It seems that, lately, I have been getting a lot of requests, mostly from young people, to teach them accordion repair. Some live in my town, others are planning a visit for an extended period. I've always tried to be generous with the knowledge I've spent years gaining, and frequently show clients how to do small repairs themselves, rather than paying me to do them. I also spend several hours per week replying to people's accordion queries by email, again at no charge. I figure it's all part of maintaining a reputation for helpfulness and integrity. However, I am unsure how to deal with these increasing requests to teach accordion repair, for which no compensation is typically offered. It would be very strange to ask an auto mechanic to teach you how to fix cars, rather than paying them to do it for you, yet people think nothing of asking this of an accordion mechanic, apparently. I'm not interested in and don't have the physical space to hire an employee or apprentice. I have offered to work on someone's accordion with them, explaining what I am doing and letting them help, while charging my usual hourly rate, after which I don't tend to hear from them again. On one hand, I recognize a dearth of capable accordion technicians, and I'd like to be part of passing on these skills. Others were deeply generous with teaching me, and I'd like to pay that back. On the other hand, it all feels a bit entitled. I would never think of asking someone to give me something of real value without offering anything in return, and I wouldn't dream of plying this trade in the same region as the men who taught me, at least while they are still active. I am curious to know how other accordion techs handle these requests.
