The Piano-Head Returns

[Kemble King]

Nice to see Mr Piano-Head has returned back to the forum. I knew he wouldnt be able to stay away for long, whoever he might be, by the way!!

[vernon]

piano heeds
How can you cross the country to aberdeenshire,sell a 15000 piano for trade price + 500, inc stool and delivery+ free tuning, and stay in business for long? A couple of squeaky pedals, and a funny noise and you are in " negative equity" What sort of after sales service can the customer expect?
sounds desperate to me

[piano heads]

You should phone me and might be able answer your question,not looking to sell piano via this forum ,take it you not been up here too long,but if you want straight talking and some free advice call me you can even reverse the charges.How many pianos do we sell in a month,how many do you sell,its straight arithmetric give me a ring.

[chrisvenables]

A notice to ALL piano professionals, whether pianist, tuner,technician or dealer, (and I don't know why the moderator hasn't suggested this before now)

If you are posting on the public forum, (and also on the trade forum) why not have the professional integrity of displaying your real name/trading name so other dealers and most importantly, the public, can see who you really are. What's the point, on a public forum, of a professional on a forum hiding behind an alias? If the point of the forum is for true debate, then you should let the public know who you really are.

Using an alias simply questions whether you are genuine or not and arouses public suspicion. Sussex pianos is the only one who seems to be up front.

Please, Kemble King, Piano Guy, Psychopianoman, Vernon, Piano Heads, A440, MDW , Model V, Joseph (big ears!) and many more etc etc come clean!

We should be setting an example to our public, not shrouding things in uncertainty.

[piano heads]

Could not agree more and lets have a real discussion about proper piano issues and concerns,and i try improve my grammar and spelling too many years doing piano repairs removals etc to fit in a computer literacy course.

[chrisvenables]

I'm so glad you agree - so what's you're professional name? I am sure both the pros and public would appreciate knowing your actual name and company name. I'm all for open-ness and civilised open discussions. I'm sure, based on your previous threads, that it sounds like you believe a good quality new piano is unbeatable value - we've a lot in common - let's talk - amicably!

[PianoGuy]

If you are posting on the public forum, (and also on the trade forum) why not have the professional integrity of displaying your real name/trading name so other dealers and most importantly, the public, can see who you really are. What's the point, on a public forum, of a professional on a forum hiding behind an alias? If the point of the forum is for true debate, then you should let the public know who you really are.

Using an alias simply questions whether you are genuine or not and arouses public suspicion. Sussex pianos is the only one who seems to be up front.

Please, Kemble King, Piano Guy, Psychopianoman, Vernon, Piano Heads, A440, MDW , Model V, Joseph (big ears!) and many more etc etc come clean!

We should be setting an example to our public, not shrouding things in uncertainty.

Chris,

The forum rules state that as long as views opined are not vulgar or profane, the subscriber has the *right* to post anonymously. Some of us have chosen to do so, others not. I'm comfortable with that.

[mdw]

.How many pianos do we sell in a month,how many do you sell,its straight arithmetric give me a ring.

Isnt the saying " turnover is vanity, profit is sanity"!

[piano heads]

What the quote is saying is there are piano dealers,who operate on a small scale and ones thru good business tact amd and having different goals in life create larger piano businesses due to the public demand for their servives,am not knocking the small guy,but the small business is not going to have the purchasing power as the main dealer,unless he is willing to get the premises and carry the stock required to compete.No point moaning about not making enough profit,that went out kemble pianos years ago.easy to source from dealers eager to sell,at reduced prices as their dealer network is about to coming crashing down, my opinion poor management and greed.If cv was selling them they still be around.

[Kemble King]

Cool, I will try and change my name later to my own, seeings that Kemble are closing down anyway, there couldnt be a better time.

Anyway regarding small shops V Big shop, since I began in retail nearly 6 years ago now we have grown from 8 pianos on the first day of opening to nearly 80. This has come from vision ,expansion and concentrating on what makes money for a business. Regarding discounting, I beleive it is a fine balance on weighing up a customer first, working out if the have been online before they visit the shop by asking the right questions and also just being competitive in the market place.

Anyway, best be of, Im on the tee at 2pm

Regards

Gordon Bell Pianos Ltd

P.S My spelling aint great either

[joseph]

Joseph Fleetwood here, I use my real first name coz I couldn't think of anything more adventurous. I am a pianist and piano teacher, I have performed on many different pianos, from the sublime (the Steinway in Cheltenham Town Hall was beauuuuuuuuuutiful) to the downright durty (the piano in my teaching room at school . . . .).

