Repairs of Students' Instruments

Much of the information that pertains to school instrument repairs is also pertinent to repairs of students' instruments: The Amro shop can usually accomplish minor repairs in less than 24 hours - sometimes while a customer waits, and most other work in a few days or less. It is important to have as much information as possible on the repair tag so the technicians can determine how much work is wanted, and to assist the shop manager in contacting the parents about estimates and payment. Two technicians will play each instrument upon completion of repairs to be sure nothing is overlooked.

The Amro technicians routinely call the customer if the costs will exceed $50. For that reason and to speed up the return of the instrument, it is important to have the customer's complete name, address and phone number on the tag. Whenever there is a delay with the repair of a student's instrument, it is usually in reaching the parent and getting their approval for the work to be done.

Student instrument repairs are often the biggest headache of a band director's business dealings. Parents are never pleased to learn that repairs are needed, and all they get for the sometimes considerable cost is the instrument playing like they thought it was anyway. Very few people understand the mechanics of a musical instrument, and as a result people can be skeptical of the need or the benefit of recommended repairs. In addition, kids are rarely willing to admit that they dropped or broke an instrument, and sometimes a scapegoat is sought. Much patience is required in dealing with parents who are surprised and disappointed by the news that their child's instrument needs repair.

Parents sometimes tend to feel that a repair technician likes to recommend extensive work on an instrument because it generates higher charges. In reality most technicians are more concerned with keeping up with the quantity of work that comes in—there is always more work than there is time to complete it. If they do recommend more work than a parent had in mind, it's typically out of concern about whether the customer will be satisfied with how the instrument plays after it's repaired.

Amro does its best to keep the cost of instrument repairs low. Most of the technicians have college degrees, have spent years learning their crafts, and have valuable technical knowledge and skills. Amro considers repairs a non-profit support service to those who have bought instruments from Amro and those schools and directors who do their business with Amro.

Fortunately most of the complications and problems of student instrument repair have been relieved by the Amro Maintenance and Replacement coverage discussed earlier in this manual.