<html><head><base href="x-msg://3/"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Ken,<div>The home office will just have to forward it to your Regional Vice President. The RVP is the person to contact for dues extensions.</div><div><br></div><div>Laura </div><div><br><div><div>On Sep 2, 2011, at 8:02 AM, Ken & Pat Gerler wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div bgcolor="#ffffff"><div>Matthew,</div><div>If you know in advance, that you will not be able to make your dues, send a note to the home office. Back in the late 80's I had extensive bills putting a step-son through college. I sent a note to the home office saying I was going to have to drop my membership. Then about four years later, I took the test again and got my RPT status back.</div><div> </div><div>Ken Gerler</div><blockquote dir="ltr" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 0px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; "><div style="font: normal normal normal 10pt/normal arial; ">----- Original Message -----</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 10pt/normal arial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(228, 228, 228); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><b>From:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="toddpianoworks@att.net" href="mailto:toddpianoworks@att.net">Matthew Todd</a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 10pt/normal arial; "><b>To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 10pt/normal arial; "><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Thursday, September 01, 2011 11:44 PM</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 10pt/normal arial; "><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Re: [pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?</div><div><br></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; "><div style="right: auto; "><span style="right: auto; ">So if you become an RPT, and then fail to pay your dues one year, do you get stript of your RPT status until you give the guild your money?</span></div><div style="right: auto; "><span style="right: auto; "></span> </div><div style="right: auto; "><span style="right: auto; ">Matthew<var id="yui-ie-cursor"></var></span></div><div></div><div> </div><div><br></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt; "><font size="2" face="Arial"><div class="hr" contenteditable="false" readonly="true" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 0; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; height: 0px; font-size: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; padding-top: 0px; "></div><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">From:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Gerald Groot <<a href="mailto:tunerboy3@comcast.net">tunerboy3@comcast.net</a>><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">To:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Sent:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Thursday, September 1, 2011 8:37 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Subject:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Re: [pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?<br></font><br>I love my work. I really do. But, if I couldn't make a living at it, I<br>would do something different. But, I would most certainly not bite the hand<br>that feeds them.... Meaning, all of the learning you're received for nothing<br>here.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><br>I would think that anything a person could do to improve one's likelihood of<br>acquiring more business would be most prudent. As I said, I have received<br>numerous emails from people that have looked on the PTG website looking for<br>a piano tuner. 2 emails from the PTG website easily pays my dues for a<br>whole year. :)<br><br>Jer<br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" ymailto="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[mailto:<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" ymailto="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf<br>Of Duaine Hechler<br>Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 8:30 PM<br>To:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a><br>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?<br><br>On 09/01/2011 05:53 PM, Gerald Groot wrote:<br>><br>> That isn't true at all Matthew. That, my friend, is a frame of mind - a<br>mindset that you and many other tuners have<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> made for yourself that sets your prices low and keeps them low. What you<br>think, is not necessarily the actual way<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> things work in business. In any business. Prices must be raised from time<br>to time in order to keep up with the cost of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> living and in order to make a living. I've heard many tuners say that "my<br>customer won't pay that!" That's wrong. I<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> have a friend here who lives in Grand Rapids 12 minutes from where I live<br>that says the same thing. Yet, I have the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> same exact customer types as he does. Mine pay it. His might not though<br>but, that is only because of his negative<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> attitude.<br>><br>> Case in point. As an example only. My base fee for tuning here, is $150.<br>That is JUST for tuning only! Major pitch<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> raises are extra. Removing the action is extra. Repairs are extra. Sure, I<br>toss little things in here and there, we<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> all do that. But, that is besides the point. I average well above that<br>price for most tunings. I tune at least 3 or 4<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> a day and am always booked ahead all year long. I used to tune 6-9 a day<br>but at age 55, I'm intentionally slowing<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> myself down, trying to go for 3 tunings a day but, I'm far too busy to do<br>that so, I keep tuning more and more. JFor<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> this next month, I will be tuning no less than 5 a day, 6 days a week. I<br>am booked solid through September. I have<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> most of October booked out. I have all of November booked out. I have all<br>of December booked out. I have all of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> January booked out. I have all of March booked out. By booked out, I mean<br>NO openings at all. I have 4 or 5 action<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> jobs already scheduled for next summer. So, if what you said were true<br>about raising prices, I would have gone out of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> business long ago.<br>><br>> That did not come by me "naturally." I worked my tail off for years to<br>build up my business and my reputation so that<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> I could be that busy. The fact is, our business is built up on our own<br>reputations. On our honesty, our integrity, our<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> quality of workmanship, on our dependability and much more not to mention<br>how we treat our customers. It's no wonder<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> so many tuners are complaining about a lack of work with how they treat<br>the RPT's in here. If they treat their clients<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> the same way, I would never call them and being an RPT that knows these<br>people, I would NEVER recommend them nor would<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> I sub contract anything to them. That becomes their loss. Attitude is<br>everything.<br>><br>> Jer<br>><br>Jer,<br><br>That's great if you can get 5 or 6 tunings a day - really it is.<br><br>BUT - again, it called demographics - if the business ain't there - it ain't<br>there. You just can't go around drumming up<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>business out of thin air. If nobody has pianos anymore then where are you<br>going to find them - in hideouts, in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>speakeasy's - do you get my point ?<br><br>And, No, I can't move where the pianos - a r e - because I have family<br>obligations here.<br><br>So - now that you know and understand the facts - where do I get this<br>business to get 5 or 6 tunings a day ?<br><br>I hope you are - not - going to tell me that obtaining RPT status is going<br>to drum up the pianos that ain't there ?<br><br>Duaine<br><br>--<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>Duaine Hechler<br>Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ<br>Tuning, Servicing& Rebuilding<br>Reed Organ Society Member<br>Florissant, MO 63034<br>(314) 838-5587<br><a href="mailto:dahechler@att.net" ymailto="mailto:dahechler@att.net">dahechler@att.net</a><br><a href="http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com">www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com</a><br>--<br>Home& Business user of Linux - 11 years<br><br><br><br></div></div></div></blockquote></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>