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

[Chuck Behm]

Hi everyone - glad to meet so many of you at Grand Rapids!

Just logged on for the first time in a week to see all the comments about
what to do when the customer is not home.

I do a lot of driving in between customers, being in a rural area, so I
always ask that if they happen to step out, do I have permission to enter
the home to tune the piano. