Tuning Complaint - Happy Customer!

[Tom Servinsky]

Terry,
Maybe on the surface you might feel as though you really didn't do that
much, but in the big picture of service relations you did more than you are
giving yourself credit for.
Bear in mind, for whatever reason someone takes exception with anyone's
work, addressing the customer's concerns in a prompt, diplomatic manner is
80% of the correction. Even when very little additional work is done,
whether needed or not, it's the satisfaction that the customer is getting
from their service person tweaking in the service a tad more.
I bet you the thank you she gave you at the end of the last service call was
as genuine as it gets.
Tom Servinsky,RPT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2002 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: Tuning Complaint - Happy Customer!


> Well, I went back to visit Amazing Grace Friday morning. We chatted a
bit - I was trying to explore her definition of "flat". We pretty much got
nowhere. I needled a few notes softer (hard, hard nasty hammers). She liked
that. I steamed the whole mess of 'em, using Roger Jolly's technique. She
liked that a lot. Then after listening to the tuning, and hearing quite a
few bad unisons, etc. - and making all sort of excuses in my head about the
piano having been 40 cents flat and a crummy piano at that - I asked her if
she minded if I made one tuning pass through it. She had no objection. So I
tuned it again. It still sounded cruddy, but pretty much as good as it was
going to get. I fumbled through Amazing Grace for her and she said "Now that
sounds a lot better - like it used to".
>
> I figgered at that point I was done. She thanked me profusely.
>
> I don't think I clearly identified the problem she was complaining about,
but in the end she seemed quite happy. I sure glad that at most I have
gotten perhaps one call back per year.
>
> Terry Farrell
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 8:33 AM
> Subject: Tuning Complaint - Help!
>
>
> > Wouldn't you know it. The other day I had a great compliment from a
professional pianist that I put the best tuning he had ever received on his
Yamaha U3. Today I get my first tuning complaint!
> >
> > I am looking for recommendations on how to handle this one. The elderly
(mid-eighties) woman call me and tells me that some other tuner tuned her
piano a couple weeks ago, but it still sounds flat - will I tune it for her?
Sucker me says yes. I go there three days ago. Kimball/Whitney 36" spinet,
1960s. A real gem. Piano is pretty much in one piece, but typical for the
breed. The piano was indeed 40 cents flat. I thought - "hey, this lady's got
pretty good ears."
> >
> > So I raise the pitch to A441 and use the Thomas Moore temperament. I
give it a second fine tuning pass. Piano ended up sounding, er, a, well,
like a tuned 1960s Kimball/Whitney 36" spinet. I play some scales and cords.
She says it sounds good. Great. Collect fee, chit-chat about cute dog. Say
good bye.
> >
> > She just called this morning and says her piano sounds flat. It is just
like before I got there. I ask her to play middle C. It sounds the same as
my Boston grand at home (pitch-wise at least). It is not 40 cents flat.
> >
> > She asks me to listen to her play Amazing Grace. This is not one of my
top tunes, but I do know how the melody goes. I have no idea what she
played. It was just a bunch of notes mashed together. I think perhaps she
doesn't know her notes very well and thinks that the bad sounds are the
tuning, rather than the playing.
> >
> > This woman is very sweet, and did not call with an aggressive tone at
all - she is not trying to be antagonistic - she honestly thinks her piano
is flat ('course, maybe she is just hearing "bad" piano). I want to make her
comfortable with the situation, but I know that I can't significantly
improve the tuning on this nasty little piano - it is indeed pretty much
where it needs to be (although one could make an argument for the dump).
> >
> > Any suggestions on how I can show her that the piano is as good as it is
reasonably going to get? I don't play. I could possibly drag my wife over
there and get her to play Amazing Grace.
> >
> > Thanks for any suggestions.
> >
> > Terry Farrell
> >
>