|
Cliff's Comments on the Current Scene IIThere are a few more things I want to discuss. At a time when the industry is short of well qualified repairmen, it seems that we would want to have more repair oriented people, not less!There are without a doubt, more challenges coming. How are you going to deal with them? I maintain it takes at least 4 years for a person to become anywhere even close to being competent in the repair field. The schools available, graduate about 100 or so students a year, but not all go into the business, or stay in the business. Others are taught by repairmen at different shops. It takes training, experience and capital to be in this business. What can we do to help this situation and how do we go about it? The FIRST thing to do, is to stop all the bad advice and bad or obsolete repair methods that are still making the rounds after all these years. While on that subject; why would anyone pay $100 a year to anyone for a bimonthly publication which is nothing but a rehash of some of these old outdated techniques? Desperation, is the only reason I can come up with. SO, from this point on, we are going to make a concerted effort to provide for the craft, as we used to call it, new, useable and up to date ideas, methods and techniques for repairing band instruments TODAY; easily, profitably and properly. Second, these articles, which will be published free of charge, will be from different parts of the country, from different repairmen, of course and will be of a practical nature, modern and efficient. Third, to encourage people to get into and stay in the repair business we are developing new plans and tool setups to help a repairman make better use of their time. Next, we are going to have some repair seminars to go over the techniques of some of the more difficult aspects of this business, therefore making them easier, and perhaps salvage some repair oriented minds who may otherwise have been lost. Now, let's address the problem of snob appeal. "Technician", in a newer issue dictionary I have located, is basically a medical term for a very educated operator of devices or in parenthesis, a musician who is very precise. (or words to that effect). Calling yourself a technician is not going to make you more qualified, educated or knowledgeable and could in fact, cause some unmet expectations on the part of the customer. The truth is that we are more closely related to the blacksmith, the Village Smithy or the Village Tinkerer and in this vein, extraordinarily priced tools or supplies are another area of concern. I especially don't like new people being intimidated from even trying the craft or, if educated in it, from trying to make a go of pursuing it as an occupation. This practice of not allowing certain people or groups to even try repairing is not good. I get the feeling that there are those that don't want any competition or anyone else stirring their pot. If someone tries to repair something and is not successful, there will be more work for you. If they get pretty good at it, at worst, you may hire a well qualified, talented assistant or employee as a result; who was shop taught or self taught and was determined enough that they have learned to survive. More later-
|
|
