Treble tuning for elderly clients

[Ric Brekne]

A typical chest beater post to be sure, and Alans reply is at least one 
exception to the rule as these threads go.  Lets face it folks... its 
not about customers being right or wrong, or about tuners not getting it 
right or the rest of it... in fact its not a big deal at all.  It just 
boils down to... you cant win em all.

Now some of ya'll can get up on your haunches and try and tell the 
customer you know the one and only real truth, and that if they (the 
customers) would only listen to you and forget about all the other 
jokels they've been through before who only were their to rip off their 
money anyways then all will be ok regardless of whether the customer 
turns out happy or not... and you may even convince yourself you are 
doing a service to someone (or thing) or another.... but me thinks you 
are kidding yourself if you do.

Just do your best... your very best to tune well and treat with the 
customer well, and dont worry about it.  Most often you'll have no 
problems... and those times you do are.... well ... unavoidable.  Let 
the next guy try and please those you cant, and just keep on improving.  
In the end its not the <<customer>> who is a cause for worry.... its not 
even those other <<techs>> playing piano politics in all its variants.  
The only person you have to worry about is yourself.  Take care of your 
learning curve and stay a nice person.  You will succeed if you do.

Cheers
RicB



AB writes:

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
Thinking out loud in Salem, MO



Salem, Missouri