Hiya gang!! Have you been wondering how to find the absolute best piano tuner in Austin? Like, what does that even mean? What should you be looking for? And what search criteria are we concentrating on? Oh, and what qualifications should they even have?
Step 1 ~ Ask Family / Friends
Here’s the good news – tuning a piano requires neither rocket science nor brain surgery. (…at least, not the way I learned how to do it, anyway.) So, your first move can be the typical move you make when you are looking to find ANY service vendor : asking for referrals from friends/family or on social media. Now, I used to work in the events industry. I owned a photography studio and when people asked their social media family/friends what photographers to go to, they got hundreds of responses. We got tagged daily in someone’s dialogue talking about local photographers. It must have been an intimidating job to sift through all of the referrals to find the absolute best match. But, that’s not the case for piano tuners. It’s quite a bit more of a niche service…which, is good for you!
Step 2 ~ How’s Their Marketing?
OK, you got a few referrals, so here’s the next move – and it’s another typical one, but you should still do it : check their online presence. Website, social media, blog…whatever they have available so you can get to know them a bit. We want relatable, we want attractive (to you), and we want accessible, right? A lack of online personality or an outdated marketing presence could very well point to outdated practices in other business areas.
Remember, the service to your piano won’t be the only step in this transaction. There will be money exchanged, communication/customer service, follow-ups, timely service appointments, etc. Let’s make sure the companies that you are looking at seem like they are putting their “best foot forward” for you. You are their potential client, after all. Because, as they say, first impressions matter. And, if it appears that first impressions don’t matter to the company you are looking at…then, it’s a good bet that other parts of their service don’t matter either.
Step 3 ~ How Do Their Reviews Look?
And I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend you check for reviews. Google, Facebook, Thumbtack, their website…wherever you can find them! If other clients are calling them the best piano tuner in Austin…that’s obvs a good sign🙂
Step 4 ~ Do They Seem Nice and Easy to Work With?
Easy peasy so far, right? OK, let’s get into their customer service/vendor personality. Reach out to them, however you feel comfortable. Through their website, text, phone call…whatevs. And let’s see how quickly, kindly and professionally they respond. Now, here you will have to use your own judgement – because what *I* feel is professional and appropriate could be different than you. So, it’s ok if this is just left as a “feely” judgement call. Did they make you “feel” good about them? Or, did you not get much of a hut check on them at all? (If that was the case, maybe let’s ask some more questions – i.e. how long have you been in business, can you describe your service process, etc.) Or worse, did some internal alarms go off? I’d listen, and react accordingly.
Step 5 ~ Any Chance They Seem Like They Know What They’re Doing?
Lastly, let’s poke at their experience & technical know-how. Describe the problem/need/requirements to the vendor and see if they can speak intelligently on it. Do they have obvious knowledge on the instrument? Are they coming up with follow-up questions of their own that suggest they are thinking critically through your situation? Can they answer your questions satisfactorily and offer a plan or next steps to help you?
Step 6 ~ Do You ‘Feel’ Like They’re the Best Piano Tuner?
Here’s the thing – and it’s a good thing for you, as the buyer – this is not such a high tech, high qualifying service that you (usually) will require some high-priced masterful expert. Don’t misread me, pianos are complicated and they require an experienced technician to work on them properly. But, *YOU* don’t need to know all the right technical questions to ask in order to determine whether or not a vendor is right for you. For the most part, this can be put into the category of, “which one of these companies gives me “warm and fuzzies”?” If you’ve done your research, you’ve qualified the options you’re choosing from, then you probably can’t go wrong. You don’t need to stress about which company is the best piano tuner in Austin…you just need to know which one will make you personally happiest to have a working relationship with.
Or, You Know…You Could Just Call Us!!
I mean, I don’t know why we’re having this conversation you and I both know that *WE*, TX Pianos, are your absolute best choice!!! So, all of this is an exercise in absolute futility when the RIGHT answer is staring you right in the face!! 🙂
Seriously, you can Contact Me, Call or Text me!
OK, I hope this blog has done a couple of things for you. 1. I want to quell any insecurity that you have when finding the right vendor for you. Most of us are nerdy, techy people who are more scared of you than you are of us. And anyways, we NEED you!! We need you to be happy and like us…otherwise, you might not give us your business!! 🙂 And 2. I want you to be super confident in your choice. I want you to take ownership of this and be excited to get your instrument in great working order! A well-tuned, well serviced instrument is so full of creative potential and that’s SO EXCITING!!!
Thanks for visiting the blog again today. I’m always grateful that you are here. So go out, create GREAT music. And when you’re ready to hire the best piano tuner in Austin, I will most definitely be waiting for your call! Until next time ~
Cheers Everyone…Derek