No show

[Carl Meyer]

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Better yet,  suggest she have her brother tune it.  He obviously knows =
what is wrong.

Carl Meyer PTG assoc
Santa Clara, Ca.

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: John Ross=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 2:41 PM
  Subject: Re: No show


  Hi Dave,
  That is a hard one.
  Obviously, losing her as a customer would be no big deal, since you =
said her piano had been neglected. So she might not have had you back =
for a while anyway.
  The hard part is, that word of mouth is the best advertisement, and if =
she spreads the word, it could hurt business. Especially, if it is a =
rural area. But that would depend on the goodwill you have built up in =
the area, already.

  I think you are correct in making a charge, as she had already used up =
the free one, by being a no show. =20

  Maybe call her again, and explain to her again, that you have already =
been there, and doesn't she realize that she is to blame for her being a =
no show, when the job would have been free.
  How about getting her Brother's phone number, and getting specifics =
from him, as to what the alleged problem is/was. It might not even be a =
real problem, just his perception.
  Don't you just hate those people, with a little bit of knowledge, just =
enough to make them dangerous.
  John M. Ross
  Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
  jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: Dave Bunch=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 6:16 PM
    Subject: No show


    Hello-=20

    Well, I've seen some venting about difficult customers lately so I =
will submit a story here just to double check my policies. I do want to =
be fair.

    I tuned a Kimball console last week that had been neglected a few =
years. A bit flat, but not much. I finished up, collected the fee and =
left. The next day she calls me saying that her brother came by and =
didn't like the sound of it. He apparently used to tune a bit, and told =
her that she should get me back out again. Fortunately over twenty =
years, these calls are rare, so I said I would come back and there would =
be no charge, even if it needed retuning.

    I schedule a time, drive forty miles round trip, and she stands me =
up. I waited a half hour and left. I could have tuned another piano =
during that time. When I get home later there is a message on the phone =
apologizing for missing the appointment. I called her and she said a =
couple of her day care kids were lost in a corn maze for an hour and a =
half, when at this point a kid chimes up in the background "We weren't =
lost!" The story sounded fishy but either way, I took a loss on it. I =
told her at that point I was still willing to check out her piano and =
work on it if needed at no charge, but that I can only make one free =
trip out there. If she wanted to make another appointment, there would =
be a minimum service charge. She went ballistic and said that was a lot =
of money when the job wasn't done right the first time!

    Am I being unreasonable? Lets even assume that whatever is wrong =
with the piano is my fault. How many times should I block out a time and =
absorb the mileage to go there for free?

    OK, I'm done now.

    Dave Bunch
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