New site launch... Piano Tuner Tools

Very excited to announce the launch of our web site and piano tool company!

www.pianotunertools.com 

Offering two exciting tools right now... the SHARK and the Rapid Voicer

New Carbon Fiber Piano Tuning Hammer - The Shark

Get your SHARK today!  Learn more at www.pianotunertools.com

Get the new sleek and beautiful Shark Piano Tuning Hammer.  New advanced carbon fiber design for professional piano technicians.

Piano Tuning Customer Template for Bento for Mac

Manage your customers is the amazing program for mac called Bento! 

Bento for Mac Website: There is a 30 free trial

You can use this piano tuning template free in bento.  It can be easily modified but it is the one that I use for my current customers. 

Click here to download template file for MAC only

Screen Shot of my template

Join the discussion on Facebook

Piano technicians can join an open discussion on the new Piano Tuner Success Facebook Page. 

My new Facebook page will be open to all technicians, customers and hobbyist that have interest in piano tuning and technology in any way.  I will boot you out if you begin to annoy me or other members and you know how that happens, so be nice :) 

I have really enjoyed the Master Piano Technicians Facebook Group and it is open only to members of the MPT.  You can apply to join the MPT here. 

The Call Back

 You're up at 8:00 am on a Sat. morning and you're looking forward to a well deserved day off. Your cell phone rings and you answer with enthusiasm thinking you're going to get a new client. However, it's your customer from last Tuesday calling to tell you the piano is out of tune and can you come right over and "fix it?" Politely, without looking at your schedule you say. "Yes, I can squeeze you in sometime during the day on  Monday.".... The client says "That won't work, were having a party today with 400 people and a professional piano player. Can you come any time before 4pm?"


 In a split second a ton of excuses run through your head. "I have other plans" "My kids have a softball game" "I have to go to the doctor" "My car's in the shop" etc... all of them not true, you reluctantly reply, " Ill be there within the hour". You put the phone down  thinking...there goes my day off, I really didn't want to go out and tune today, how could I be so dumb to let the client talk me into going???

 So, you grab a cup of coffee and head out the door for the 30 minute drive wishing you hadn't answered your phone, and even though your heart's not in it, you convince yourself to make the best of it. Arriving at the customers home the place is a mad house with workers setting up tents and caterers and wait staff running around making tons of noise.We'll, you think to yourself, I'm here, I might as well make the best of it and re-tune the entire piano.
 
  Despite the noise, carefully and diligently you go over the whole piano, note by note, string by string skipping nothing, But, you find the piano to be in good tune and the tuning is over within a half hour...As you're packing up your tools, your customer appears thanking you repeatedly for coming on such short notice and introduces you the piano player, who happens to be the clients nephew and a professional pianist from the NY Philharmonic.The pianist sits at the piano and lets loose a forte and crescendo that rattles the foundation of the house. The pianist finishes in a pianissimo, smiles and says "Good to go, nice job, the piano sounds prefect."


My customer then turns to me and says "Do you install Dampp-Chasers?" "Yes" I reply. "Call me next week and make an appointment to put one in my piano. My nephew said the piano could have gone slightly out of tune because I don't have a climate control system." Driving home you think to yourself,  wow, what a valuable lesson, had I refused to go I would have lost a good client and a Dampp-chaser install...
 

   

Tom Lotito

ThomasLotitoPianos.com
PO Box 70
Schooleys Mountain NJ 07870

908-204-9100 tom@thomaslotitopianos.com

Easy fix for broken ivory keytops

These tops can be ordered from www.schaffpiano.com

If you are not a piano technician with an account with Schaff, you may order them from me be contacting me from the blog.  

Using a simple reschedule form gives you repeat business

I learned this from Randy Potter's course and this year I have implemented it.  Only about 4 people have turned down the opportunity to reschedule for next year or 6 months.  I was getting tired of the endless hours of phone tag every month.  And, when people are thinking about it they are more likely to schedule a tuning.  It's a great system and easy to use.  Now I am filling up for the next year very quickly and this ensures that my customers will re-tune!  I simply fill out their address and info and tell them I have a scheduling system that works great.  I let them know that I will remind them with the yellow copy about 3 weeks prior to their appointment and they can easily change it at that time.

Then, I use a #10 window envelope to do the mailing.  You just slap a stamp on and send it out.  I use a monthly check folder to keep them organized and just send them out when the month comes around.

Here is a picture of my custom designed reschedule form.

Start using my system easily!
Get your custom form Only $19.99

I will do the graphics and add your name/logo and info to the reschedule sheet and send you a print ready PDF.  You can take it to any printer and ask for a 3 part form to be printed.

To order by phone:
Call 937-416-5166

Info needed at checkout for custom form:  Name, Website (optional), Phone Number, MPT/PTG member?


The PTG and/or MPT may be added to the form if you are current member of either organization. 


My form fits perfectly with the #10 left window envelopes from Office Depot.  Item 634-000

Accept credit cards in the field

There are two services that I recommend for taking credit cards in the field. 

I use them both and have had an authorize.net for many years. 

I just recently found square and it is very easy and free as well.  They will also send you free card swiper for your iPhone.   With authorize.net, I have to key in the card number.  I believe that I could use a swiper with authorize.net but I do not have a swiper that works and did not want to purchase one. 

There are apps for both services and they both work well.  Now, there is no reason to pay monthly fees for credit card processing.  You will pay a percentage and the funds are directly deposited to your account.  I always suggest a check but I will take credit card because it is easy and fast to get paid.

The funds are usually there within 1 day.  

Welcome

I have had the opportunity to meet many great technicians through the MPT and, as I have been learning, I will begin to post and blog here to advance the learning of other technicians and those interested in piano technology.  You can read more about me at my main hometown piano tuning web site and blog at pianotuner.wordpress.com. 

I have been tuning for about 4 years now and have been the MPT webmaster for 2 years.   I am a graduate of the Randy Potter School of Piano Technology.

What I have experienced in this industry has been amazing and the life of a piano technician is great and full of learning and working on a wide variety of pianos from the $100 practice piano to the $100,000 concert grand.

My mentors, teachers and friends are fun to be around and all have an extreme talent to make the piano become beautiful instrument for music. 

Follow the blog by email today to get posts and info as we build the knowledge base for piano technology through independent technicians.