I don't sell pianos at all, although sometimes people ask for my recommendation before purchasing their £150 keyboard with 61 piano sized touch sensitive keys, upon which they expect to be able to play Rach 2. Hmmm

I'm not in the market for a new piano, although I'm nosey about what's out there. My spelling is OK, because my Grandmother used to bash me around the ears whenever I cocked it up. Thats why my ears are now so big, Chris.

[chrisvenables]

This is great! Many thanks to Kemble King and Mr Joseph Fleetwood (I've heard he's pretty good on the ivories) in getting the ball rolling.

It's a bit like being at an AA meeting (err, not that I have been) with people prepared to stand up and be counted - or St John the Baptist and the unwashed coming forward to be Christened. Hallelujah!

[joseph]

i Wanna be baptised in Sancerre, or Plymouth Gin.

[NewAge]

i Wanna be baptised in Sancerre, or Plymouth Gin.

Sorry, only Tizer available in the font this week, to ensure no disorderly driving at the keyboard.

[Openwood]

Well, about this anonymity thing. I accept I'm in a minority on this, but I think it should be up to each member to decide whether they want to disclose their name. I'm not a dealer - I just prefer not to use my name on the public forum. If there was a requirement to do so I would simply stop posting. I'm not huffing and puffing about it, it just isn't something I would want to do.

[PianoGuy]

Agreed 100% Openwood, Sir!

[Bob Pierce]

Well I'm Bob and can tell you all about piano numbers!!!!!!!!!!

[athomik]

This is a public forum and I am here as a private individual, so I don't like to advertise my position too loudly . If anyone would ever like information from me in my official capacity, I'd be only too happy to help them via the appropriate channels.

[vernon]

I would point out that this isn't a "public forum " but a restricted one.It seems that everybody knows each other anyway but it's a bit like being in the Lodge--it's nice, tho' a bit childish to be secretive.
I don't care who knows my name but remember our youff on the CB good buddies with your handles.Mine was "Codpiece" but the lower orders couldn't cope with that and when I became constantly " Codfish" I signed off.
We are certainly not a democratic body but if the majority of subscribers wish to know everyones' name, I'll institute a poor stroll, I mean a Straw Poll( pace Prof Spooner)
Meanwhile, Piano Heads hasn't asked to join but he is most welcome with his forceful opinions. PM me O Piano Heads

[Barrie Heaton]

I would point out that this isn't a "public forum " but a restricted one.It seems that everybody knows each other anyway but it's a bit like being in the Lodge--it's nice, tho' a bit childish to be secretive.
I don't care who knows my name but remember our youff on the CB good buddies with your handles.Mine was "Codpiece" but the lower orders couldn't cope with that and when I became constantly " Codfish" I signed off.
We are certainly not a democratic body but if the majority of subscribers wish to know everyones' name, I'll institute a poor stroll, I mean a Straw Poll( pace Prof Spooner)
Meanwhile, Piano Heads hasn't asked to join but he is most welcome with his forceful opinions. PM me O Piano Heads

this is the open one I think you have posted this in the wrong place Vernon and Mr Piano Head has been added to the piano Tuners/ R forum

As to Using Aliases Names see the FAQ

Barrie,

[vernon]

Barrie
Ooops!
too many drams

xx
v

[Openwood]

Well, like I said, if we have to declare names I'm out of here. As a teacher I don't want pupils looking at what I say online; so far this has been one of the great benefits of the forum - ironically I can 'be myself' here to a far greater extent by remaining anonymous. Anyway, you guys thrash it out amongst yourselves. I'm beginning to feel like it's time for a change anyway - the focus on this forum seems to be moving away from discussing pianos towards slagging off business rivals and you already have a closed forum in which you can do that to your heart's content.

[Descombes]

I completely agree with Openwood. As a teacher too, I don't want pupils or parents reading my views. I also want to give my opinions on pianos without it making my identity completely obvious. I already have my ideal piano, so the squabbles about rival brands don't interest me.

[chrisvenables]

I respect you points of view, Openwood and Descombes. Not that I want to detract from this excellent forum, as it has a certain intimacy which other forums don't have, but check out Piano World forum (based in the US) and their FAQ's and advice regarding how piano industry pros etc should name themselves. It is certainly worth reading and raises some constructive points.

My view is that at least the traders and tuners should be up front with their names/business names - piano world gives the reasons better than I - teachers by all means should have a right to anonymity if they wish.

If the moderator(s) believe(s) the thread is diverting from the OP, then can't they just move it to the closed tuners/retailer section? I would prefer it if they had a little more autonomy.

