Tuning Complaint - Happy Customer!

[Farrell]

> I bet you the thank you she gave you at the end of the last service call was
> as genuine as it gets.

Oh, no doubt. There actually was this awkward moment when leaving where I thought she was going to give me a big hug!

And thanks for all the responses to my question.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano@gate.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2002 9:05 PM
Subject: Re: Tuning Complaint - Happy Customer!


> 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
> > >
> >
>