Treble tuning for elderly clients

[david at davidandersenpianos.com]

Absolutely 100% spot-on, Nossaman. Bravo. The truth hurts for a few
seconds, then brings liberation.  A lie, or mollification, degrades
everyone.
DA

> Perhaps we possibly shouldn't be so ready and willing to be
> wrong in the presence of a customer's ignorance, incapacity,
> or unrealistic expectation to make a buck. I read endless talk
> on this list about the need to educate the public about the
> realities of things piano, followed immediately by endless
> concerns for offending them by attempting to correct their
> misconceptions, ignorance, or incapacities. What I consider to
> be the real stuff always takes priority in my world, and it's
> usually possible to impress upon a customer that what you have
> to tell them might not be what they want to hear, but you
> think it's what they need to know. Most are appreciative of
> the approach, since they've all been lied to and mollified to
> their detriment many times already by someone trying to milk
> yet another buck out of them. Since that's not your intent,
> level with them. Some get it, some don't.
>
> Ron N


> Alan Barnard wrote:
>> One word of caution: I worked very hard to clean up a really lousy,
>> noisy treble on a Baldwin console. The lady called me back, unsatisfied.
>> (Pleased to say it's a very rare event.) I went back and it sounded aok
>> to me. She claims I killed the tone of her piano and ruined the sound.
>> Hasn't had me back, either.
>>
>> Some times, we can be too smart by half. Maybe we shouldn't be afraid to
>> interview the clients more thoroughly as to their preferences, what they
>> hear, what bugs them, etc., rather than just tuning the piano the way we
>> like it.
>>
>> Alan Barnard
>
>