<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-7"> <STYLE type=text/css>DIV { MARGIN: 0px } </STYLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16640" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I had someone doing outside work when my wife and I had a retail piano business in NY. He would do all the warrantee work and the pianos I didn't want to do. The problem of course is that they will take some of the customers. We had a strict policy of not giving out his business cards. Overall it worked out quite well. We got 25% of his outside work.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Al Guecia</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=dave@davispiano.com href="mailto:dave@davispiano.com">Dave Davis</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> Monday, April 14, 2008 10:51 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: shop work</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif"> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Has anyone successfully hired a technician(s) to handle the tuning and light repairs so you can move into more shop work? I'm looking into doing something like this, and in brainstorming, see that there are advantages and disadvantages. I think the multiple-technician business is seen more in the east coast. I only know of one somewhat successful business like this in the Pacific Northwest.</DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Dave Davis, RPT<BR></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">----- Original Message ----<BR>From: David Love <davidlovepianos@comcast.net><BR>To: Pianotech List <pianotech@ptg.org><BR>Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 7:24:07 AM<BR>Subject: RE: shop work<BR><BR>I have a similar problem (if you can call it a problem) and have to make a<BR>point of blocking out shop time otherwise projects simply don't get done or<BR>I end up working 7 days a week (bad for the golf game).  Over time it's<BR>allowed me to reduce my geographical area somewhat and give up those pianos<BR>I don┤ enjoy working on, not to mention those awful Steinway uprights.  It<BR>also makes it more comfortable to raise rates and shift to full service<BR>appointments.  I'm scheduling appointments out 4-6 weeks typically and<BR>encourage customers to book three months in advance, especially for anything<BR>important.  Right now I'm about half shop, half out in the field which I<BR>like.  The truth is you make more when you're not driving around but the<BR>field contacts bring more shop work and help expand your client base with<BR>more quality instruments.  As in all things, you have to find a balance.    <BR><BR>David Love<BR><A href="mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net" ymailto="mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net">davidlovepianos@comcast.net</A><BR><A href="http://www.davidlovepianos.com/" target=_blank>www.davidlovepianos.com</A> <BR><BR><BR>----- Original Message ----- <BR>From: <A href="mailto:richard.ucci@att.net" ymailto="mailto:richard.ucci@att.net">richard.ucci@att.net</A> <BR>To: pianotech <BR>Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 8:51 AM<BR>Subject: shop work<BR><BR>Folks,<BR> <BR>I currently service about 20+ residential and institutional accounts per<BR>week, all year long.<BR>First appointment @ 10am ,last @ 4 roughly. (9+ hours a day, with travel)<BR> <BR>How do you all factor shop work into your scheduales? Right now ,I work in<BR>some time on Sun> (my day off !)<BR>Thanks,<BR>Rick Ucci/ Ucci Piano<BR><BR><BR></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>