No show

[Piannaman@aol.com]

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Carl,
 
You stole the words right out of my mouth.  
 
Dave, no way I'd go back for another freebie.  You showed a gesture of  good 
faith in offering to retune the piano gratis.  She should be happy to  have 
you do it for the minimum service charge.
 
However it resolves, she is definitely someone I'd put a red mark next to  in 
my database.
 
Dave Stahl
 
In a message dated 10/24/2005 8:14:47 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
cmpiano@comcast.net writes:

 
Better yet,  suggest she have her brother  tune it.  He obviously knows what 
is wrong.
 
Carl Meyer PTG assoc
Santa Clara,  Ca.
 

----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _John Ross_ (mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca)  
To: _Pianotech_ (mailto:pianotech@ptg.org)  
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.   

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_ (mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca) 

----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _Dave  Bunch_ (mailto:pdtek@mchsi.com)  
To: _pianotech@ptg.org_ (mailto:pianotech@ptg.org)  
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 6:16  PM
Subject: No show


Hello- 
 
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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