Pianotech

  • 1.  Selling business alternative

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-24-2022 14:16
    Hello All
      For seniors like myself that still have a passion for servicing pianos and your health permits, cutting back a day per week is a great alternative to selling your business. To do so, I have made arrangements with a reputable piano service company (PTG member) to take certain service calls off of my schedule, leaving me with that extra time for other things. You can set up a prearranged commission, and know that the customer is going to be treated in the same fashion they are accustomed to. Full retirement can be a wonderful stage for some, however, there is an ever increasing percentage of individuals that wish to remain in the fold, and keep mentally and physically fit. I have cut certain zip codes out of my schedule, and still continue to keep as busy as I wish. We are truly fortunate as piano tuners to be able to dictate what we want in our lives.
      I also take another approach to "price shoppers". When in communication with an inquiring individual, and you get the typical clues that they are checking price to go with the cheapest, I actually tell them of an individual that charges half the going rate. In the course of the conversation, I tell them to check their reviews, and talk to others about their reputation. If they are happy to select someone entering their home based solely upon price, then they have found the right person for them. In most cases, reputation ranks higher than a cheap price. 


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    Greg Junker RPT
    Greg Junker's Piano Shoppe, LLC
    Belleville IL
    (618) 971-9595
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  • 2.  RE: Selling business alternative

    Posted 08-25-2022 00:34
    Hey Greg,

    That sounds spot on.  I am 59 and plan to tune pianos as long as I can.  Though it is already starting to get difficult to pull grand actions out and carry them to my vehicle.  


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    Patrick Greene
    OWNER
    Knoxville TN
    (865) 384-6582
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  • 3.  RE: Selling business alternative

    Posted 08-25-2022 02:42

    Patrick, for the grand actions to the vehicle: you can keep going awhile longer if you get some gear.

    I have a nice little folding cart, light, just barely strong enough to hold a grand action and keys, therefore light enough to carry easily. In fact, folded up it even will go onto the handles of my invaluable Versacart.

    I believe (ach! Covid head!!!) that I bought it from Norm Cantrell in Oklahoma, who maybe still makes them?

    So, it can be set to just the right height, and I can pull the action out onto it, and roll it around to wherever is most convenient. It's great for in and out sorts of jobs, to prevent having to dead lift the whole thing.

    Getting it into the car -- with the hatch raised and the back seats lowered: I used to slide it onto a hand truck, carefully wheeling it to the open hatch, putting the top of the hand truck down on the threshold, and then sliding it up and in. As I got older, this got harder, and while I never dropped one, I got anxious. So now I take it apart. I have two Spurlock-style key clamps, each able to accommodate half the set of keys, and both with a strong carrying cord. So, I can take off the action (screws into a cardboard so they don't get mixed up), lift it off, and remove the keys, putting them into the key clamps, which can be carried to the car. The key frame can slide in sideways, and is easy to carry. The action can be slid in next to it, with some blankets in between.

    It's tedious and more work, but at age 76 I'd rather be safe and fairly comfortable, instead of struggling.