[CAUT] back duplex

[David Skolnik]

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Lance-
Lest there be any doubt, I did not intend my comments to be critical of 
you.  Rather, they reflect a more generalized frustration.  I completely 
appreciate your position, have experienced the same, and have not tended to 
do any better navigating between the desire to help and protect the 
customer (and myself), and commercial expediencies.

A while back, I had been called to tune a small Kawai grand, which had been 
purchased in a University-type sale.  I seem to recall that there was a 
grey-market component to this sale.  The piano turned out to have, what I 
felt to be, some significant negative bearing.  I encouraged the customer 
to pursue the issue, since the piano was still under a dealer 
warrantee.  They did, up until the dealer sent another technician who 
claimed there was no problem, and who, apparently, was successful in 
undermining my credibility.

Bottom line...I think you (we) can provide a certain amount of guidance and 
support, but, ultimately, it's up to the individual customer to defend and 
protect their investment.  If your customer had believed you enough (not 
your fault), it would have been up to them to press their claim to dealer 
and manufacturer.  As much as you might wish to, you can't protect people 
from themselves.  As for whether the dealer's response was ethical, it 
seems that, more and more, the observance of what we would consider to be 
ethical behavior is determined by the economic bottom line.  "It's what you 
might call...a guideline".

Regards-

David Skolnik


At 05:46 PM 11/21/2004 -0600, you wrote:

>Good point David.  In the past I have openly named brands, but Im not sure 
>its wise.  Constraint is not my usual style.  I am not afraid to loose 
>service business (Im swamped and established) nor really of the 
>dealers.  The manufacturers&. well I just dont want to look like I try to 
>find this stuff ya know?   I just seem to always put my foot where Id 
>rather not have it and this seemed like one of those times.  I caught a 
>lot of grief from the dealer (who is a large one) and the local one 
>too.  I am known in this area for finding problems in pianos and pointing 
>them out to help/protect the buyer/customer.  I have made a lot of enemies 
>I guess because of this.  I am now just starting in the retail business 
>myself and just dont need any added drama   ; ) .  If it helps, the piano 
>in question is neither a Mason, Yamaha, nor Steinway but a foreign lower 
>quality (in my opinion) instrument.
>
>
>
>Lance Lafargue, RPT
>
>LAFARGUE PIANOS
>
>New Orleans Chapter, PTG
>
>985.72P.IANO
>
><mailto:llafargue@charter.net>llafargue@charter.net
>
>www.lafarguepianos.com
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of 
>David Skolnik
>Sent: Friday, November 19, 2004 5:23 PM
>To: College and University Technicians
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] back duplex
>
>
>
>Lance -
>While, to some degree, I understand and respect your reluctance to appear 
>to be casting aspersion on a particular brand, it strikes me as somewhat 
>bizarre that, as technicians, we seem to have no qualms about discussing 
>our fee structures (recently on pianotech), but we're afraid to speak 
>directly about our experiences, for fear of offending someone.  We live in 
>fear, either of the customers who won't call back, or the dealers or 
>manufacturers, whom, we seem convinced, are ready to destroy us, 
>professionally, if we complain.   To be sure, you're not alone in 
>this.  What would happen if you just said, "This was a ..."?
>
>David Skolnik
>
>
>
>
>At 08:28 AM 11/17/2004 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>I was recently called out to a 7grand with a buzz.  Names and brand will 
>be withheld to reduce my stress level.  It turned out to be the back 
>duplex.  There was so little bearing at the aliquot that the strings could 
>be moved back and fourth with a finger nail.  After much searching, I 
>finally found, (and a local tech who works on these a lot 
>suggested/confirmed) that when the humidity went up, the strings touching 
>the aliquot were raised enough to buzz (at center of piano, around F3).  I 
>called the factory and the tech said, sounds like a bearing problem, plate 
>position problem, etc.  Send it back, well send another.  I did.  Then, 
>when the 2nd piano came in, it had the same bearing problem, so I stopped, 
>did not prep, just called the factory.  The dealer then called a second 
>tech out who threaded a strip of felt through the back duplex to prevent 
>any ringing at all.  What effect does this have on the sound, etc.  I 
>figure, if it was designed to ring, it should.  Was this a good solution 
>and an ethical handling of the customer, who paid around $28,000?  Thanks.
>
>
>
>Lance Lafargue, RPT
>
>LAFARGUE PIANOS
>
>New Orleans Chapter, PTG
>
>985.72P.IANO
>
><mailto:llafargue@charter.net>llafargue@charter.net
>
>www.lafarguepianos.com
>
>
>
>

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