informal survey

[Delwin D Fandrich]

JIMRPT wrote:

> Theodore;
>   I respectfully disagree with what I 'think' you said here, that being when we
> refuse to fix bad work that we in some manner saction it.  I don't believe
> this to be the case at all. In this particular instance the work was not
> "repairable" IMHO, and the perpetrator declines to 'repair' his work. By
> agreeing to evaluate the work done I have put myself in the position of
> "judging", or at least opinionating on, the work of another.  Declining to
> straighten out his mistakes, as I see them, is just that. This in itself is
> shaky enough ground for me without getting involved with the mechanics of the situation.
>   Now if the customer wants to go with my original quote, and have me do the
> work on that quote, that changes the entire picture for me !  I might not
> agree to do the work even then because I feel that this matter will end up in
> a lawsuit and I am already involved enough without further entangling
> myself......
>   I am not in the "punishment" business and I don't believe that any tech ought
> to be.  (just my opinion though).
> Jim Bryant (FL)
> "we are what we do for the doing makes us what we are"

  ------------------------------------------------

Jim,

I'm reminded of an estimate I gave years ago. The piano could have gotten by with a set of bass strings, new hammers, some
regulating, etc. My estimate, though, was "way too high. We can get the same work done for several hundred dollars less."

About two years later, I got a call from the same person asking me to come out and look at their piano. They'd had "the same
work" done by someone else, but there were a few things that weren't quite right.... So I went out and looked at it again.
Now it needed complete restringing with a new pinblock -- the bass had been restrung all right, 5/0 and 6/0 pins had been
used, "coils" varied from one turn to 4 or 5 turns with some of the strings buried on the plate, the hammer job had been
thoroughly botched and the action now needed shanks, the dampers (which had been in fair condition) had been screwed up all
through the bass, etc. My new estimate was considerably higher to cover the additional work now needed. Alas, they still
wanted to shop around for the best price and, sure enough, they found someone else who would do "the same work for hundreds
of dollars less."

About a year later I got yet another call from the same person wanting to know... You guessed it! This time I declined to
even go out to look at the piano. I pretty much new what I'd find and, since I was anticipating moving away from that city
within a few months, I also knew I'd not have time to do much about it. Assuming that they couldn't find someone else to "do
the same work for hundreds of dollars less." I didn't think it would be fair to them to charge them for a service call just
to confirm what they already suspected. Also, in fairness to my colleagues, I felt it would be inappropriate (not to mention,
unkind) for me to recommend anyone I knew to be competent.

-- ddf