[pianotech] [OT] Right Here, Right Now (was Stuff Which Should Really Be on PTG-L)

[Dale Erwin]

Hi Leslie 
Thanks for sharing your heartfelt concern. We are all in different spaces and places economically , personally etc.
 All our valid
 Best

 

 

Dale S. Erwin
www.Erwinspiano.com
209-577-8397
209-985-0990
Ronsen hammers/prep
Sitka Sound boards
Belly packages

 Poor decisions are rarely made right by a greatercommitment to them. 
  "David Love"


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 7:39 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] [OT] Right Here, Right Now (was Stuff Which Should Really Be on PTG-L)



I have averaged about 1.8 pianos a day forseveral years. Now it is slightly down after open heart surgery. I gave up ajob which was 1/3 of my income a year ago because I just don’t workpolitics well. So, you who crunch numbers- I ain’t one of them what’sgot benefits from some lucrative career, and any retirement at all, sinceslaves working in churches never got benefits until I got out of it fulltime.  So someone is talking about a whole lot of people making a wholelot more income than this guy, and YES lack of funds is affecting where I directmoney.
 
I have said for years PTG is going to haveto redefine itself or it won’t survive. Mostly said it to myself, becauseI have no political voice anywhere. But doing things the way they have alwaysbeen done, and beating those who will not or cannot afford to keep doing thingsthe same old ways isn’t going to fix any ills. Neither, in my opinion, isdriving dues up to where people like simply don’t have funds to pay them.I will be darned glad to get social security in less than a year,  andwill have to work till they put me in a medicare slum nursing home. Probably I’m way out of line because I haven’t been reading everyrant about this (these) issues. Sorry. But people are now arguing about thingswhich will cause me to choose between dues, meds, and food.  I know mychoices are limited.   
 
“We need to get more members”   I did church choirs for 40 years. That was the going cry everywhere every year.But “we”  and “get” were really tough issues torise above.  It doesn’t happen automatically and what seems to behappening right now surely doesn’t seem like it’s going to make PTGlook like  a fun place to be for newbies.  No one asked my opinion-so I’ll quit. But the wars which seem to be going on right now, put me ina place where it affects my ability to survive.  It ceases, then, to befun.
Sincerely
Leslie Bartlett
 



From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org[mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On BehalfOf John Ross
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 2:32PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] [OT]Right Here, Right Now (was Stuff Which Should Really Be on PTG-L)

 
I would imagine that the amount of unemployment, and the downturn inthe economy, is having an effect, on the registration.

There just isn't the amount of disposable income around, as there was.

This would also be in the equation of raising the dues.

Putting food on the table is a priority for a lot now.

I haven't seen any numbers.

The established tuners are probably ok, but the others must be feelingthe crunch.

I might be wrong, possibly all the piano owners are still working.

John Ross

Windsor, Nova Scotia

On 2011-07-01, at 4:19 PM, tnrwim at aol.comwrote:




 

Less than half of our membership are fulltime technicians, check the surveys


Not only that, but our median age inalmost 60. That means there are part time technicians for whom this professionis a second career, which they got into after retiring form anotherlucrative career, from which they are receiving retirement benefits. Theybelong the to PTG for a variety of reasons, but if the dues become more thanthey think justifies their benefits, they will drop their membership.  

I agree with Dale, a $100 increase indues will drop our membership to below 3000, if not 2500. Yes, these will bethe most dedicated members, but unfortunately, we can't afford such a drasticcut in income. 

We need to come up with better ways toincrease attendance at conventions, and increase membership. I've made somesuggestions, but we need more input from more members. Someday, someone willcome up with a magic solution, and we'll all say. "Now why didn't I thinkof that?" 

 

Wim

-----OriginalMessage-----
From: Dale Probst <dale at wardprobst.com>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 1:01 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] [OT] Right Here, Right Now (was Stuff Which ShouldReally Be on PTG-L)

Less than half of our membership are fulltime technicians, check the surveys. I don't think you should underestimate thedownside to raising dues 100%. I'm in favor of rational increases, I votedfor and campaigned for every dues increase while on the board . I'min favor of doing our best to close the gap without losing many of our valuedmembers who have other professions. You are assuming less members and moremoney, will make this a "top notch organization". 

 

I don't buy it.. 

 

DP

Dale Probst RPT
Registered Piano Technician
Ward & Probst, Inc.
www.wardprobst.com
dale at wardprobst.com
 

-----OriginalMessage-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ryan Sowers
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 1:39PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] RightHere, Right Now (was Stuff Which Should Really Be on PTG-L)(OT)
Likeour piano service businesses, when you raise your rates, you mostly lose thelowest level of your clientele and keep the bottom feeders out of range. Ithink most technicians underestimate what they can charge. I don't think weshould underestimate members willingness to pay for a top notch organization. 

If you are a full time technician $450 a year is a drop in the bucket in youryearly expenses. 

Ryan Sowers




On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 10:05 AM, Coleman,Jim <jcolem21 at utk.edu> wrote:


Alan & All,

About 3 years ago myreport to Council stated that for PTG to be a dues based operation the dueswould have to be around $350.  Since then the cost of doing everything hasgone up.  In today’s dollars they would probably need to be$400-$450.

Personally I thinkthat is where we should be (and it  would still be a bargin) but as DaleProbst has stated, we do not know what the fall-out would be in terms of losingmembers.

 

See you in KC!

 


Jim Coleman,Jr   RPT

  Staff PianoTechnician

    University of Tennessee

    Knoxville, TN

 (865) 748-0998

(602) 989-0005


 





-- 
Ryan Sowers, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Olympia, WA
www.pianova.net


 



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