CAUT

Back to discussions
Expand all | Collapse all

Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

  • 1.  Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Posted 03-17-2026 17:50

    Hi folks:

    I've learned a lot since starting a position at Stanford University in Sept of 2025. Mostly that piano work is the easy part. 

    Has there ever been a survey of various schools to understand how they've managed their fleets? Number of technicians, average age, shop space and skills, i.e. do you send out belly work for example, what do you consider reasonable to rebuild, etc.?

    I've spoken with several friends at major schools and conservatories and the conversations get real broad real quick, so I am thinking of codifying this information somehow, possibly with a survey. 

    This data is useful for development, as well as improving the management of the current fleet. 

    If something has been published, how would I locate it? 

    Thanks in advance!


    Vince



    ------------------------------
    Vincent Chambers

    Apollo Piano | Stanford University
    San Francisco | Chico CA
    Mobile: 732-642-1100
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-17-2026 18:35

    Vince, Here's a web site with lots of CAUT related info: http://my.ptg.org/caut/home

    Richard West



    ------------------------------
    Richard West RPT
    Oro Valley AZ
    (402) 570-4409
    440richard@gmail.com
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2026 12:07

    Richard,

    It appears that the link you provided is out of date. It shows just four members of the community and very few library entries. Someone on the C

    CAUT Committee might want to have a look and change as necessary,

    Best,

    Don



    ------------------------------
    [Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
    [Piano Technician]
    [dmckech@ithaca.edu]
    [Home 607.277.7112]
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2026 12:53
    The CAUT site hasn't been updated much recently, but is still there with lots of resources (some links may not be functional). The is a link on the home page to a 2023 edition of the guidelines.
    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    "Believe those who seek the truth; doubt those who find it." Gide




    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2026 08:48

    Hi Vince:

    The PTG's 'Guidelines for Effective Institutional Piano Maintenance' (edited 2023) may be a good place to start. There is also a Workload Formula spreadsheet that may be useful, though I don't have experience with it myself. 

    Yours,

    Norman



    ------------------------------
    Norman Vesprini RPT
    Piano Technology Program Manager
    Notre Dame IN
    (574) 631-3021
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2026 11:27

    Also: for inventory service management (tuning) I created this Google Sheet. A quarterly check on instruments helps plan a triage list for tuning work. Not exactly what you asked about, but thought it may be useful to you or others who manage institutional inventories (especially if they perform that work unassisted). 

    Yours,

    Norman



    ------------------------------
    Norman Vesprini RPT
    Piano Technology Program Manager
    Notre Dame IN
    (574) 631-3021
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2026 12:09

    Since Norman mentioned getting a periodic fix on the relative out-of-tune-ed-ness of pianos on hand, this is something I have work-study assistants and private piano technology students do monthly. It is valuable data for the shop, in terms of prioritizing how to spend our time, and also as feedback, since I always know who tuned what piano and when. In addition, it is a good listening exercise for those performing the task. After all, a huge part of our work, just like interpersonal communication, consists of listening and learning how to become an ever-better listener.



    ------------------------------
    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2026 12:22

    Hi Vince,

    I have been retired from academia for a number of years and even more from the CAUT Committee. The last extensive survey undertaken by the committee that I can recall was done in 2000. (Curious to know if there was a survey in recent years?) I have the questions and results of that survey. The results are just raw data and I cannot remember if there was any followup on interpreting the results. If you wish to see the files let me know and I will send the docs to you. They might help in putting together a survey.

    Sending a query to techs at schools asking if they might want to share their results of the CAUT Guidelines formula might also be of help.

    Best,

    Don



    ------------------------------
    [Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
    [Piano Technician]
    [dmckech@ithaca.edu]
    [Home 607.277.7112]
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Posted 03-18-2026 12:57

    That is one of the most exciting things - in the nerdiest possible way - I've heard all week! 

    I'd love to review the questions and results, and create a new survey if possible. Mostly what this is for is fundraising. Apparently the piano tuner is a big part of development in a music school. Who knew? 😉 

    Can  you share this data with me? 

    All the best,

    Vince 



    ------------------------------
    Vincent Chambers

    Apollo Piano | Stanford
    San Francisco, Chico CA
    (530) 924-4469 Mobile; 732-642-1100
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2026 13:07
    Three CAUT surveys are posted in the CAUT Technician Library,  from 1987, 1990 and 2000. 

    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    http://fredsturm.net
    www.artoftuning.com
    "One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead" (Oscar Wilde)




    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Posted 03-18-2026 16:37

    This is fantastic!!! Thank you!

    Vince



    ------------------------------
    Vincent Chambers

    Apollo Piano | Stanford
    San Francisco, Chico CA
    (530) 924-4469 Mobile; 732-642-1100
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2026 16:03

    Vince,

    Fred posted the link to download the three past surveys. They are exactly the same as the ones I have.

    Best,

    Don



    ------------------------------
    [Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
    [Piano Technician]
    [dmckech@ithaca.edu]
    [Home 607.277.7112]
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Fleet Management in Institutional Settings

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-19-2026 01:44

    In my career I have had only one major institutional customer, a local junior college with just over 50 pianos.  Others may have had much more CAUT level experience than me, but...

    I created an Excel spreadsheet that recorded the piano (make, model SN, etc.), room, condition, use and importance (criticality) etc.. I put a lot of time and effort into my information and forwarded it to all music faculty asking for further input and service requests.

    No one cared.

    From this I gathered that each faculty member was too preoccupied with the classes that they taught and their own interests to bother with something that did not directly affect themselves to take the time to consider the other resources of the school.  I only ever interacted with the facilities person who forwarded tuning and repair requests.



    ------------------------------
    Blaine Hebert RPT
    Duarte CA
    (626) 390-0512
    ------------------------------