What would you do? Ethical questions.

[Byron Quam]

My question for you is why didn't you just tune it at +10. A new piano is
always going to go south so why help it?  If a piano is between 440 and 444
I just tune it where it is (after informing the customer). It'll be closer
to 440 the next time I see it and it will be more stable the less the pitch
is altered. Also, it seems to me that a pitch correction downward is harder
to do and the result less stable than bringing a piano up to 440. But that
may be just me. ;-)

-----Original Message-----
From: piannaman at aol.com [mailto:piannaman at aol.com] 
Sent: May 23, 2006 7:10 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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