This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi, It is a crazy world. I do lots of Yamaha service bond work and I have = many times had to return the service stuff to the store because I cannot = get the purchaser to book and accept the free work. The hardest tunings = to book are those that are free. Jim James Grebe Piano Tuner-Technician Wood Artisan Established 1962 Creator of Wooden Artifacts such as: Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups Handsome Hardwood Piano Benches 314 845-8282 1526 Raspberry Lane Arnold, MO 63010 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Tvak@aol.com=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 9:39 AM Subject: finding pianos/was:lessons learned In a message dated 7/13/03 5:04:32 PM, tune4u@earthlink.net writes: When I darn a piano to heck but the people otherwise are interested in pianos, I do not charge them and I help them, if they desire, in finding another piano. I have found pianos for maybe a dozen clients over the past three = years or so, and more than half the time I never hear from the client = again. This is not after darning a piano to heck, either. They call = me, asking if I know of any pianos for sale; I tell them I'll put them = on my list. I find out what kind of piano and price range they are = looking for, and a month later, I find a piano which fits their = criterion, so I call them to let them know where the piano is. Up to = this point, all is cordial, they are grateful, I feel like I'll be = gaining a long-term client, and I'm doing two parties a favor. (The = seller and the buyer) At this point, one of two things happens: either they buy the piano = and I never hear from them again, or they evidently don't buy the piano = and I never hear from them again. =20 I had a client whose piano I tuned for 3 years who called to ask me to = find a piano for her daughter. I found the perfect piano for her: she = wanted a vertical piano with dark wood, and I found her this Acrosonic, = and it was cheap! I gave her the info on the piano and I never heard = from her OR her mother again! I called both of them several times over = the following week. I still don't know if she bought the piano, or not. = On that little deal, I not only lost a new client but an old one, too. = Another woman asked me to find her a baby grand, and when I called her = with a lead on a little Samick 3 months later, she was so grateful. She = couldn't believe that I actually remembered her and took the time to = call her. Gave her the info, and never heard from her again. She has = since ignored my tuning reminder cards. I didn't even ask for a finder's fee or seller's fee on these = transactions. I thought it would be enough to gain a client whose piano = I would be tuning for the next 10 years. All these pianos I found were = in good condition at a good price. I could do no more for my own = mother. One last story: a man called to offer me his piano for free. A = Wurlitzer spinet with a nice cabinet and bench. I picked it up and did = some action work on it, since it wasn't playing very well. I put about = two hours into it, levelling the keys, adjusting the letoff, even = reshaped the hammers. I sold it for $350, and even included a FREE = TUNING with it. =20 Never heard from the client again. He'll probably call me in 5 years = wanting his free tuning. =20 I know someone will suggest I've done something to alienate these = people, but for the life of me I can't imagine what it is. All = relations are cordial and everything seems just fine up to the point = that they go incommunicato. (sic) So, Homey don't play that game no more. I still tell people that I'll = put them on a list, but I don't call them no matter what I find. It's = not worth it. Tom Sivak ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/cb/66/38/2b/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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