Barefoot Tuners- ;>)

[TunerJeff@aol.com]

Dear List,

Re; The customs of different households.

     My first service area (...near San Francisco) had many Asian households.
It was automatically assumed that you WOULD remove your shoes before entering
the dwelling. But, I found it difficult to tune in my nearly bare feet...
(pedals are tougher to move!). Didn't want to be rude, and hey!... the
customer is always right!

     I bought a pair of "Kung-Fu" slippers, the black slip-ons, and carried
them in my car in a plastic bag (...gallon-size. yup, big feet). Upon
arriving at such a shoeless house, I would fetch the bag and produce the
"clean-room" shoes to the delight and amazment of my customers. I honestly
believe that many of my referrals came from the folks who appreciated the
forethought and told their friends about the "round-eye tuner" with his shoes
in a bag. Language was never really a problem, I just needed to be shown
where the patient was, and numbers translate quite well. (Never had a problem
getting my mattress-stuffing after a service-call.)

     Upon moving to Oregon, I decided that the shoes had served their
purpose... and I could safely retire them to MY house, as bedroom slippers or
whatever.WRONG!!!!
Turns out that quite a few folks shed their footgear in the "wetroom" inside
the front-door, where folks shed the first layer of clothing that's been
soaked by the (...occasional?) rains up here, and transplants to the area
from Alaska have built the same habit too... seems it cuts down on the mud &
snow getting ground into the carpet.

    Not a bad idea to invest in a pair of such shoes. IMHO. Never know when
you might need 'em!
They are useful, comfy, and cheap, too

Truly,
Jeffrey T. Hickey  RPT
Oregon Coast Piano Services
TunerJeff @ aol.com

ps-  Anybody else notice that lots of folks are selecting WHITE CARPETS these
days!?!?
Hate to pull an action in these houses. I've dedicated one of my moving
quilts as a portable work area... don't use it on the ground when moving
pianos & keep it clean!
Is the white-carpet a fashion statement? Or is it a person's way of saying;
"No, I don't have to worry about keeping the house clean, the maid will
handle it." (... excuse me while I light my Presto-Log with this $5.00-bill.)
Comments?

jef