This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Interesting one Clyde. Some good ideas. Thanks. A few comments. "Find a bass string that sounds the best and compare it with one of the = bad ones."=20 They are all bad, but you could compare the dramatic change in tone from = the low tenor to the first bass. I get your point here though. "Over the years I have unfortunately developed cynicism about some piano = teachers. They are like piano technicians in that some of them are = truly excellent world-class teachers, while others shouldn't be trying = to teach at all. I service pianos for a number of teachers, and the = pianos go anywhere from nice grands to truly poor spinets (a certain = Kincaid spinet comes to mind)." Kincaid - OUCH! My sympathy. "I once talked to a teacher whose piano (a Kimball console or something = similar) was *very* out of tune and she said, "Oh, something's wrong = with it."' That is part of why I decided to not say anything this time. She told me = the piano was tuned about 9 months ago. She said it was in pretty good = tune, but she had moved it and thought she should tune it again. When I = sat down to play it initially, she said it again "it's really pretty = close, isn't it?" I did tell her that it was quite a bit out of tune - = maybe it was the move. This was likely the worst out of tune piano that = was more-or-less up to pitch that I have ever seen/heard. Example: F#3 = was 15 cents flat and F#4 was 25 cents sharp! Talk about a bad octave! = Many unisons were a good 20 cents or more off from one another. Then she = pulls out this little $9.95 Radio Shack tuner and says "I play violin = also and tune my violin to this". It was set at 440 Hz, which checked = out at 12 cents flat on my Verituner. This one just seemed a little = hopeless. Maybe next appt. the shock level will be lower, I won't feel = so befuddled, and I will be able to have a nice heart-to-heart (or at = least a nice piano tech to pianist) chat with her. Takes all kinds. Hey, we'd get bored if it didn't! :-)=20 Terry Farrell =20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 8:40 AM Subject: Re: Marketing Approach > Terry, >=20 > It just occurred to me that you could maybe use something like this: >=20 > "Mrs. Client, even piano technicians can't agree on the exact = meanings of terms like rebuilt, restored, etc. Some will interpret it = to mean spending many thousands of dollars to make the piano look and = play like new and often better than new, while others may have standards = that are much lower. It may surprise you to know that even brand new = pianos can often be improved considerably, although most buyers would = have trouble understanding that. > "My observations about your piano indicate that considerably = more could be done to improve it. Now if you like your piano just the = way it is, fine; we'll just pick up on normal maintenance from here on. = But would you be interested if I explain to you ways that the piano can = sound and play even better than it does now?" >=20 > Then take it from there. Find a bass string that sounds the best and = compare it with one of the bad ones. Invite her to your shop, if you = wish, and show her what you do. Maybe you can show her a rebuild you = just finished and let her see and play it. Even though she is a piano = teacher, she may never have played a piano that really looks and sounds = good. Or show her whatever else you think she should know. >=20 > The risk, of course, is spending a lot of time explaining/showing all = this stuff and in the end not having one red cent more income to show = for it. Just be sure that if she okays more work, she will be able to = notice the improvements when you are finished. Otherwise, she'll think = you're a quack out to get her money. >=20 > Over the years I have unfortunately developed cynicism about some = piano teachers. They are like piano technicians in that some of them = are truly excellent world-class teachers, while others shouldn't be = trying to teach at all. I service pianos for a number of teachers, and = the pianos go anywhere from nice grands to truly poor spinets (a certain = Kincaid spinet comes to mind). I once talked to a teacher whose piano = (a Kimball console or something similar) was *very* out of tune and she = said, "Oh, something's wrong with it." Well, duh! Why not get it = fixed?! But if they keep their price for lessons low enough, the = trusting public will beat a path to the door. I better stop there = before I get too carried away. >=20 >=20 > Regards, > Clyde Hollinger, RPT >=20 > Kdivad@AOL.COM wrote: >=20 > > In a message dated Mon, 20 May 2002 8:05:23 PM Eastern Daylight = Time, "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> writes: > > > > >I tuned a small Baldwin grand for a lady today. I would guess it is = at least 50 years old. It is not one of their top-teir pianos - it is = one of the cheaper ones. The thing has realy tubby bass strings and the = action is way out of regulation, etc. - your basic worn out older piano. > > > > > >She informed me that she just moved here and wants to start = teaching piano again. She also plays violin. So of course, I was = thinking that I should mention to her some ways to improve the = performance of her piano - if not a total rebuild/replacement at least = new bass strings and a serious action refurbish/rebuild. > > > > > >So I asked her how long she has had the piano. She said five years. = She bought it because it has just been totally rebuilt: Hammers may have = been filed, case was crumily (word?) refinished, and plate and tuning = pins and agraffes and strings had been painted gold. > > > > > >I clammed up at that point and left. Is there any constructive way = to sell her work in light of the recent "rebuild"? Anyone with a clever = sales approach that would cut through the BS that she apparently = purchased in the past? > > > > > >I've run into similar situations before and really don't know what = to say that might sound constructive and appropriate. > > > > > >Terry Farrell > > > > > Terry, tough situation, the way I find successful for me is find out = the complaints if any and let them guide me. I then go over the piano = side by side with the customer discovering any problems together. I use = an evaluation list to explore the condition of the piano in an unbiased = and methodical manner. I would typically say things like "I use my = tuning hammer to see how tight the tuning pins are telling me if the = piano will hold a tune," It seems elementary but with most customers = this eliminates hurt feelings or embaressments that can happen when you = all of a sudden tell them that their piano needs major work. A = diplomatic explanation of the vast differences between piano mens = interpretation of the definition of restored and rebuilt helps. A = intuitive understanding of what the customer is really looking is most = important, maybe she is happy the way it is. These things work really = work well for me and maybe there is something here you can use. > > David Koelzer > > DFW > ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/09/9a/c8/fb/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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