Irate Customer

[Nichols]

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Se=F1or Farrell,
   Lots of good responses, but you're still up the creek. Having the player=
=20
there isn't always possible, and if the stand-by person can't be used to=20
clarify a service issue, then it my be time to fall back and reschedule. I=
=20
know, I know.... it's not practical. If you ever find yourself in that=20
situation with a player piano, DON'T risk it!  Amazing how some almost-dead=
=20
player pianos worked "just fine" before you tuned it! (or moved it)

Anyway, in an attempt to be a little helpful, remember "Feel, Felt, Found".=
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It's an old tool for dealing with situations like yours. It can go=20
something like "I know how you feel. I felt the same way. Let me explain=20
(show, tell you, etc.) what I found." Like any tool, it's how you use it=20
that counts. Sincerity is everything. You never know what else is going on=
=20
in that persons' life when you hear back from them and they're in tears.=20
Another good opener for your future reference is "I value our relationship=
=20
(your business, etc) and I truly appreciate the fact that you called me=20
back so soon." Unless, of course, it's one of those that points out a=20
problem 2 months after your service call. Time dilation effects, caused by=
=20
the mono-directional flow of the customers hard-earned pennies. "Hi. Your=20
were here a couple of weeks ago...." and you can't find it in your calendar=
=20
because you only carry the last 9 months!

Funny thing..... while I was trying to write this, I received a second=20
call-back complaint from a customer with a funky spinet that has a mystery=
=20
trapwork problem. AND.... the player is the husband..... who happens to be=
=20
an attorney. So...

"Mr. Nichols? You were here last week and now the keys are just holding."

"Great! This is a good thing, Mrs. wife-of-an-attorney." Now, at least,=20
we'll have some kind of tangible target."

Anyway, the rest of the conversation went just fine, even though I won't be=
=20
able to get there real soon, basically because I welcomed the problem,=20
instead of trying to make excuses or shift blame or any of the other=20
"avoidance" type responses.

Hope this has been helpful.


Later,
Guy
At 06:07 PM 11/2/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello PianoList folks. I'm looking for any suggestions to sooth an irate=20
>customer - she just called and left a message - I'll have to get back to=20
>her soon.
>
>I tuned a Yamaha GH1 today (so-so condition). New customer "graduate of=20
>Puerto Rico Conservatory". I sat down on bench & hit first key -=20
>BUZZZZZZZZZZZ. Found a half-dozen keys that made a nasty soundboard buzz.=
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>Found a rib I could press on while striking key that stopped the buzz.=20
>Lady was not home so I called hubby over to ask if wife had complained=20
>about buzz. He said he heard it when I demonstrated it, but she had not=20
>mentioned it.
>
>So she just calls now and said she played her piano. She is not happy at=20
>all. She said there were one or two keys that made a little buzz=20
>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=
=20
>her, there were some repairs that we could try to get rid of the buzzing.=
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>He said he would mention it to her. It would seem to me that the=20
>appropriate response from me is to offer to make an appointment to come=20
>and repair her loose rib and charge her a normal fee for doing so. Her=20
>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

"Controversy equalizes fools and wise men and the fools know it."
                 Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)
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