[pianotech] Business insurance/attitudes...

[Leslie Bartlett]

It takes very little for an ignorant client to be set off by someone who
does it differently. Though I have no shop, don't move pianos anymore, and
if I regulate I do it all in homes, this stuff scares me a bit...........
Les Bartlett Piano Service

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Heritage Pianos
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2012 10:40 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Business insurance/attitudes...

David:

We recently had a local PTG member REMOVE the Teflon we had used on knuckles
as part of our own shop prep.

After grand was delivered he Him removing the Teflon powder was unauthorized
by us. The Teflon powder we used was purchase form Spurlock supplies

He then went on to warn our customer about teflon's alleged health hazard,
effectively destroying the relationship we had with this customer. 

We are very concerned about this planning to lodge a complaint.

Appreciating a position from your side.

Thank you very much

Norbert Marten

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Love
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 7:25 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Business insurance/attitudes...

You have to figure out your potential liability and determine if it makes
sense for you.  If you carry actions home or whole pianos to your shop where
things can happen, you want to protect tools from theft, cover yourself for
the contingency that you damage someone's property, it might be worth it for
you.  If you simply go into the home to tune and that's the extent of your
work you have less exposure.  It's weighing small monthly costs versus
potential large liability.  I do carry it though I've never had to use it.  

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Renaud
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 6:46 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Business insurance/attitudes...

Hello list

    A fellow technicians was asked if they had insurance......
    He in turn asked me what I thought.

      Upon reflection, it could make  a very interesting discussion.

 Those that have, any stories of claims made and reason your glad you had
it, those that
Don't, any stories of disaster and wishing you did have it?

 Below is my response.....
 Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me why I should reconsider, or not.

----------------------------------------------------

   I have no business insurance.
    
    On a few performance gigs at commercial clients, festivals, shopping
centers, people
Are starting to ask for liability insurance. That can be had through the
musicians union....

    For us, in canada, PTG can not cover us, we would have to go through a
commercial insurance agent. Expensive.

    Do i want to work for people that demand I spend more money on more
administration, 
Or be full with people that don't want to force me to spend more time, more
energy, 
More money, for the privilege of tuning their piano. I choose the later.
     Clients  invite me into their homes and establishments because they
like my work, 
They Ike me, and they trust me. If they don't trust me, and don't like me or
want my work bad
Enough that did does not mitigate other administrative details then I'd
rather not do it.

       It's usually just a piano tuning.
Do they want insurance from the person that vacuums the rug, waters the
plants, plants a rose
Bush. We are Not like an electrician that could burn down the building, or a
plumber that could flood it.  Not like a construction worker that could fall
off the roof. Do the musicians need insurance because their flute might fall
on someone, or clarinet might explode. A tuning is not working  With power
tools, working in a crowd of people, etc. it's more like a musician....just
adjusting  Piano strings. Insurance......if a string breaks they want
insurance to pay for it?

    I think the chances of a piano tuner needing to use insurance, having a
claim, are so much more remote then most every trade......unless your doing
rebuilding on site in their location....
But we are just turning screws, and adding pieces of paper or felt for the
most part.

    Just an opinion.........I could be wrong..........I certainly have an
attitude toward insurance companies.

                                                Cheers
                                                  Dave Renaud

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