Irate Customer

[Richard Brekne]

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Terry

This is always quite a bit easier to handle then it may often seem.
Obviously there is a problem with the instrument that has nothing to do
with tuning, pitch, or any thing you do whilst performing your usual
tuning / general service duties. You customer simply needs to understand
that her piano must be expected to be able to react positively to
standard service proceedures such as tuning.  If it does not, then there
is something wrong with the piano that should be addressed.

All you can do is make that point as calmly and clearly as you can. If
she can see this very basic reasoning, then you can offer to help her
identify and assess the degree of the problem and how to fix it. If she
insists on being totally unreasonable, then you can do no more for her,
and simply have to write it off.

Customers often want to blame a piano tuner for negatives that come to
light during a regular service session. I just tell them that if the
piano reacts badly to play, service, or general use.... then there is
something wrong with the piano, not the player, servicer, or general
user.

Cheers
RicB

Farrell wrote:

> Hello PianoList folks. I'm looking for any suggestions to sooth an
> irate customer - she just called and left a message - I'll have to get
> back to her soon. I tuned a Yamaha GH1 today (so-so condition). New
> customer "graduate of Puerto Rico Conservatory". I sat down on bench &
> hit first key - BUZZZZZZZZZZZ. Found a half-dozen keys that made a
> nasty soundboard buzz. Found a rib I could press on while striking key
> that stopped the buzz. Lady was not home so I called hubby over to ask
> if wife had complained about buzz. He said he heard it when I
> demonstrated it, but she had not mentioned it. So she just calls now
> and said she played her piano. She is not happy at all. She said there
> were one or two keys that made a little buzz previously, but now about
> 20 notes make a big buzz and she is in tears. I had told the hubby
> when I was there earlier that if the buzzing bothered her, there were
> some repairs that we could try to get rid of the buzzing. He said he
> would mention it to her. It would seem to me that the appropriate
> response from me is to offer to make an appointment to come and repair
> her loose rib and charge her a normal fee for doing so. Her message
> has the distinct tone of "my piano was fine before YOU touched
> it". Any thoughts before I step into the fire? Thanks. Terry Farrell

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html


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