[pianotech] Door open, but customer not home - what would you do?

Wed Jul 15 21:18:02 MDT 2009

I'm in Grand Rapids Michigan.   I service 90-95% around G.R., but I do
travel out of town occasionally but, no further than 25-30 miles.  

I'm sure that it most certainly helps us that we are very well established
here.  My grandfather started our family business in 1926.  My dad, two of
his brothers, myself and my cousin have all tuned around here full time
since then.  Only 2 of us are left however.  The others have since passed.
My son is starting out too and will be the 4th generation of us Groot's.  2
of us are 3rd generation.  Pretty cool, I think.  :-)  Our name, reputation
and honesty are pretty well known.  We trust them, they trust us.  It is not
an area where we have to be afraid of some of those things mentioned.  But,
I don't trust the dogs!  ;-)  

Jer

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Tom Sivak
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 10:37 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Door open, but customer not home - what would you
do?

Gerald, where do you live?  Your attitude seems so out of place in an urban
setting.  Are you out in the rural areas?  

I just read Les Bartlett's post and I thought, yeah, in Houston, you
wouldn't go into someone's unlocked home in parts of Houston.  Same as
Chicago.  Some areas, most areas, really, you wouldn't go into someone's
home if the door was open.  And if you did, people generally would not be
tickled pink about it.   

Tom Sivak

--- On Thu, 7/16/09, Gerald Groot <tunerboy3 at comcast.net> wrote:

I walk into homes on a regular basis if nobody is home.  If it's open, I'll
go in.  I always double check the magazines or something to make sure that I
am at the right house before I begin tuning but, I have not as of yet, had
anyone that was dissapointed or angry that I tuned the piano anyway.  Most
often, they have either left the door open for me or they forgot I was
coming but when they found me tuning, they were tickled pink that I let
myself in.  I just tell them that I figured that's what happened and assumed
they left the door open for me.  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Joseph Rosenberg
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:27 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Door open, but customer not home - what would you do?

I made an appointment with a customer that was 90 miles / 2 hr. drive (one
way) from me.

I called before I left to confirm that someone would be there, and they said
they would be there.

When I got there, the gate opened up to let me in. There were two cars out
front. The front door was open, the screen door was ajar, and there was a TV
set on very loudly. A dog barked for a few minutes, and then was quiet.

I rang the bell a number of times, knocked on the door, yelled inside,
walked around the house to see if they were outside, called their phone but
got a voice mail.

After about 15 minutes, I walked around to a side door that was open. The
piano was right there. I went in, kept yelling "Hello", and proceeded to
tune the piano.

As I was finishing the tuning, the customers came home. They didn't say
anything about me being in the house alone, or who let me in.

I'd like to know what other tuners would do in this situation.

Thanks.

Joe Rosenberg

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