Judge-and-jury

[gordon stelter]

--- Don <pianotuna@accesscomm.ca> wrote:
> Hi Phil,
> 
> You have no idea how the pianos were before the
> other tech started, so how
> can you judge his work? I think it is best to offer
> no opinion about
> other's work.

I try very hard not to be critical of others' work.
HOWEVER! If the damage is SO severe that it proves
that this character should NOT be allowed anywhere
NEAR a piano, I WILL point it out to the customer: but
lambast the previous "tech" in a burlesqued state of
outrage!!! That way, the humor of my performance helps
take the "edge" off what can be a very, very
depressing moment for the customer.
     Case in point: One dude around here left an
untold number of grands with shattered pinblocks,
because he never bothered jacking prior to pin
tapping. If the key cover would then not close, he'd 
just rasp off the upper edge. He also "refinished"
plates with the strings in, getting gold paint all
over the speaking lengths, onto the board, etc. And he
used some gooey grease all over the actions that
seized them up totally.
   And, amazingly, he was very widely used by the
local populace, as he was referred to them by our only
piano store, and had "30 years experience" . He also
perpetrated out and out lies about me, such as that I
sawed the legs off a woman's grand to get it through a
doorway, and etc..
    Now, what kind of sympathy should I have for a
crook like this, who has left a trail of mutilated
instruments 5 miles wide and 30 years long? NONE! But
I DO have sympathy for his victims, so I try to "break
the news" to them as compassionately as possible. And
witha little bit of humor.
     This "tech" died recently. And I, for one, am not
at all sorry. To say the least.
     Thump

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