Tough jobs and Hearing

[BJFine@aol.com]

The issue of whether or not to inform a client that they are hard of hearing
obviously is a very touchy one.  It's also apparent that some of the advice
offered isn't particularly desirable from a human relations/ business
viewpoint.

I've always found that being sensitive, direct, and tactful, is the best way
to approach all interpersonal problems and that's precisely what this is. [In
my prior life, I was a research psychologist for 38 years.]  Certainly, when
faced with the alternative of a client who might be left with the impression
that the tuner did a bad job because he/she [the client] perceives the
highest notes to clatter rather than to have a sound vs. the alternative of
tactfully suggesting to the client that they may have some hearing loss in
the upper registers, I'd opt for the latter.

The fact is that many people can't hear the highest notes.  There are
individual differences in hearing abilities [in terms of range of frequencies
that can be discriminated] as there are with discrimination of color [one of
my research areas], taste or any other of the senses.  That is demonstrable.
 At what point one is said to be <hard of hearing> or is considered to have
<poor> color discrimination or <poor> discrimination for various kinds of
flavors is debatable.

If there is more than one person in the room listening, then the person other
than the <deaf> one obviously can attest to the fact that the high notes are
indeed perceptible.  But, frequently, if you are tuning for one older person,
the other may  be older and have a limited range of hearing also.  You simply
can't leave the job with them having the impression that you didn't tune
correctly.  Nor should you, as has been suggested, speak loudly to them on
the  assumption that that will suggest to them that they are hard of hearing.
 They can have perfectly adequate <hearing> for the spoken word, in the sense
of hearing even whispers, and still not hear  high frequency notes.

I'd suggest that they be informed, calmly, matter-of-factly, and looking them
<right in the eye>, that MANY people, even though they can hear conversation
very well, nevertheless cannot <hear> the highest frequencies of music and
that in such instances on  the piano, the highest frequencies tend to sound
like clatter. That is because they can  hear the lower frequency of the
particular key hitting bottom, but they cannot hear the higher frequency of
the actual note produced. Usually the sound of the note masks the sound of
the key itself <bottoming.>  If you, the tuner, believe that to be true, and
it is, then you will sound convincing.

You also might suggest, again tactfully,  that you, the tuner,  can hear the
notes  and that they might have a friend or two come over and see if they can
hear the notes also and, at the same time,  reinforce the fact that this is a
fairly common occurrence and doesn't mean that they are <deaf>.

Personally, I do not consider myself deaf. I can hear all sorts of sounds
that other people don't seem to hear, but I know that too many episodes with
a chain saw and no ear defenders years ago affected my very high frequency
hearing. I hear clatter from the upper four or five piano keys.  I don't hear
the tiny beeper on my camera.  But I don't consider myself <deaf> and would
feel a little put out if someone started shouting at me because I couldn't
hear the upper few notes on the piano.

I hope this is helpful. I would not opt to leave a client with the impression
that I did a poor tuning job because the client can't <hear> a few upper
notes.  If there is real hearing loss, not just on a few highest notes, I
think most people are aware of such limitations.  If they are not, then <gee,
I can hear it ma'am, are you sure you can't?> [with real concern] might be
appropriate.  Better they be told by the tuner than be left with the
impression that the tuner doesn't do good work. If you're going to lose the
client anyway, isn't it better to lose him/her because you were honest and
direct with them than because they thought you didn't do a good job?

 One might also consider rigging up a device with a microphone and meter that
 visually shows the tone is present when the key is struck and carry it in
the tool kit for use in these emergencies. The client could then be shown the
needle registering for the notes that can be heard and for the notes that
cannot be heard. Yes, you then are functioning as a detector of hearing loss,
but isn't that better than, as has been suggested, sort of skulking away and
leaving the impression of a job badly done?  And there's always the
possibility that the client will be grateful. < I didn't realize that I
wasn't hearing the full range of music until that wonderful tuner pointed it
out to me. Now, with my hearing aid, music sounds so rich and full!>

Eh?  You mean Mozart didn't  write those strange clattering sounds into his
music?

Peace

BJFine