More Money in Tuning or Servicing?

[Wimblees@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-06-30 21:41:26 EDT, you write:

<< I am curious to know whether others on this list think there is more money
 in tuning or repair?  To be clearer, I am talking about the repair necessary
 to take the piano to your shop to do it?  Quite honestly, I would love it if
 I never had to do anything more than simple repairs and had somebody, like
 John, that didn't want to do tuning; we could trade work.  I am not very
 fast at the repairs, I do not have a shop, as such,
  and don't really want one, I would
 rather tune, do regulations, voicing, and simple repairs.  The most I ever
 want to bring home is an action.  I use to think that if I had a shop,
 I would only want to do major repairs to pianos that I owned, then sell
 them, but I gather from comments on this list in the past that there is no
 real money in that, either, if you consider your time as money.  Comments?
 
 Arnold Schmidt, Raleigh, NC >>


Arnold:

Doing minor repairs and regulation work in a customer's home is nice, and you
can probably make a nice living from it. However, there is a big difference
between "rebuilding" pianos, and bringing home an action to work on. Without
spending a lot of money on a shop, all you might want to do is set up a table
in a room in your house on which to do action work. This work would consist of
regulating a grand action, replacing bridle straps, perhaps even bushing keys,
etc.  

Why would you want to do these thing at home, rather than at a customer's
home?  Space: Working on a big table, intread of the top of the piano, makes
the work much easier. Lights:  How many times have you held a flash light
between your teeth to see what you are doing. Comfort; at home you can go to
the bath room when you want, without embarassment. You can take a break to get
something to drink. You can drink what you want, and when you want it. Tools
and supplies at hand; instead of bringing all the tools and supplies in from
the car, they are in place for you on or abive your table. 

And last, but not least, you can make more money taking small projects home.
Instead of making a return trip to the customer later in the week or month to
do the work, you can take the action home with you, and do the work in the
evening, or on a slow day, and return it ready to go, later in the week or
month. This frees up your days to do more tunings, and more drum up more
action work. 

Willem Blees  RPT
St. Louis