This post was originally published on 8/28/2015.  

Why choose Fine Tuning to tune and service your piano? That was a question I asked myself before I started my business and it is what has driven me to improve the way I do business and try to set a new standard for piano technicians.

We live in an exciting time when technology allows us so many opportunities to improve our quality of life. I have done my best to implement modern technology into my business model in several ways. One way is with the ability to accept credit and debit cards at the home of any client. Accepting cards is a huge convenience for my clients because it takes less time than writing a check and it comes out of their account almost immediately. There is no waiting and wondering when the piano tuner is going to cash the check. Credit and debit card receipts are sent instantly to a client's email or to their phone by text message. A detailed invoice is also emailed to my clients in digital format. No paperwork to keep track of!

Another way I have implemented modern technology is through my inspection reports that are completed at each service appointment. These reports detail the temperature, humidity, and condition of all the parts of your piano and each part is given a grade. This information is all stored in a database I have created to store such information. This is very helpful as it allows my clients and I to track the piano's performance and climate over time which helps to diagnose problems that may arise. It also helps us to determine if the piano is experiencing major climate fluctuations that need to be curtailed by a humidity control system. Estimates are provided by email in digital format for each of the items that receive low grades so my clients can prepare for repairs in advance.

Inspections are very important. Tuning a piano that has not been properly inspected may end up to be a complete waste of money. If the bridges that the strings attach to are cracked or damaged, the piano will not hold a tune properly. This is just one example of why inspections are important. There are many others that will be discussed in a later post.

As important as inspections are, they are not completed by all technicians. I recently serviced an upright on which the spring clip that holds the large board (kneeboard) above the foot pedals in place was installed improperly at the factory. The improper installation made it so the clip had to be removed entirely in order to remove the knee board to inspect the inside of the lower half of the piano. The clip normally just needs to be pressed on and the board will come free. This clip had never been removed which also meant the bottom half of the piano had never been inspected; not even at the dealership! There was still packing material inside the piano and it was 17 years old!

I have great pride in my work. My business model includes representing myself in the most professional and friendly manner possible. No one likes having a grumpy, unfriendly man in the house banging on their piano. My clients are my business and I treat them as such.

I do not like making uninformed decisions and do not expect my clients to enjoy it either. I do all I can to help my clients understand any issues that may be present in their piano or may soon be present if proper action is not taken. Pianos can be difficult to understand and I do not do anything until I am confident that my client understands fully what is to be done.

No pressure. That is the feeling I try to keep in my interactions with my clients. It is not my job to pressure people into taking care of their pianos. It is my job to fully inform my clients about what is best for their pianos and allowing them to make informed decisions on their own time. Sometimes people want to do what is best for their piano, but may need to do other things with their money that month. I would not ever put my client in an uncomfortable position by making them feel pressured to do something right away.

Last, but certainly not least, I leave every piano I service sounding beautiful. A properly tuned piano will resonate and have a full, satisfying sound. I am always improving my tuning method in order to achieve the fullest sound possible from the pianos I tune.

There you have it. Several reasons why you should choose Fine Tuning to service your piano. Visit our Tuning & Repairs webpage here.