Deal...or No Deal?

[Alan R. Barnard]

I bailed out a community theater group a couple of years ago when their "regular" tuner wasn't available. The piano and an electric bass were the only orchestra for a musical scheduled to open that week! I spent all day on that piano on a Saturday! It was a Gulbransen console and an absolute trainwreck. I did some small repairs and regulation, pitch correction, two fine tuning passes, etc.
Knew they didn't have a lot of operating capital so just charged them a tuning with hope of seeing the piano regularly. Although they were super grateful at the time and DID comp me two tickets to the show which was excellent, I haven't heard from them since and they didn't call me after I left tuning reminders on their machine.
"The laborer is worthy of his hire!"
Alan Barnard
Salem, MO
Joshua 24:15






Original message
From: "Tom Sivak" 
To: pianotech 
Received: 10/18/2006 8:39:04 PM
Subject: Deal...or No Deal?


List
 
Well this is a new one on me...
 
I got a call today from a pianist in the next suburb over.  I have never tuned his piano.  He is also the music director at a local church.  I also do not tune the piano at the church, although I would be happy to do both his and the church's since they're very close to my home.
 
He explained to me that they had a concert at the church a couple of days ago and the piano had been tuned for the concert.  They are having another concert this Saturday night and a couple of notes have slipped out of tune.  He said that it had gotten extremely hot in the room and they had to open all the windows, and he felt that this was instrumental in the piano slipping out of tune.

Let me reiterate that it was not I that tuned this piano in the first place.
 
He wanted to know, since I was so close, if I had the time to stop by and just tune up the notes that had slipped.  He said, "I'm sure it will only take you a couple of minutes."  
 
There was no mention of renumeration for this visit in his message, but I just got the sense that he wanted me to just come by and do this as a favor.  (I know the vocalist performing in the concert, but not him.) The comment that it would only take a couple of minutes seemed to indicate that if he was planning on paying me for this, he didn't want it to cost much.
 
What would you say to this man if it were you?  
 
I certainly could use his business, and I do like to go out of my way to help people, but I felt conflicted over the possibility of getting his business versus the possibility of being taken advantage of.
 
I could tell you all what I told him, but I wonder what others might say in this situation, so I'll withhold my response to him so as to not influence anyone.  (This is assuming someone actually responds to my post!)
 
Tom Sivak
Chicago
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