piano tuners are 126

[Del Gittinger]

I generally agree but, churches and schools (and probably colleges) still
want to pay as little as possible and will call around pricing piano tuning.
The person calling is probably not a musician or aware of the quality of the
work done.  He/she is only concerned with price.

Doing as Mike says, looking and acting professional, will increase your
"good" clientele, people who value your skills and knowledge more than your
low price, over time.  And, if your price rewards you with a better life
style it will probably weed out the undesirable service work also.

For the most part, our price competition is not the other "professional"
tuners, meaning the PTG member who constantly seeks more knowledge and
skills.

Del Gittinger, RPT
Del's Music Studio
Marion, OH
Piano Tuning & Service
Electronic Instrument repairs including organs
delgit@acc-net.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Jorgensen <Michael.Jorgensen@cmich.edu>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Wednesday, March 24, 1999 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: piano tuners are 126


>Right on Lisa!,
>   Our profession is also simular to doctors, lawyers, and real-estate
>agents, in that we work with very valuable items -hundreds of times more
>expensive than anything in a discount store.  I've found that discounts
>and low fees do not increase work as the discount mentality does not
>apply to pianos.  However driving a nice car, wearing fine cloths, and
>communicating well with other professionals is the key.  IMHO, my
>leather trench coat is one of the best investments I've made.
>-Mike Jorgensen RPT
>
>>
>> As far as comparing our job to working at Walmart or McDonalds or other
>> UNTRAINED, minimum wage jobs.....
>>
>> We have trained for a number of years, many of us have college degrees,
and we
>> have every right to compare ourselves with people in other professions
that
>> require education and experience.
>>
>> I believe we need to see ourselves in a better light and express that to
our
>> customers by how professional we are.  Especially in reminding the ones
who
>> ask what else we do for a living.
>>
>> Lisa Weller
>