About Working in a Flute Shop

I think it may be obvious that I LOVE my job. Even during a pandemic.

So what does my day look like?

Team

Each morning, we have a team catch up to talk about things that need attention that day. Usually this meeting involves a brief chat about repairs for the week and customers needing assistance with sending or receiving flutes. It’s a chance for us to get on the same page about our customer’s needs and is one of the most important parts of maintaining communication accross all areas of the business.

Customers

The most important people at Flutes and Flutists! Each Monday i check the progress of repair jobs of the previous week and update customers on when to expect their flutes to be ready. Many flutes are received Monday-Wednesday. In lockdown times, my teammates unpack these flutes and let me know which ones are in. I then let customers know that their flutes have arrived safely.

On Wednesdays, I contact customers to remind them of their upcoming service. I advise how best to ship their flutes and pack them safely. This is even more necessary when drop offs are made difficult by restrictions.

Every day I answer calls, book repairs, answer emails and texts and manage the repair technician’s schedule. I also keep the database up to date with customer details. It is vital to keep a record of next service dates and technical notes on repair work done.

Polishing

On Thursdays and Fridays, i polish flutes! There is little more satisfying than seeing a tarnished flute be brought back to its former shiny glory! Polishing is done by taking all the keys off and hand ragging the flute tube and separate keys. It is very detailed work, and I love the way it allows me to be very Zen and focused.

Testing

One of the highlights for me is getting to play the flute at work. I test all flutes after they have been serviced (unless I am working from home) as well as any stock flutes that go out to customers for trials. I love getting to test the 14K gold flutes of course! But it’s great to get to play any flute, and it offers the opportunity to really get a great idea of the differences between different makes, models, metals, and styles.

Packing

I pack and unpack LOTS of flutes. It is important to make sure the flute doesn’t rattle around inside its case by placing a small sheet of bubble wrap inside the case. Next, the flute case has to be wrapped in bubble wrap and placed inside a flute shaped box. This is then wrapped in brown paper, and fragile stickers placed on the outside. When it comes to unpacking, it’s always very interesting to see the creative ways customers protect their flutes! I have seen balls of wool, teddy bear stuffing, and a flute that was so wrapped in bubble wrap, it was like a giant soccer ball!

Shipping

I book flutes to send every day, except Friday as we don’t like having flutes in transit over the weekend. It’s always very important to focus on entering the correct addresses and contact details of customers. It’s also very important to make sure the correct flutes go to the correct customers!