Dear List -- Wow!! And thanks for all of the responses!! Let me tell you what I've done so far with the no-show of Monday morning. First, I did give her the benefit of the doubt and waited a good 1/2 hour. In that time, I checked my appointment book, and phoned her from the pocket phone while standing on her doorstep so I heard her phone ring inside the house (one way of knowing I had the right house). I left a message to the effect of "do you know what the piano is thinking of?" I left a subsequent message just as I was leaving to ask her to call me to reschedule. Indeed, I left a bill on her door for a little more than a "minimum service charge" to cover the wait and the administrative cost of locating something else to do. (After all, I couldn't make further commitments until I was done waiting.) As luck had it, I did find something else to do, and I did find an auto parts store that carried mechanics' stethoscopes. I didn't bother checking the door to see if it was unlocked. For one thing, no arrangements had been made in advance for entering her home in her absence. (This gave rise to my other post concerning doors left unlocked.) For another, she had requested a morning appointment and cheerfully agreed to the time and date I read back to her from my appointment book. It wasn't so long ago that the appointment was set up in the first place, so I really don't see an excuse for missing the appointment. I still have yet to hear from her again .... The purpose of my original no-show post was to ascertain whether or not I was being a little too hard-nosed, and to better determine how best to handle the next no-show. I guess it is safe to say that I am more hard-nosed than others on the list, but there is room to be even moreso. As for the subject of entering people's houses unaccompanied, I cannot thank all of you enough for some of the stories you posted. Admittedly, I'm still a stubborn old bitch and I will continue to refuse to let myself into somebody else's home alone, unless they are super-special customers-turned-friends. I'm always flattered and will say as much when somebody has that kind of trust in members of our profession, but my cautionary sense dictates that this could be the source of a lot of trouble, should another person take advantage of the situation and help themselves to the contents of the home. Thanks again -- ZR! RPT Ann Arbor MI diskladame@provide.net
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC