[pianotech] OT - was: 2nd Bad Client in 10+ Years - Seeking Advice

[Terry Farrell]

> I suppose there are other larger problems out there- like Obamacare,  
> for instance.


That is a problem? Why?

Terry Farrell

On Mar 24, 2010, at 6:53 PM, RptBob1 at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 3/24/2010 6:31:09 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, tunerboy3 at comcast.net 
>  writes:
> f full time tuning that music teachers for the most part, do not  
> always follow through with recommendations.  Offering free tunings  
> for them does not necessarily mean recommendations for us.  But, it  
> does mean free tunings for the teacher.  Once they receive their  
> free tuning, they tend to "forget about us"  and could use any  
> number of excuses as to why we did not hear from their students.
>
>
>
> On top of that, they still have to convince the students parents who  
> most of the time could care less, because they do not play it  
> themselves, to tune it and most often, they will not.
>
>
>
> If you insist on giving the teacher something, you might consider  
> offering them $10 per referral off from the price of your tuning.   
> This would be AFTER you actually tune their students piano.  You  
> would not pay them this in cash but rather would deduct it off from  
> the teachers next piano tuning.  This $10, would be per year, per  
> recommendation up to the cost of a tuning.  You might have better  
> luck with that.
>
>
>
> Jer
>
> Terrific advice here, Terry.  I also find Piano teachers to be very  
> neglectful (read cheap) in keeping their own pianos in tune.  They  
> also are not very qualified in determining whether or not a piano is  
> really in need of tuning.  If asked, most really cannot tell the  
> difference between in tune and out of tune.  Exception to this, of  
> course, is the obvious slipped unisons that scream out to them.  In  
> my over 40 years of experience, I also find most piano teachers with  
> very little knowledge of what regulation or voicing is and for the  
> most part cannot tell if  a piano is in need of these kinds of  
> attention.  We, as professionals, must somehow advance past this  
> vast ignorance, and teach the teachers without seeming to be doing  
> it for the money we need to charge for those services.  Not an easy  
> task.    I am sure this has been a problem for more years than most  
> of us have been in the business.  These things are not taught in  
> Conservatories or in home schooling.
>
> And these are the same people that are asked to judge prospective  
> piano purchases!  What a shame that they are listened to as if they  
> really know what they are talking about.   And we somehow must  
> overcome all of the ignorance and misinformation they feed their  
> students and students' parents.  It is what it is.  I suppose there  
> are other larger problems out there- like Obamacare, for instance.
>
> Bob Bergantino, RPT
> Willoughby Hills, Ohio

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