to master or not to master

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Cyrillus,
If a piano is worth  only the value of holding pictures, and the customer
can get some use of the instrument if it will hold pitch, does it not make
$ cents to do a repair that will be the last rites for that instrument?
Joe

----------
> From: Dmsaerts <Dmsaerts@aol.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: to master or not to master
> Date: Wednesday, May 20, 1998 9:52 PM
> 
> Dear Frank Cahill, 
> There are many ways to help a customer. I help customers all the time and
> every time for the past 18 years. However I have never seen the need to
resort
> to the unconventional techniques described earlier. The best possible job
is
> always the one that outlives the customer who owns the piano. It will be
the
> cheapest in the long run. America is used to payment plans. Give a "poor"
> customer a break this way. I bought my home piano for $50
> It holds tune and is 75 year old. If you want to help a customer sell
them one
> of those pianos that hold tune, trade their piano and rebuilt it
conventional.
> $100 for a CA job is by the way far from what I call a bargain nor is it
> called helping. Many technicians blame bad maintenance on the ignorance
of the
> customer, but it is more likely the tuner/technician who is to blame. The
> customer is responsible for the frequency of the maintenance, the tuner
for
> the quality of the work. Part of your letter ones again proves the need
for
> apprentice ships and the instruction of conventional repair methods.
About
> university budgets, some are good some are non existent. UNT is pretty
good. 
> 
> Cyrillus Aerts I.P.T.
> University of North Texas