[pianotech] "Free" PTG membership

[Duaine Hechler]

On 01/15/2013 08:13 PM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote:
> My membership in the PTG is "free". Let me explain. I became an RPT the same reason 95% of the RPT's took the trouble, 
> time and money to become an RPT, in two words. "feel good". We became an RPT to make us feel good about ourselves. 
> Sure, in the process we became a little better at our profession, and there were some benefits, like working hard than 
> to keep the organization running.
> In addition to feeling good about myself, once in a while I could see the benefits of being an RPT because I would get 
> a phone call from a customer who saw my RPT status in the Yellow Pages, or because they got my name from an other RPT 
> in another part of the country.
> But that all changed a couple of years ago when the PTG went "public", and we got put towards the top of the Google 
> search engine when customers would look for a piano tuner in a certain location. Because of that, I have probably 
> gotten at least a dozen call every year from customers who saw me on the PTG web site. That's enough new business to 
> not only pay my PTG membership dues, but also registration to the PTG convention. Would I have been able to build up 
> my business without being a member? Probably. But those extra 12 customers every year help my bottom line.
> The Google search allows a customer to search within 5 miles of your house. It probably helps that I'm only one of 
> three RPT's on Oahu, but there are not that many RPT's in every city in the USA and a lot of people like to get their 
> pianos worked on by "local" tuners.
> But you won't be on the PTG web site unless you're an RPT. So, for someone like Duaine, who's business is 99% pitch 
> raises on old uprights, and doesn't think needs to be an RPT, I'm sure even he won't turn down and extra 10 - 15 
> customers every year. Word of mouth is good, but a little "free" advertising never hurt, either.
> Like I said, becoming an RPT used to be for our own gratification, but now it can make you more money.
> Wim
DAMN - WIM - READ - OR - RE-READ THE MESSAGES I SENT IN RESPONSE TO Phil Bondi's !!!!!

SORRY FOR THE OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE BUT ....DAMN....WILLEM......... I AM SICK TO DEATH OF SAYING THIS ...................

WIM GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS (SAND)  - OR - WHERE EVER YOU HAVE IT AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT RPT STATUS DON'T MEAN 
JACK-SHIT HERE IN ST. LOUIS................

EXTREMELY SICK TO DEATH OF THIS RPT STATUS CRAP...................

Duaine

-- 
Duaine Hechler
Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ - Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding
(314) 838-5587 / dahechler at att.net / www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
Home & Business user of Linux - 12 years