[pianotech] Is this the work of an RPT?

[John Formsma]

Hi Bill,

Nice meeting you at the convention this year.

First of all, I'd ask if it is a fact that the said RPT actually did the
inferior work in the photos? Or was it like many pianos I come across, where
a tooner had screwed it up long before I got there? I mean, I've left string
coils like that because that's how they were when I came to the piano.

Second, there may be something your chapter could do to remedy this. I
remember years ago my dad telling me of an RPT who apparently got lazy and
did substandard work at full price. The owner complained, and the chapter
made him return and do work that was up to "standards." (This was way before
my time as a piano tech.) Perhaps there are things you could do within your
chapter to encourage excellence. My mentor has said for years that when
customers choose a member of the Guild they have some recourse for bad work.
Sounds like it's time for that recourse.

Third, though I certainly can't speak for PTG on a national level, yes, this
RPT cares! But you can't expect a national organization to micro-manage
every RPT! That would be more like the KGB. :)

-- 
John Formsma, RPT
Blue Mountain, MS

On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 3:09 PM, Bill Fritz <pianofritz50 at aol.com> wrote:

> We all know the PTG pushes the general public to only use “RPT’s” for piano
> work.  If a potential customer finds the www.ptg.org website, they can
> enter their zip code and will see (only) RPT’s who live close to them...  but
> how can the PTG condone the RPT work shown in the attached photos?******
> ** **
> If the PTG is only going to push market “qualified technicians” to the
> general public AND have the general public appreciate the professionalism of
> the PTG, then the RPT label needs to be associated w/ quality, and NOT be
> represented by the work in the attached pics… and yet it is, and more
> regularly than one might like or think.****
> ** **
> Similar to other professions (Engineers, etc), the PTG needs to have
> ongoing qualification of those w/ the RPT “label”.  Passing a test 30-40
> years ago and hoping they will retire soon is not a strategy that ensures
> professionalism.  ****
> ** **
> On the contrary, being a Piano Technician is an excellent way to
> “semi-retire”...  and I doubt many Piano Technicians would dream of
> quitting at the age of 65 or earlier.  My guess (which is somewhat
> confirmed by my father who finally retired at the age of 86) is that these
> RPT’s will continue to tune & repair & regulate.  (In fact, the RPT who
> did the attached work is my age – 61 – and will only quit when his physical
> being prohibits him from continuing, and not before.)  Saying that the
> older tested Craftsmen or RPT’s will retire is wishful thinking… and ignores
> the elephant in the room.****
> ** **
> So... does the PTG NOT care about those RPT’s they promoted who don’t live
> up to that status, years later?****
> ** **
> It doesn’t seem so...  see the quote taken from an RPT’s webpage:  “The
> most important thing the Piano Technicians Guild does is to qualify
> technicians as Registered Piano Technicians to assure quality piano service
> by requiring that a technician pass a rigorous set of examinations.”   PS
> This particular RPT hasn’t been to a Convention for many years… and has
> only been to one local Chapter meeting in the past 15 years.****
> ** **
> I would have thought that “the most important thing the PTG does” is to
> increase & improve the knowledge & capability of their members.  The
> ptg.org website only words it slightly different:  The most important
> thing that the PTG does is “to promote the highest possible service and
> technical standards among piano tuners and technicians.” ****
> ** **
> Would you call the work shown in the attached photos “high quality
> service”?  Maybe this Technician (sample work attached) once had that
> ability, but it appears to be gone now.****
> ** **
> How about requiring RPT’s to pass a reduced, rigorous set of tests every 10
> years or less... perhaps at a PTG Convention, in order to maintain their RPT
> status.  (That would kill 2 birds w/ one stone… that of also getting RPT’s
> to show up to a Convention at least once every 10 years.)  If they fail,
> they get 1 year to re-test... and after a 2nd failure they can no longer
> legally use the RPT label.****
> ** **
> The PTG needs some type of “Continuing Education and/or Testing”
> requirement for continued RPT status.  ****
> ** **
> The PTG should not a “Club” or “Union”, where one gets thru an “initiation”
> and then cannot be thrown out or fired.  ****
> ** **
> We need to make the RPT status mean something at ANY given point in time,
> not just initial testing (especially long ago)…  otherwise, the general
> public will not only NOT care about an RPT label, they won’t even care if
> ANY of us are PTG members.****
> ** **
> Bill Fritz, Associate, St Louis****
>
> PS  I know this subject matter probably should reside in the ptg-l email
> threads, but this one gets much more exposure & interest.
>
>
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