pryan2 wrote:
> Question: How honest should we be when asked to evaluate an old piano? I
> just feel that we are not doing them a service to agree with their misguided
> logic. On the other hand, they really don't want to know the bad parts and
> I don't want to lose a customer. Where is the middle road?
Honesty is strong medicine, no doubt. I had a customer who bought a used piano
despite my recommendation that she pass it up (it was an old Baldwin upright
that had a $50 price tag on it). After she got it moved into her house and had
me come over to service it, several times, I think *she* finally got the hint
that I didn't really care to work on something that was a waste of my time (it
really needed a lot of work that would cost far more than she wanted to pay for
a piano in the first place!). I was cordial, polite, and accommodating, but my
lukewarm enthusiasm (actions speak louder....) was enough of a message for her
to call someone else to work on it. I'm happy to be free of the burden of
dealing with that piano and its owner. The piano simply needed far more than the
owner wanted to spend on it. I have a conscience and it told me not to raise
expectations in the customer that would never be met. No hard feelings (I've
seen her, since, and she was very pleasant).
In the end, you're the one who's gotta deal with fixing the piano. If it ain't
right with your conscience, you're better off excusing yourself. Heaven knows,
there are many, many pianos out there. Losing two customers isn't going to be
the ruin of your career. Better to leave on a cordial, apologetic note. In the
end, I think the customer is likely to respect your honesty (probably won't
show, at first).
Oh, and never mind "dis-ing" the pianos they bought. ("I hope they work out for
you.") That's water over the dam. Better to simply offer your consultation
services the next time they decide to buy a piano, new or used.
--
Ron Torrella, RPT
Ypsilanti, MI
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