> I evaluated a S&S model 'M' > Working from the key bed up: Brian's heart sank with each revelation... my hackles went up at the same rate. Too bad public whipping has fallen out of favor in this country. My call is this. You come pre-endorsed by three established dealers, thereby granting you the aura of credibility before you even showed up. This is both a blessing, and an obligation on your part. You don't have to burn a lot of calories justifying your assessment, courtesy of the endorsements, but you can't temper it either, for the same reason. Tell it like it is, with neither frosting, mercy, nor judgement. The facts speak pretty clearly for themselves. Your endorsement of another competent tech that will tell them the same thing couldn't hurt (you) either. I find myself in this kind of situation altogether too frequently, though (mercifully) not often to this degree, and I don't realistically see any other recourse than to report the facts and stand back, regardless of the anticipated (perhaps inevitable) outcome. As I have told many many customers, "it's not what you want to hear, but it's what you need to know". The approach indicates the assumption that the customer is possessed of an intelligence higher than that of verdigris, and is therefor capable of making a rational assessment of the facts. If I'd gotten this kind of approach through the years from service people I've dealt with, I'd sure have a lot better opinion of service folk in general than I currently do. I know this isn't news to you, since you've surely already been there too many times, but I hope that knowing there are others out here who are also horrified and tired of this kind of crap, will help somewhat - somehow. Go get 'em. Ron N
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