What would you do? Ethical questions.

[Greg Cheng RPT]

I know its totally after the fact, but here it is still.
 
When I'm tuning brand new pianos I tell the customer that the first year
the piano is in the new home it will go through many changes in the
first year.  During these changes it should be tuned as much as often, 3
or 4 times depending where the piano sits at every tuning, the first
year.  Then I have them set up the appointment right there and then.  
 
This is the manufacturers' recommendations and you save your butt during
dramatic seasonal changes.  
 
I don't know if it helps now but that's how I do it.
~G
 
__________________________
Gregory P. Cheng RPT
West Chester PA 19382
-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf Of piannaman at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 10:10 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: What would you do? Ethical questions.
 
 Hi All,
 
Yesterday I got a call from a lady whose piano I tuned 2 months ago.
That appointment was the store-paid-for tuning on a nice new small
upright piano.  Prior to that appointment, I'd misplaced her on my
schedule and was a no-show...embarassing, something I never do, and we
all hate it when it happens to us.
 
She said that the piano was already out of tune after two months--not
surprising given the recent weather changes and the fact that it's a new
piano that was 10c # at the first appointment.  We set up an
appointment, then she asked if this was paid for by the dealer.  I said
no, tunings are not a warranty problem, pianos go out of tune, yada,
yada, yada.  She asked how much.  I quoted her my normal price.
 
She didn't exactly blow, but she was not a happy camper.  I explained to
her that I am an independent tech, and that I couldn't be responsible
for factors beyond my control, such as the newness of the piano and the
change of weather (from cold and wet to warm and dry).  In the end she
said, "I'll find someone else!"  End of conversation.
 
I thought about it, and tried to see it from her perspective.  I called
her back and offered her a discounted rate--trying to placate her and
smooth things over.  NO go.  She still intended to call someone else.
End of conversation.
 
So I'm tuning along on the morning's piano when the fact that I'd missed
our first appointment slapped me in the face.  While not responsible for
the aforementioned factors, I WAS responsible for wasting a couple of
hours of her day on a prior occasion.    I called back and left her a
message to the effect that I would be happy to come and make up the time
that I'd cost her that day.  
 
I don't expect a call back from her--ever.  The bridge is burned,
whatever trust there was is gone.  
 
What would you have done when faced with a phone call like the first
one?  Stuck to your guns for the full price, offered a discount, or come
back for free?
 
IN the end, I'm somewhere between feeling better because I did
everything I could to remedy things, and feeling like I caved in a big
way.
 
 
Thanks in advance for any input
 
Dave Stahl


Dave Stahl Piano Service
650-224-3560
dstahlpiano at sbcglobal.net
http://dstahlpiano.net/


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