In the United States, piano service is an unregulated trade. So, unfortunately anyone can hang a sign out and profess to be a competent Piano Technician. I suppose this is acceptable because we are not working on human or animal bodies. Still, a piano is often a serious investment of both time and money and it should be well cared for and maintained by someone who knows what they are doing.
Probably the first and sometimes best way to find a competent Piano Technician is to ask a trusted friend or family member for a referral. Referrals from those you trust are often a great way to find out about the personality and work ethic of the technician as these are learned only from first hand experience.
Piano store recommendations can be another good source of technicians. Most stores are familiar with local piano technicians in the area and are usually more than willing to recommend one. They tend to recommend those technicians who have an established relationship with the store. Professional recommendations from local stores can vary quite a lot as stores can have a variety of service needs from beginning tuners to seasoned concert level professionals.
Manufacturer recommendations are a great source for finding piano service professionals because the manufacturers reputation is dependent on that recommendation. They will normally only recommend technicians who have proven skills. Piano technicians are often called upon by manufacturers to provide warranty repairs where both technical and people skills are needed.
The most highly recognized organization of piano technicians in the U.S. and worldwide is the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG). Established in 1957, this non-profit organization is comprised of Associate members and Registered Piano Technician (RPT) members. A Registered Piano Technician has passed a series of rigorous examinations on the maintenance, repair, and tuning of pianos. Only RPTs are authorized by The Piano Technicians Guild to display the logo containing the words “Registered Piano Technician”. I highly recommend looking for a technician who is at least a member of the PTG and preferably an RPT. It’s no guarantee that an RPT will provide outstanding service and there are certainly very fine non-RPT technicians around, but it does demonstrate a certain level of commitment to the craft with proven minimal skills needed to competently perform piano service work.
To make it easy to locate an RPT in your area, the Piano Technicians Guild provides a searchable database that also provides much detail about individual technicians. Plus, you can search by ZIP Code, Technician Name, Local PTG Chapter, or Specific Technician Skills desired.