empty house call

[Sy Zabrocki]

Once I was on one of those "just go in, the house is unlocked "jobs. After awhile on the job I thought I could hear someone snoring. I became nervous and alarmed. Finally I called out but nobody answered. The room was close by and the snoring got louder. I called out again and peeked into the next room. There was an old bulldog snoring away in the corner. 

I called the family later about this and was informed the old dog could not hear. Didn't even know I was there. 

Sy Zabrocki--RPT
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From: 	Larry Fisher[SMTP:larryf@pacifier.com]
Sent: 	Friday, January 09, 1998 10:50 PM
To: 	pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: 	empty house call

Years ago, when I was a dealer slave in Minneapolis, I was told that the
door would be unlocked and to just go on in and tune the piano.  The house
was on Lake Minnetonka and the house numbers were a bit skewed on the dead
end road, in the far corner of the lake.  The home owner didn't realize that
there was a house a few doors before his that had the exact same house
number.  That twist may have been because the winters there tend to eat that
which is weak (rotten house numbers get inverted or fall off posts and such)
or because in fact there was a duplicate house number there, I never found
out.  All I know is I walked into a house that wasn't empty, there was a
coat draped across the sofa, and someone was upstairs and there wasn't a
piano in sight.   OOOOOOPPPPPSSSie  I vaporized myself quickly back to my CJ
and drove across the frozen lake to put as much ground/ice between me and
that house as fast as that whimpy little 6 banger would go through 6 inches
of snow to the farthest boat ramp I could find.

I now have a policy with people for those who can't be home.  Do I know
them?  Have I done their piano before?  Was I referred to them by someone
else that I'm in good standing with??  Is there a dealer association
involved??  If after all these questions are answered favorably, I have them
put a piece of tape on the door knob.  The homeowner and I are the only ones
that know what that's for.  The key placement is their perogative
..........  their risk.

Lar

                                    Larry Fisher RPT
   specialist in players, retrofits, and other complicated stuff
      phone 360-256-2999 or email larryf@pacifier.com
         http://www.pacifier.com/~larryf/ (revised 10/96)
           Beau Dahnker pianos work best under water