<font color='black' size='2' face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif'> <div>Duaine</div> <div> </div> <div>Excuses, excuses. That's all I ever hear from you. No wonder you don't have enough business. Have you considered asking Bill Trefts or Bill Reichert to look at your work to see if it could use improving? Have you considered going to chapter meetings and asking the members what business techniques you can use to get more business? Of course not. And I'm sure you'll come with an excuse. </div> <div> </div> <div>Basically, Duaine, as Tom said, you need to re-evaluate your line of work. Obviously player work isn't doing it for you. For the sake of your family, perhaps it's time to find a real lob, one where you can make some money, and do the player work as a hobby. And I'm sure you'll come up with an excuse why this won't work. </div> <div> </div> <div>Wim</div> <div style="CLEAR: both"> <div> </div> </div> <br> <br> <div style="FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">-----Original Message-----<br> From: Duaine Hechler <dahechler@att.net><br> To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Tue, Jul 17, 2012 7:51 pm<br> Subject: [pianotech] Conventions ( was Pianotech? )<br> <br> <div style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff; MARGIN: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; COLOR: #000; FONT-SIZE: 12px" id=AOLMsgPart_0_51cc72a7-7d6d-4c44-ba61-ad12e1fcc8a8><PRE style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt"><TT>Mainly to Wim, Your Perennial is GREAT. BUT, you keep forgetting many multiple factors. 1) Is money - I don't have $3000 on a convention - any convention - not even $1000. At least 95% of my profit goes back out in supplies. Leather and felt punchings, bellows cloth, etc. ain't cheap. Along with glue and other misc supplies. Plus, this economy is NOT helping any. And don't think about telling me to raise my rates - as it is - people gasp when I tell them how much a player rebuild will be (it is mostly labor). 2) I am currently doing a piano roll recut program where people order a piano roll from my private collection, send it in to have it scanned and recut as a new roll. Now, the recutting process requires a minimum run of 5 rolls. So right off the bat, I have to pay for 5 of the same roll to sell even one. So 1 from 5 is 4 - that I have to find a way to sell - currently listing them on eBay - and that costs is monthly advertising fees. 3) You say that I could hone my skills. Hone my skills on WHAT ? That would be great of 99% of my clientele were GRANDS - which it AIN'T. I get 99% of old beaters, studios, consoles, spinets, players, etc which once every 5 to NEVER years gets tuned. Just about the only repeat customers I have, for tunings, are player piano customers because they - USE - their pianos. I've had several churches, but somehow they die on me - closed, moved, abandoned, no funds, etc. 4) My main stay is rebuilding players and reed organs with an occasional melodeon thrown in the mix. For players, by the time the customer pays for the player rebuild, there is not much left over for nicety addons like a new soundboard, etc. Its basically - fix - everything that is absolutely needed - like cracks in the soundboard, bridle straps and new hammers - just maybe new dampers. And of course, the necessity of piano - and - player regulation. 5) As you can probably remember, there are many techs competing for clientele in the St. Louis Metro area. And most of them have been around a LONG time to get the - REPEAT - clientele. 6) Finally, as I have said my times before, the organization is geared towards Grands - and - clients with lots of money to spend. 7) Furthermore, It has been 3 months since my last tuning !!!!! So, if, and when, I can ever get my head above water, I will go to the next convention, Duaine On 07/17/2012 01:53 PM, <A href="mailto:tnrwim@aol.com">tnrwim@aol.com</A> wrote: > > Well, Wim, Not everyone can make it to the convention ;-) > > So there ............. > > > > > Duaine > There are piano tuners who say they can't afford to attend the convention. There are piano tuners who say they don't > have the time. And there are piano tuners who think the convention is not worth attending. But then there are piano > tuners for whom the PTG Annual Convention is THE most important event of the year, and they will do anything to > attend. What so ironic is that they keep showing up year after year, because they've somehow found the time and the > money to attend. Maybe there's something to that. > Attached is an article I wrote after the convention in 1995, which I've updated for this year. But the sentiment is > the same. It probably won't change your mind about not wanting to come to Chicago next year, but it's at least a > different perspective of why my wife and I go every year. > Wim > > -----Original Message----- > From: Duaine Hechler <<A href="mailto:dahechler@att.net">dahechler@att.net</A>> > To: pianotech <<A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> > Sent: Tue, Jul 17, 2012 7:58 am > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Pianotech? > > Well, Wim, Not everyone can make it to the convention ;-) > > So there ............. > > On 07/17/2012 12:37 PM,<A href="mailto:tnrwim@aol.com">tnrwim@aol.com</A> <<A href="mailto:tnrwim@aol.com?">mailto:tnrwim@aol.com</A>> wrote: > > If you would have come to the convention you would have found out. > > > > Wim :) > > > > Yes, it will continue for at least another 6 months > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > On Jul 17, 2012, at 10:00 AM, "Joseph Garrett"<<A href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">joegarrett@earthlink.net</A> <<A href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net?">mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net</A>>> > wrote: > > > >> Any news on the destiny of this list? > >> Joe > >> > >> > >> Joe Garrett, R.P.T. > >> Captain of the Tool Police > >> Squares R I > >> > > > -- > Duaine Hechler > Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ > Tuning, Servicing& Rebuilding > Reed Organ Society Member > Florissant, MO 63034 > (314) 838-5587 > <A href="mailto:dahechler@att.net">dahechler@att.net</A> <<A href="mailto:dahechler@att.net?">mailto:dahechler@att.net</A>> > <A href="http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com/" target=_blank>www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com</A> <<A href="http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com/" target=_blank>http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com/</A>> > -- > Home& Business user of Linux - 11 years > -- Duaine Hechler Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ Tuning, Servicing& Rebuilding Reed Organ Society Member Florissant, MO 63034 (314) 838-5587 <A href="mailto:dahechler@att.net">dahechler@att.net</A> <A href="http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com/" target=_blank>www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com</A> -- Home& Business user of Linux - 11 years </TT></PRE></div> </div> </font>