Plastic (old) elbow dilemma

[Brian Trout]

Hi Jim,

Seems you've hit upon a hot topic!

Much of the outcome will depend upon the customer, and how reasonable she
is, and how she may respond to your educating her about her piano.

I hate trying to diagnose stuff over the phone.  I've had much greater
success showing up at their house, taking the front cover(s) off, and
getting out my trusty flashlight and having a nice little chat with the
customer about what's going on in their piano.  I know I've been the target
of a 'hustle' over the phone so many times (AT&T, Sprint, MCI, need I go
on...) that even a legitimate recommendation of work needed by a competent
repair person would not be as credible to me over the phone.  But it's
different when you're there in person, Showing them what's going on, and
talking about the alternatives face to face.

When you do get there, live and in person, and start checking things out, it
might be a good idea to keep in mind that if it had these plastic elbows, it
might also have plastic action flanges, which can also be a pain, and
another version of the same problem, parts breaking one or two at a time...

The thing I try to keep in mind when dealing with people like this, is I
want to treat them like I would want to be treated.  I don't want to
belittle them or their piano.  They have feelings just like me.  I know my
truck isn't in the greatest of shape anymore, but the mechanic doesn't
belittle me for owning it and not fixing every little thing.  We have a
relationship that goes beyond the truck, and with many of the piano owners I
serve, we have a relationship that goes beyond the piano.

There's a lot of personal stuff that goes into these situations.  There are
3 or 4 customers I have on my 'route' that have been through a half dozen
technicians that just Insist! that I must be their piano tuner.  Why?  It's
not because I'm the best tuner out there.  It's because I went into their
homes, calmly and respectfully, without any major "attitude".  I patiently
listened to their problems.  And when they had their chance to explain, and
Show me what was going on (very important),  I calmly and confidently
reassured them that I could take care of those things, and did my best to
provide the best service I know how.  I treated them the way I would want to
be treated.

We can make recommendations.  We can lay out possible scenarios.  We can beg
and plead.  We can refuse to do 'half a job'.  We can stand and jump on one
foot.  But in the end, it's the customer's piano, and it's the customer's
decision what they will have done.  Not all people take the same road.

Good luck with your customer, regardless of the repairs decided upon.

Have a good day.

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net



----- Original Message -----
From: <Jlovekeys@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, October 18, 1999 11:00 PM
Subject: Plastic (old) elbow dilemma


> Dear list,  Perhaps some of you could give some advice on my situation.
> Recently a customer called and said some of her notes were broken.  After
> asking a few questions, I realized that she had an old spinet with the
> disentegrating elbow syndrome.  I explained to her that fixing a few would
> just be a stop gap remedy and she might in fact be better off with another
> piano.  As fate would have it, its a ? family heirloom (lame) and yet she
> just wants the broken ones fixed and the piano tuned.  I plan on tuning
the
> piano first and fear that I will break many more.  She does not want to
> replace them all at this point.  I feel like I might be getting into a
mess
> of a situation here. Perhaps I should cancel unless she wants to spring
for a
> complete replacement.  And even then the other plastic, if any, may soon
> start crumbling.  So what do you fellows do in a situation such as this?
> Thanks in advance. Jim Love /PTG Associate/Midland, Tx.
>