Good points Jeff, As a dealer here as well, it's interesting to see that most commonly successful business model in the piano retail industry seems to be the technician-owned dealerships. In some other countries, it's the norm. Allan Allan Gilreath, RPT Registered Piano Technician Berry College - Rome, GA Jeff Tanner wrote: > Jeannie, > I'm a dealer. Pianos come in in all sorts of degrees of readiness. > I've had some come in needing only a good tuning and calming down the > rep lever springs, and one which needed a complete restart on > everything from keydip on up. I NEVER will deliver a piano that soon > out of the crate. I tweak EVERY grand action before I sell it. Had the > dealer let you demonstrate the piano's needs at the store.... No... > check that. If the dealer knew anything at all about pianos, he > wouldn't argue with you. > > I believe all dealers should be well trained techs. I believe all > manufacturers should require it. > Tanner > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeannie Grassi" > <jcgrassi at earthlink.net> > To: <caut at ptg.org> > Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 1:55 PM > Subject: Re: [CAUT] boston comments - guilt > > >> David, and everyone else, >> I find this thread extremely timely since I just completed "full in-home >> concert prep to the customer's satisfaction" on a Boston 193. (The >> words in >> quotes were what was written on the sales agreement.) The piano had >> just >> been uncrated with only a quick pitch put on it the day it arrived in >> the >> store. It was sent to the client within a couple of days after that. >> This >> was a discerning musician with specific tastes and requests and to >> make the >> sale, the dealer promised her the world. >> >> So I gave her all that she was promised, or at least what I >> understood she >> was promised. (Therein laid my mistake.) And my client was thrilled >> when I >> was done. However, I found the action needed a great deal of work >> and spent >> an easy 12 hours on it, pitch correction and fine tuning included. >> It is a >> nice piano, but not all of them come out of the box needing only a >> little >> tweaking. >> >> The unfortunate part is that the dealer only wants to pay me for 4 >> hours of >> labor justifying it by saying "most technicians don't need to spend more >> than that." Interestingly, David Kirkland told me, depending on the >> variables, one might expect to anywhere from 6 to 18 hours. This is way >> more in keeping with my past experiences. >> >> So, while I also could have spent a minimum amount of time there is the >> occasion when more is just enough. >> >> Jeannie Grassi, RPT >> Bainbridge Island, WA >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of >> David >> Skolnik >> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:30 AM >> To: Jeff Tanner; caut at ptg.org >> Subject: Re: [CAUT] boston comments - guilt >> >> Jeff >> Embrace the guilt. Own the guilt. Or work through the math to >> figure out the appropriate rate of each component of a tuning service >> call: overhead, scheduling, travel, personal interaction, labor >> (time). If you could fit it in on your way to another appointment >> and you felt motivated to make such an adjustment, you could assuage >> your guilt without costing yourself. Otherwise, you should feel >> guilty for pandering to your feelings of guilt. Now you got a real >> problem. >> >> David Skolnik >> Hastings on Hudson, NY >> >> >> At 01:06 PM 11/17/2009, you wrote: >>> I did install a D/C dehumidifier system 3 years ago, but it didn't >>> move much before that either. I've always felt a little guilty >>> charging him full price for tuning his piano. >>> >>> Jeff >> >> > >
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