PRESTO
METHODS OF ONE
AUSTRALIAN FIRM
F. A. Wilks, of Big Sydney Music House Bear-
ing His Name, Gives Details of System
to Which He Attributes a Consider-
able Share of His Success.
STAND ON TUNING
?'Keep Pianos in Tune" Is Advice Impressed on Cus-
'
tomers and Service Department Sends
> .
Reminders.
Mr. Wilks talked about business and about the
Gulbransen Registering piano particularly, which his
house features and has featured for years. He is a
student of the Gulbransen and plays it artistically
and in a way that makes an impressive demonstra-
tion. Few sales of Gulbransens are ever lost by the
Wilks organization—the product and the method of
presentation lead to desire for ownership that nothing
else can take the place of.
"We sell instruments with the understanding that
they are to be tuned every six months," said Mr.
Wilks. "We explain that there are two changes in
weather during the year. In the summer time the
strings expand. In winter they contract. They need
tuning to take the 'stretch' out. We explain that a
piano gets out of tune so gradually that it is not
easily noticed, but that the piano needs tuning every
six months as a matter of course. We notify them
that our tuner will be there at a certain time, and,
if not convenient to have him then, to let us know.
If we don't hear from them, we do the tuning.
The Tuner's Part.
E. F. Wilks, head of the business of E. F. Wilks
"When we sell an instrument, the tuner goes out
& Co., Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, recognized as one
of the leading operators in the music business in the the day after it is delivered, tunes it and sees that
Commonwealth, recently concluded an interesting everything is O.K. and shows the owners the A,
visit .in this country. Mr. Wilks left San Francjsco B, C of operation. After that the salesman goes
on November 5th, on the steamship "Tahiti," for out with the instruction rolls. We consider the serv-
Wellington, N. Z., and then to Australia. He has icing of instruments one of the most important ends
of the business, because it keeps customers happy and
been away from home since July 30.
Although his journey
"one way covered eleven
thousand miles and in-
cluded many points of in-
terest in the Fiji Islands,
Hawaiian Islands, etc., Mr,
Wilks got his biggest
thrill right on this conti-
nent of ours. That was in
the Yoho Valley, Van-
couver, where Mr. Wilks
and his friends got horses,
rode 8,000 feet up a moun-
tain and rode in a snow-
storm for four hours. As
none of the party had ever
seen snow, it was a real
thrill for them.
"Arriving at Vancouver,
we made a two and one-
half days' sightseeing trip
in the Gray line motor
cars. We went to Sica-
mous, to Glacier and
Emerald Lake, which for
sheer beauty is one of the
prettiest places in the
Rocky
Mountains. We
E. F. W1L.KS (ON RIGHT), MRS. VYDEN AND REX VYDEN.
spent three days there,
living in log cabins. From Emerald Lake we makes them treat their pianos as something to be
went to the Yoho Valley, got a guide and started proud of instead of something that is used occasion-
on a twenty-mile ride on horseback. One of our ally."
party had not ridden for twenty years and one not
A one-price system is absolute in his business, Mr.
at all, but we did go up 8,000 feet. It was here that Wilks said. "When people ask for a price reduction
we had the thrill of riding in a snowstorm for four I simply appeal to their better natures. I tell them
hours," said Mr. Wilks in an interview while in it would be unfair to all our other customers. 'If
Chicago.
we would be dishonest to our other customers,
The picture shows Mr. Wilks (on the right) at the wouldn't we be dishonest to you in some other way?'
bottom of the Grand Canyon, near the Colorado I ask them. We make them feel sorry that they
River. His companions are Mrs. Vyden, and her son. asked for a price reduction.
Rex, both of whom accompanied Mr. Wilks on his
The Personal Touch.
interesting journey.
"We show people that with the Gulbransen it is
possible to play a piano in exactly the same manner
as one would when playing by hand, that instead of
playing the pfano with the Registering Action, one
plays it through the Registering Action. It is you
playing. We always insist that every customer play
the* Gulbransen himself. This is the strongest point
we can make. We give big recitals, to which our
customers and the general public are invited. It cre-
ates, in our customers, a desire to play well. We feel
that if we look out for our customers, they will look
out for us.
"We also have a little plan of selling music rolls.
We send out twelve rolls for five days providing
four of them are kept. This has worked out very
GRAND-PIANO
well and keeps owners interested."
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STANDARD ACTION DEMAND.
Mr. McHugh, of the Standard Action Company, of
Cambridge, Mass., is making an extensive trip, call-
ing on the piano manufacturers of the company, and
writes that he is encountering more activity among
piano makers than has been apparent for many
months. Mr. McHugh is lining up some good busi-
ness, and things look extremely bright for the com-
ing season.
November 22, 1924.
UNUSUALLY EFFECTIVE
Q R S MUSIC ROLL ADVS.
Artistic Publicity by Which Sales of Player-
pianos Must Be Stimulated to Profit
of Retailers.
On the front cover of this week's Presto is repro-
duced in two colors only a beautiful Q R S Xmas
ad that is a part of the fall publicity campaign of the
Q R S Music Company.
The new Q R S Unit Box is featured in the ad and
the company says in a letter to the trade:
"During November and December the Q R S
Music Company includes in its campaign the follow-
ing national magazines: Saturday Evening Post,
Review of Reviews, Asia—Magazine, Atlantic
Monthly, Literary Digest, American Magazine,
Harper's Magazine, Scribner's Magazine, World's
Work."
It is astonishing in the music trade to see such an
overwhelming array of advertising as is done by the
Q R S company. What a wonderful influence it
would have if every manufacturer would do an equal
amount of national advertising. Every branch of
the music industry would reap the benefit and player-
piano selling wojld be so much easier.
It is often remarked in the trade that Q R S ad-
vertising is touching the top notch in its artistic dis-
play. The cover page of this week's Presto is a
handsome one, but it does not do justice to the work
as done in the magazines because, as shown by this
paper, there are only two colors used, whereas four
colors are employed in the magazine advertising.
Dealers will find it will pay them to see the same
advertisement in any of the magazines the names of
which appear above. And if there are any dealers
who are not yet familiar with the advantages of the
Unit Box, they should acquaint themselves at once
with one of the neatest and most serviceable con-
veniences associated with the player trade.
O. E. Kellogg, formerly with Cluett & Sons, of
Albany, N. Y., has been appointed manager of the
Chas. M. Stiefr, Inc., branch store at Lynchburg, Va.
ondtiring*
^Hardman
The 3htardman Jzine
is a complete line
It comprises a range of artisti-
cally w o r t h y instruments to
please practically every purse:
The Hardman, official piano of
the Metropolitan Opera House;
the Harrington and the Hensel
Pianos in which is found that in-
builtdurabilitythatcharacterizes
all Hardman-made instruments;
the wonderful Hardman Repro-
ducing Piano; the Hardman
Autotone (the perfect player-
piano); and the popular Playo-
tone.
^Jiardmanjpeck &Co.
C. H. Byrn & Son's hardware store at Murfrees-
boro, Tenn., has opened a piano department, handling
the lines of the Waltham Piano Co., Milwaukee.
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