FREE FALL

[A440A@aol.com]

 Greetings all,

>   2.  When confronted with a piano requiring a pitch raise, and the
> owner refuses to pay charges beyond a standard tuning fee, do you (a)
> refuse to do the work, (b) tune the piano at current pitch  (c) spend
> the extra time and do the job right for the standard fee?

     This is an all too often occurance in the life of a tuner, and it
behooves all of us to have a pre-thought out plan in place before we must
make these "living room" contracts.  A plan that is tailored first to our
work habits and ethos, and also to the business realities of ones own
station.  A beginning tuner facing a 40 cent raise on a spinet will be more
flexible than perhaps one who is heavily scheduled with long-term customers.

   Of course, situations, both the customers' and your own, will play a part
in any business decision, but having a plan does several things:  it lets the
piano' condition fall into a framework of time/cost that you are familiar
with, and you will not be finishing these "nightmare" tunings for low pay.
  The customer will be able to tell that you have done this before and will
be comfortable that the information she is getting is true, ( I am not sure
how this works, but if you really believe what you are saying,  the customer
will usually do likewise).
    Having a basic plan  for what to do with the 30 cent piano helps you
build a perspective.  When faced with the situation(2), described above,  I
find the following to have worked best for me.

I tell the customer that the piano is far below standard ,and like a tire
that has far too little air, will not operate like it was designed, in
addition to hastening its deterioration, ( but I don't go in for technical
descriptions of scaling,  etc.)
   I can do one of three things,
1)  tune it to itself, where it is, for the price of one tuning,
2)  tune it twice so that it will be in tune, and back to standard (price= 2
tunings)
3)  tune it not at all,  and charge only a service call,  ( that is half the
tuning price )

      Virtually every chimney sweep I have ever had has tried to sell me a
new liner for the chimney, my neighbors have all had the same experience.
 The public is very ready to suspect that we advertise our basic tuning
services in order to sell more expensive work.  It happens in a lot of trades
and the public has a built-in wariness about buying service, especially for
things they don't understand.
     I bet every area has at least one repairman who tunes well enough to
garner rebuilding work, which is then butchered for unsuspecting, naive,
owners.  The trail of tears that these thieves leave is littered with ruined
pianos.
  (arrrggghh,  lotta soap can spill out of a freshly overturned box!!)

Regards to all
Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville, Tn.

(Geez,  I am gonna be awfully embarrassed if my fireplace burns the house
down this winter........(:)}}