool" and has meanwhile gotten proverb status.
    So, it´s the price that counts when range of quality within the
    competitors is small.
     
    Gregor