<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> David   Thanks for the encouraging reply. I will definitely take your advice about collecting manufacture information and talking to the owners. Piano tuning/repairing has been part of my life since 1980, and I have decided that it’s time to be more focused on that part of my life; thus joining the Guild, working toward the exams, getting on email lists, ect.   To give you some information about what the store works with, we have mostly new Boston and Kohler and Campbell (all there various brands) with some Baldwin pianos (various brands again) from a buy out of a closing of another piano store. The store also handles Steinways, but has a person that is responsible for only those pianos. I sometimes see the Essex pianos. (We have two stores and the stock is split between them.)   As far as what I have been doing for prep work, the sales people have been concerned that the pianos are tuned and the pedals work properly. During the tuning, if I see or hear anything that is not correct, I repair it. For repairs, I can get away with up to about an hours worth of work and just add it to the bill. If there is something that needs parts or is major, it has to go through warranty and I write a quote.   I have developed a set of 5 page excel spreadsheets that list every part and every adjustment for each piano type and I use that when I go into a house to evaluate a piano. I think that this is overkill for a new piano, but I want to add to what the sales people have requested so that I can be sure that the customer and the tuner/tech in the field will be satisfied with the instruments coming out to our stores.   My frustration is that people keep complaining about the poor preparation of new pianos, but never say what they are seeing so that I can be sure to check it in the ones that I work on.   The other part of my job is all the used trade-ins. I approach that from a totally different perspective, evaluating them as if they were a private piano and giving the store a quote as to what work needs to be done. They will then decide how much they can afford to put into the piano and let me know what repairs to complete.   Thanks again for the input.   Rex Roseman Piano Tuning </div> </body> </html>