Bad Business practices/venting

Clyde Hollinger cedel@supernet.com
Fri, 09 May 2003 06:56:32 -0400


Dave,

I agree with you that we could put more effort into encouraging "...
education to all technicians."  But the example you cite here does not
appear to me to be a lack of education, but more like unabashed chicanery,
an attempt to deceitfully make a fast buck off of a trusting uneducated
customer.  While I would like to think that our profession is free of such
characters, such is not the case.

It's the piano buyer that needs education.  If any of my customers suggest
they might soon be looking for a piano replacement or if I suggest that it
is time they replace their piano, I often offer to help them in their
decision so they don't hop out of the frying pan and into the fire.  This
doesn't happen that often, and I have never set up a price structure to
get reimbursed for the time it takes, although I wish I could.  Anyone
have a way that works?

Regards,
Clyde Hollinger, RPT


David Renaud wrote:

> Another reason to support the guild.
> There is a need to encourage more communication,
> accountability, and education to all technicians.
> Imagine this.....
>
> Old Wurlitzer baby grand, seen better days.
> Sold as full compleat rebuilt piano 2 years ago....
> $10,000
>
> Work "rebuilder" did.
>
> Refinished outside, New keycaps, drive in pins, tune.
>
> Condition
>
> 1) Key caps not filed flush...keys clack together,
> 2) De-laminated pinblock from driving in tuning pins
> without pinblock support
> 4) piano is not playable....
>        ie:1 full inch of letoff, yes 1 inch.
> 3) Extream hammers wear with exposed wooden moldings
> in top two octaves.
> 4) No felt of any kind replaced anywhere at all.
> 5) Damper levers clack against stop rail---no felt.
> 6) Bass string windings buzz on cores extreamly
> loudly.
> 7) Pedal lyre is falling apart.......so on and on.
>
>  Somebody actually bothered to refinish this thing,
> glue keycaps on and sell it "fully rebuilt" after
> literally destroying the pinblock.
>
>   This is not poor work, it is no work at all,
> dress up the package and cheat somebody for every
> penny you can possibly con them for. I have never
> sent a letter to another technician on stuff like
> this, but the poor lady was in tears.
> I would not tune the piano for it must have a new
> pinblock, pins just will not hold.
>
>  I feel so bad for her. Wrote up big report and faxed
> it to her. I really do hope she follows this guy up.
> This is the worst I have ever seen.


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