There's also not a huge amount of input from the general public on the 'piano' section - maybe it's a chicken and egg situation.. Maybe it's a bit like the piano trade at the moment - too many dealers and not enough customers!

[markymark]

A notice to ALL piano professionals, whether pianist, tuner,technician or dealer, (and I don't know why the moderator hasn't suggested this before now)

If you are posting on the public forum, (and also on the trade forum) why not have the professional integrity of displaying your real name/trading name so other dealers and most importantly, the public, can see who you really are. What's the point, on a public forum, of a professional on a forum hiding behind an alias? If the point of the forum is for true debate, then you should let the public know who you really are.

There are a number of reasons why the Moderating Team has not enforced this as a rule:

As has been mentioned already, it is personal choice as to whether or not anyone wishes to disclose their details. For my part, as an educator, I have alluded to my work place and small episodes from my experience (on the teaching forum). As I am working with children and people, it would be entirely inappropriate for me to say who I am as the location and people may be recognisable to other readers.

Bear in mind, the people can indicate their real name and/or business in their signature line as well as providing a link to their website (if any) in the contact section of your profile. For these reasons alone, nicknames should not be a problem as the real identity can be indicated after registration.

We do not encourage posting e-mail addresses on the forum as it drastically increases the risk of spam to your personal e-mail address.

As you will have read, posters are responsible for the content of their posts and not the forum. For this reason, identifying your trading centre also means that your views must be based on solid evidence (which it should be anyway) or experience because your post becomes a representation of not only your view, but also that of your business. This can then allow some to take your comment as a commercially disparaging or slanderous comment. When people and their identities stay anonymous, it helps present a mutual discussing of the facts and/or opinions of instruments.

My view is that at least the traders and tuners should be up front with their names/business names - piano world gives the reasons better than I - teachers by all means should have a right to anonymity if they so wish.

You may also have heard that someone's post got that forum into legal strife with another retailer because their comments were taken as slanderous. The forum, as I understand it, was also sued for damages. The point I'm making is that naming companies could be tricky.

The topic has gone off topic and I have copied and editted this thread which is waiting to be moved. Global Moderators can not currently move anything to the Retailers/Tuners forum because the board views it as being technically a "closed group" and not a forum at all. I have PM-ed Barrie to do the honours.

[Barrie Heaton]

I respect you points of view, Openwood and Descombes. Not that I want to detract from this excellent forum, as it has a certain intimacy which other forums don't have, but check out Piano World forum (based in the US) and their FAQ's and advice regarding how piano industry pros etc should name themselves. It is certainly worth reading and raises some constructive points.

Piano World got sued because of what a poster posted about a retailer it got Piano World into big trouble I believe it turned out to be a retailer who posted the comments

We made the decision that we would not have the same strict rules as PW regarding names if something bad is posted about a company on the site we tell them to date I have had only done this 3 times

Myself if I was a retailer I would make the most of the forum as links in your sig count as back links in SE's and help to push your site up in the SERP's (search engine results page)

Barrie

[vernon]

Barrie
for God's sake.
I'm only a simple piano tuner.
What on earth is a "sig count" and "SEs" and " Serps" I thought that was some sort of Government Bond.
If I press the wrong knobby on this computer thingy, am I liable to lose my identity or get my balls blacked in Pianoland?
Where's the dram

[joseph]

blackened balls, now theres a thing....

[markymark]

Barrie
What on earth is a "sig count" and "SEs" and " Serps" I thought that was some sort of Government Bond.
If I press the wrong knobby on this computer thingy, am I liable to lose my identity or get my balls blacked in Pianoland?
Where's the dram

SE is short for "Search Engine". Barrie is basically supporting what I said about using your forum signature to promote your website.

It promotes your website indirectly because of the more you post, the more times your signature (with your website url) appears and the more likely it is to be picked up when someone does a related search on Google (aka SERPS)!

[Barrie Heaton]

Barrie
for God's sake.
I'm only a simple piano tuner.
What on earth is a "sig count" and "SEs" and " Serps" I thought that was some sort of Government Bond.
If I press the wrong knobby on this computer thingy, am I liable to lose my identity or get my balls blacked in Pianoland?
Where's the dram

Sorry my bad English must have lived in Nigeria in a past life

Take as "sig. Links in your sig count as back links", *Anchor text is also important take a look at may sig www.a440.co.uk is fine but embedding it in more relevant text is more useful.

However, I will get P off if folk start placing lots of links in their sig and posting rubbish just to up their post numbers

*Anchor text are words used in links


Barrie,