Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum So, how's the economy affecting your business so far?

Just curious how the rest of you are doing?

So far, I've not noticed a drop in my regulars that usually schedule. I have noticed a drop in incoming phone calls however.

I'm getting more price shoppers than normal. But, unfortunately, price shoppers usually go for the cheapest "tooners" either way. To bad they don't go for quality first and price 2nd.

I think being well established will help us that are through this screwy ordeal in the economy.

How are the rest of you faring?

A little slowdown in the folks who come to Maine for the summer, and a bit of a slide in the regulars, but it's a bit hard to tell if it's a trend, or a temporary dip.

'No price shoppers yet ... thankfully.

A LOT of everything you said and a little more. . .But there is still enough to keep going. This week with the panic over the national finances has been especially quiet. Good thing I have as many of my regulars as I do. . .

I've had a pretty good week for calls. I scheduled about 50% of my regulars for the month of September. Most of the remainder want to wait until closer to the holidays. I havent began calling the October customers yet.

Here in the Southeast, like most places there is uncertainty. To further complicate this is the gas shortage that has affected us due to the hurricane in the Gulf a few weeks ago. The pipeline is still not back up to 100% capacity from what I understand. So in addition to the unsettled economic situation, people have been worrying about finding enough gas to get to work, and at a price under $4.00 a gallon.

So all in all, I think is is going to be an interesting autumn.

Personally, I'm not to worried about the fall as that it typically our busiest season. I wonder about after January and on? Especially with this new bailout going on.

I've been fortunate to have November and December booked out already. I have some openings yet in October. I'm one of the luckier ones maybe.

I know many other very good techs here have no work at all.

There's been a slight drop in incoming calls, but business has held up well. The postcards are a huge help there. I'm generally booked 2-3 weeks out pretty solidly. I haven't had to get on the phone too often to remind people how badly their pianos need servicing...

Where I live, the economy is generally more robust than in other areas, because of the high-tech and cosmopolitan aspects of the SF Bay Area.

Dave,
What are you doing with postcards? Who do you send them to? Where do you get your lists? Can you be more specific? I'm new here.

My status currently: as good as unemployed.
I've been this way for close to a year, now, if not more. :\
I've distributed business cards to several places, like coffee shops, teaching studios, etc, but the fish aren't biting. Is it possible my tuning fee might be too high? I'm still somewhat lower than most of the local RPTs whose prices I'm aware of, even though I'm a Jackson over the base triple-digit level...
I'm in San Diego, CA, area, btw.

And here I got rid of my old piano cause I'd like to get a better one... what gives?
About the piano, let's see... I'm looking for a... ok, ok, I'll spare the details for some other topic, which IDK if I'll post anytime soon. One thing, though, if I don't get a job anytime soon, budget for said instrument would be $750 max including moving costs. Also, I plan to record some songs for a CD on said piano, possibly starting the same day the instrument is brought home, so I'll want it to be good enough as is for that purpose.

If I'm not able to find a job (to enable me to get a better quality piano), or a good deal on a decent piano within the next several months.... I may resort to drastic measures to realize my goal of getting my (hopefully sooner rather than later) upcoming CD recorded and mastered (I'll be doing the mastering myself) before the holiday season... including, but not limited to, recording on a 1930s spinet that has not been serviced and is straight strung, has a birdcage action, a speaking length of A0 around 24" and backscale around 1.5", bass bridge mounted on the wrong side of a cutoff bar, wound strings up to A4, cracked soundboard, bridges, pinblock AND plate.... need I describe more?

My gross is down 14% year to date over last year, but I cut expenses, so my net is up. Phone was very quiet this past week due to bailout worries. I expect 2009 to be the same as 2008 at best, and hopefully not worse.

We are still busy in our part of Canada but what has affected me of late is our exchange rate. We were at par or above par with the U.S. over a year now. Today with all the stuff going on we are around .92 cents. So every big U.S. check I write is being affected. I was just getting use to have an equal dollar.

It was fun while it lasted. We were for a very short time able to purchace pianos or materials from the U.S. for $1.09 per a U.S. buck.

