What would you do? Ethical questions.

[piannaman at aol.com]

 Thanks to everyone for offering their input.  Three key points keep popping up here:
 
1. Educate
2. Don't take it personally
3. Let it go
 
Points two and three are hard for me, but I'm getting better at them.  
 
I really try to educate at every opportunity, especially to customers with new pianos.  I always hand out fliers and explain to them what they need to know.  But people forget quickly, and you can only educate people who are willing to listen or read.
 
Another factor:  sometimes it's a battle of what the tech says versus what they were told by a salesperson trying to close a deal.  "You'll only have to get it tuned once a year, if that!"  People believe what they want, and that often includes belief in whatever costs them the least amount of money.
 
The follow up:  turns out, the lady called the store right after speaking with me, and the store owner gave her the name of another tuner.  He agreed to help the client with the cost of a tuning.  No doubt, she specified that it should be anyone but me....but after a day to reflect on it, I'm glad to not have the headache of a client like that!
 
You win some, you lose some.  
 
 
Dave Stahl




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



 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Barnard <tune4u at earthlink.net>
To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Tue, 23 May 2006 10:22:19 -0500
Subject: RE: What would you do? Ethical questions.


I lost a key, influential customer once because she moved her (crappy little grand) piano under a west-facing picture window. She leaves the lid up. She got a free tuning 3 months after a paid tuning by complaining mightily. When I called for the next tuning, I was talking to an iceberg.
 
On the other hand, I had a client with a very difficult and strong personality (choir director for a 4-piano church I tune) who blew me off when I reminded her of her personal-piano tuning schedule and was downright testy when I saw her in a store months later and asked about it. So I mentally wrote her off, removed her name from my database. Two years went by.
 
She called this morning, sweet as pie, and said she finally had her furniture arranged the way she wants it and, by golly, her piano needs tuning. 
 
I'm trying to learn not to take these occasional hits personally--it's tough for me--but people are people. All you can do is do your best, be nice, be professional, be consistent, and be honest. Things work out and life goes on.
 
Alan Barnard
Salem, Missouri
 
 
 
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