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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>Bill,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>For what it is worth, =
in my opinion,
you're absolutely correct!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>Bob Moffatt MPT (Former =
RPT)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>Calgary, Alberta =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>Canada</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>From: <<A
href="mailto:Billbrpt@AOL.COM">Billbrpt@AOL.COM</A>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To: <<A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 8:02
PM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Subject: Re: "Visiting" Tuners -
cont'd</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>> In a message dated =
9/19/00 8:02:57
PM Central Daylight Time, <BR>> <A
href="mailto:ronli@newnorth.net">ronli@newnorth.net</A> (Ron =
Lindquist)
writes:<BR>> <BR>> << Mr. Bremmer, I am not threatened =
by fair competition Just people not<BR>> paying =
what is
required by State law, or the old boy network where one is<BR>> =
not
competing on work.<BR>> appreciate your thoughts.
>><BR>> <BR>> Ron,<BR>> <BR>> You have to be realistic =
about
this business as you would any other. You <BR>> couldn't make =
much
money selling air conditioners in Fairbanks. I realize <BR>> =
that
Northern Wisconsin is your home and you like it there but there just =
<BR>>
aren't that many pianos up there, at least within a small area. =
There are
<BR>> lots if you consider the whole northern part of the state to be =
your
<BR>> territory. I love Louisiana's Cajun Country, the Cajun =
French
language, the <BR>> food, the culture, the warm winters and most of =
all, the
music, but I also <BR>> know that pianos are few and far between
there.<BR>> <BR>> I once considered relocating to Lafayette, LA, =
which is
about the same size <BR>> city as Madison, with a growing population =
and
vibrant community but with <BR>> relatively few pianos compared to
Madison. Here, there are 20 names in the <BR>> phone book and =
down
there, there are just a few. Most of them live in <BR>> =
Lafayette and
say that business is not too good. So, I remain where I am =
<BR>>
because I like it here and there are lots of pianos to tune.<BR>> =
<BR>> I
wrote and called the two leading piano techs in Lafayette and told them =
<BR>>
that I would be coming only on certain occasions and would seek business =
in
<BR>> far off, little towns rather than in Lafayette itself. I =
have
however, <BR>> managed to get some clients in Lafayette just because =
they
wanted some <BR>> alternative to what they were getting. Once =
they have
heard and played a <BR>> piano that I serviced, they want to know =
when the
next time I will be in town <BR>> will be and they tell their
friends.<BR>> <BR>> The point is, first of all, you must have a =
high
quality service to offer if <BR>> you want to compete. Your =
pianos must
sound and play better than you <BR>> competition's, it's as simple as =
that. You need to accomplish your service <BR>> in a reasonable =
amount
of time, not take hours on end. Once you get to where <BR>> you =
can
handle most pianos in about an hour, and others that need to be <BR>> =
cleaned
out, action tightened and adjusted, etc., in about another hour, for =
<BR>>
which you get a much higher fee, customers will sense that you know what =
you
<BR>> are doing, are worth your price and they voluntarily tell other =
people
about <BR>> you. This takes dedication, time and lots of =
practice and
experience to <BR>> accomplish.<BR>> <BR>> None of the many =
fine tuners
in Madison want to go up where you are to tune a <BR>> piano. I =
gave
you that one referral a while back and there is a lady in <BR>> =
Minoqua who
has a new Estonia grand. I also gave her your name but I sensed =
<BR>>
that she was reluctant to call you, probably because she did not trust =
the
<BR>> skills of a small town tuner. There is another customer =
near her
who wants <BR>> the piano tuned in 1/5 comma meantone and will wait =
until she
can find <BR>> someone who will do it, even if it takes years, rather =
than
have what is <BR>> typically offered by anyone she can find up that
way.<BR>> <BR>> Personal visits to schools and churches that you =
find in
the many small towns <BR>> up that way, where you introduce yourself, =
give
your card and state your <BR>> interest may help. Don't be =
afraid to
offer to do a free tuning, especially <BR>> to a church or a school =
as a
demonstration of your skills. Make that one be <BR>> better =
than any
one that you might get paid for, like the guy who tuned for <BR>>
tomatoes. They will probably pay you anyway.<BR>> <BR>> This =
business is like none other in how it is obtained. Forget about =
ads, go
<BR>> in person. Be well groomed, in a good mood and be =
sincere.
Look for ways to <BR>> make the biggest improvements with the least =
amount of
effort and the least <BR>> time spent. Forget about what all of =
the "I
only do grands and anything but <BR>> a Steinway is a PSO" types =
say.
There are hundreds upon hundreds of spinets, <BR>> consoles, studio, =
uprights
and even some grands up that way. Most are very <BR>> common
instruments but are also badly in need of the most basic services. =
<BR>> You can make a living doing that work if you can find the =
pianos get
the <BR>> people to hire you. You can also make money in =
comissions by
referring <BR>> people to piano dealers either for new pianos or for
rebuilding.<BR>> <BR>> Why don't you be the "visitor" to places =
where you
know other tuners don't <BR>> want to go? During that very =
harsh, cold
winter you have there, why not go <BR>> someplace south for a while, =
do some
of your own itinerant tuning? You <BR>> should be able to get =
at least
$60.00 for a basic tuning and more for extra <BR>> work. =
Madison rates
are higher than that but pale in comparison to what they <BR>> get on =
the
East and West coasts. The $40.00 range that you speak of is in =
<BR>>
the wholesale rate range, what you would do for a dealer for example, =
doing
<BR>> multiple pianos. I don't think it is very realistic to =
expect to
have a <BR>> business tuning pianos all at such low rates.<BR>> =
<BR>>
Bill Bremmer RPT<BR>> Madison, Wisconsin<BR>> =
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