bloke wrote:If I belonged to an organization that had "minimum qualifications", everyone would assume that my qualifications were minimum.
However, if you belonged to an organization whose requirements for membership included
demonstrated and
tested ability, proven to an accepted standard, you would be able to better inform potential clients of your skills and the advantages of your business over the other guy down the street whose skills (or, as happens often, lack of skill) are only demonstrated after the bill is paid.
I'm not saying all tuners
not in the Guild are bad. I am trying to say that the piano tuning profession in general is better off for having the Guild, as non-members are forced to have comparable skill in order to be successful in the marketplace. At least, I am under the impression that most piano owners know about the Guild and know that they are a safe bet with one of its members. If there were a Band Repair Guild, potential clients would know what they were getting, and non-members would have to rely on their skill and reputation to be successful. It would make all techs look better.
Unless I am missing some blatantly obvious point, such as we don't live in a perfect world.