<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; = FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 = rightMargin=7> <DIV>Marshall,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The point is.....it takes time, hard work, good work, consideration = of others (customers and fellow professionals), plus everything else you = can offer!  Remember when I told you about when I joined the = guild?  I didn't ask for help, I offered my help, anyway I could.  In return, = the members got to know me.  And from that, and in time, they were more = generous than I would have ever hoped for.  You have to take the = time and have the attitude to earn your standing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Debbie L.</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=pianotune05@comcast.net href="mailto:pianotune05@comcast.net">pianotune05</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> Sunday, January 22, 2006 = 1:53 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: An open letter to Marshall</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>and the point of this post is?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>Marshall</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=Pianofxrguy@aol.com href="mailto:Pianofxrguy@aol.com">Pianofxrguy@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, January 22, = 2006 1:21 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> An open letter to Marshall</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 = size=2><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>I would make this a private e-mail to Marshall, but he has been = very public in his comments:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Marshall,</DIV> <DIV>    This is John, one of the other South = Bend tuner/techs.  I am a lurker on the list, because I only get to = check every couple of days and by the time I could make a comment on a = topic it has usually been well commented on by everyone else. I greatly value = the information shared among piano technicians on this forum = and find that it echoes the general helpfulness when techs get together in person.</DIV> <DIV>    I feel that you need to chill out a bit = in your opinion of this area and the current piano business atmosphere. The = "one" local dealer has survived because he concentrates on selling pianos and being of service to his customers instead of bashing other = dealers and their products the way the rest of the, now = defunct, dealers in this area have done. I have done floor tunings for him for over = 30 years, and there are 2 other tuners who also tune at the store part = of the time.  I don't know, but I suspect that having yet another = tuner coming in would be a bit of overkill. </DIV> <DIV>    If you recall from our conversation a = year or so ago, I told you that I didn't have time to do a mentor/apprentice = thing with you but that the Potter course would be a good start and then = you should get further information from someone with knowledge about the = particular things you would need to learn as a sight challenged = tuner. I also told you that I would be happy to answer any questions that you = had, but that following me around on the days that I tuned in the store = would be inconvenient for my work and a little uncomfortable for the dealer. = Most dealers don't want people wandering around the store who aren't = either customers or doing some sort of work. A store is a place of = business, after all. If you had come in once a month or so, as I suggested, = there was some work, for instance de-stringing a grand piano in the back room, = that I was going to hire you to do. It would have been good experience for = you, kept me doing what I am mainly there to do, and the dealer was fine = with the arrangement. You never came back. I didn't know whether that meant = you were not all that interested in learning the business or if you took = offense at something I had said. I can now assume the latter.</DIV> <DIV>    In our area, every piano tech that I = know of has come in and taken a couple of years to get up and running with a = business, working other jobs at first to make ends meet and some = finally going full time. Each one has built up a client base and developed = their reputation and has worked hard to keep their business afloat. I = don't think that any of us is "hogging" piano customers, and I know that none of = us is wealthy enough to stop taking on new ones. Unlike most other service = businesses, tuners from time to time call another tuner to cover for = them at a particularly busy time of year or if there are scheduling = conflicts that can't be overcome, but we call on people whose tuning skills we are = familiar with and whom we trust with the piano of one or more of our valued customers. You have been in the business a month or two and none of = us knows anything about your work. You may be a fine tuner, but it is = unlikely that I would recommend you to someone who trusts my judgement until I know = that you would do a satisfactory job. If you screw up, I get the blame. = </DIV> <DIV>    I think you need to work on your = attitude toward the other tuners in the area, every one of which has been in = some measure willing to talk to you and answer questions as far as I know. Regarding our area; I have lived here all my life and = love this area, even with its artistic deficiencies, but if I hated being = here, I think that would show in my relations with my customers. If you are = truly wanting to get started around here, it would be to your benefit to = work well with others. No one owes you a start in this business, but if any of = us can send something your way when it seems appropriate, it is likely we = would do it once we know who and what we are dealing with. </DIV> <DIV>    I have, perhaps, been a little free = with the terms "we" and "us" since I haven't talked to anyone else about = this. In fact, I only know 4 other tuners personally, but from my = understanding of the ones that I know and from what I know about the others, I think = we're a pretty laid back bunch and fairly easy to get along with given a = little effort. Call any tuner you wish and offer some suggestions about how = to demonstrate your skills and I think you might pick up some = referrals, but it would be best not to assume that a tuner has a lot of time to chat = in the evening as he/she is either making business calls of their own or = trying to spend a little time with their family. Brief and to the point makes = a good call, maybe set up a mutually agreeable time to have a longer conversation. I would not suggest that you make this your primary = source of customers, however, because other tuners are in the business of = building their own customer base and it may be that they would only have = something for you once in a while. You have had excellent = advice from others on the list on the topic of starting to build = a client list, including several things that I wish I had heard of 30 = years ago. </DIV> <DIV>    It all comes down to you and the effort = that you want to put out. If you are seriously considering moving, = you would probably not be working with a mind set of long term customer = relations and that might effect the way you go about it. I would encourage you = to sell your skills and personality rather than trying subterfuge to gain business. Keeping a reputation of honest dealings is more = valuable in the tuning business maybe than in some other service related = fields.</DIV> <DIV>    I am pretty sure there are plenty of = pianos in the area if you have the desire and perseverance to stick it = out through the difficult times. </DIV> <DIV>    Sorry for the length of this e-mail, = you should see the stuff I left out.</DIV> <DIV>    Still available for consultation and = question answering,</DIV> <DIV>        John Stroup  </DIV> <DIV>    </DIV> = <DIV>    </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FON= T></BODY></HTML>