Hi Amy,

I send them to people whose pianos I've tuned 6 months or a year ago, depending on the piano's stability. They have a picture of my cat lounging at the lyre of my piano, with my motto "promote harmony in the universe: tune your piano!" arcing over the top. The other side has the saying of month (some little piano ditty that I make up or steal), followed by "your piano ______ was last tuned on ______" Even if that doesn't get them to call immediately, I can't tell you how many times people have said the really like the postcards. I always see them on pianos, kitchen counters, and fridges when I go to customers' homes.

I have a fairly lengthy list of contacts in my database--that was developed in no small part with the help of two former employers when I first went solo about 7 years ago--so I was able to accumulate clients fairly quickly.


Hope this helps! It's a tough time to start a business right now, that's for sure.

I have a long-time client is a locksmith. His business is booming...sadly, much of it is coming from banks wanting him to change the locks on foreclosed homes.

When we went to Germany in the fall of 2006 and exchanged U.S. dollars into Euro's, $1,000 here, now became the equivalent of $700 there. That really sucked! Lost $300 right off the bat.

I have my doubts as to if this so called bailout with $150,000 worth of ear marks, is going to actually work. Why must they always add ear marks? What makes them think they have that right???

I see a long time before things turn around to where they used to be and not before we suffer from a lot more corporate greed and a lot more hurt from the little guys like us.

Sounds too, like many CEO's of these companies might be getting decent payouts just to leave. What a crock!!!

Our congress and Senator needs to be fired for doing such a lousy job of handling our money.

A couple of days ago, via email, I had a client try and get me to drop my price for tuning by $20 per piano to tune hers and her daughters. They both live within a mile apart...supposedly.. Neither piano has been tuned in God knows how long and one has at least 3 broken notes. I said well, to help you out, I'll give a 10 % discount but, that's the best I can do. Everyone wants a discount. The more discounts you give, after a while, word spreads and everyone else will expect it too. Usually, I say no. Haven't heard back from this one yet.

What's CA or FLA or the East Coast like or other areas?

Dont be a wuss Jerry...hehehehe...These are hard times for us pore old tuners. Keep that no discount attitude.

I swear this has been one heck of a week!!! I kidd not, every darned piano I have tuned this week except for two have been Wurlitzers. Next week I have 4 of these "gems" scheduled. What is going on out there in Wurlitzer World!!! They wait ten years to tune these d*mn things, and then they want me to tune all of 'em within the same week!!!! It enough to drive a nutty piano tuner even crazier!!!

I had one Wurlitzer already scheduled for today and thought I had scheduled another for today, when the lady called yesterday morning. The lady said she thought it was a Wurlitzer. When I arrived it plainly stated "Grand" right there on the fallboard. Yep, you got it: a Grand Spinet!!! It was all I could do to restrain myself from falling to the floor and weeping bitter tears!!!

I'm thinking of re-do'ing my tag here in Pete Summers fashion...only mind will read:

Ron Alexander
Ancient & Modern Era Wurlitzer Specialist

I guess Wurlitzer World is gettting ready for hard times!!!

Sorry Pete...I know your name..I really do. Sumner not Summers. Guess I'm really hating the thought of Summer (the season) being done and gone.

Business is bad in Wasilla...lots of geezers with funny accents...I know they're not locals...they drive Lada's and mopeds instead of the four wheel drive trucks with 10 foot tires....and they only ask for a bottle of Vodka instead of a fee.....
There's this guy George who's following them around making notes in a big black book...it would have been a little black book, but he can't do cursive.....he also looks interested in the Vodka...hmmmmmmm...the plot thickens...
This Vicadin is soooooo good.....
Peter Sumner
Piano spy...I mean tuner...
Wasilla, Alsaka

Peter, I think you need a double dose of that stuff and then post in here! We're all waiting to see what comes out of you next.... Your mouth, that is...

Somebody get that Vicadin away from him. Next thing we know he will be Mousse hunting!!!!

" Everyone wants a discount. The more discounts you give, after a while, word spreads and everyone else will expect it too." Jerry Groot RPT

That could be another thread. Not only does the discount virus spread, but folks start wanting tuning, repairs, piano moving and house painting (slight exaggeration, 'sorry) all on one charge, and they start suspecting that you are overcharging as a matter of course.

I'll admit to giving the occasional "secret" discount, but I learned as a result of many frustrating experiences to NEVER give an up-front discount ... EVER!

That's why I list all of my prices on my website and at the bottom of every invoice. No mystery, no haggling, discounts at my discretion.