<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m = "http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16643" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Cambria Math; } @font-face { font-family: Calibri; } @font-face { font-family: Comic Sans MS; } @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 11pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 11pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 11pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99 } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99 } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99 } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99 } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-style-type: personal-compose } .MsoChpDefault { mso-style-type: export-only } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Michelle,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well, I used to give excuses like, "I'm too short"  or explain that old pianos were frustrating to work on because I'd fix one thing and the part next to it would break, etc.  But now I'm just plain blunt and say, "I'm sorry, I don't work on those," and offer no explanation.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It just depends on where you are in your business--are you ready and willing to turn down business?  Are there other reasons you find them frustrating? Or, would you be happier if there was a way you could sell folks more of what their pianos need?  Of course, if they could afford that, they could probably get a different piano.  (Now there's an angle for you!)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There are lots of ways we can "customize" our businesses--we don't have to do "it all."  I'm lucky in that I can afford to be relatively picky about what I work on and what hours I'll work (during the week, when my son is in school).  I <am> willing to start early--get the house before the piano owner leaves for work and then let myself out (my husband can get our boy off to school).   It's my choice if I decide to put in a long day on a project.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was doing a concert gig for a while, which required Olympian efforts in child care.  When major politics</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size=2>got me away from that gig, at first I didn't realize how relieved I was.  I missed the excitement of the stage, but I didn't miss having to plan my life around the hall's schedule.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Good luck!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>near Peoria, IL</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=michelle@smithpianoservice.com href="mailto:michelle@smithpianoservice.com">Michelle Smith</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech List'</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 09, 2008 10:25 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Clunker pianos - what do you do?</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal>Hi all.  I have to admit that I’m pretty tired of old clunker pianos.  Hammers are shot, strings are beginning to break, parts are failing left and right, and the pinblock was done quite a while ago.  The problem is that many people in my area can’t afford anything better and there’s no one else in my county to work on these old pianos.  <o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal>I’m curious how many of you refuse to work on clunkers anymore.  Every time I work on one I tell myself it is my last!  =)<o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal>Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Michelle Smith<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Smith Piano Service<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Bastrop, Texas</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>