No Budget

[Ronald R Shiflet]

	I too am faced with a local college who won't take care of their
pianos.  It is true that my skills are not at concert level however,
their pianos are being used for concerts and all that is ever done is a
tuning twice a year whether it needs it or not and I can definately
improve their pianos a lot.  There are no other PTG members or good
technicians for 2-1/2 hours.
	I have tried and tried to get in the door but it always comes
back to price and I simply don't do work for that low of price.  The
person in charge is a good friend of mine but he being a hobby tooner
doesn't realize how much they are being neglected.
	I decided a long time ago that I would wait this thing out and
when they wanted my services, they could call me and pay my price.
Mystery #4 came about because they couldn't figure it out and called me.
 One of these days, my other friend, the 87 year old man who does their
tunings for $25 will pass away and then they will have to pay my price
or go elsewhere, but there really isn't an elsewhere.  I may never get
the work but I am getting their respect because I won't give in to their
price games.

	I am no longer a full time piano technician but I work full time
elsewhere and do pianos part time.  Maybe I tried too soon to do this
full time but at least for now, I have a steady check, good bennies, and
all of the part time work I want.  My reputation is gradually getting
better and better.

	Sometime, we need to get Jim Sr. to post his memoirs about their
7ft Baldwin and his all day rush to try and get it bandaided for the
piano concerto that night.

Ron Shiflet