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

[Leslie Bartlett]

Rural, where I grew up, no problem. Folks knew each other, never locked 
doors anyhow.  It's a sad different world now. Four burglaries to my 
house in 20 years - can't afford to move, seven Sheriff cars right in 
front of our house two days ago- no way I'd go into a house in Houston 
with no one home. Don't even like to be left alone while customer does 
some errands.  But......... rural also has some disadvantages.......... 
Uh, I can't think of any, though.
les b

Tom Sivak wrote:
> 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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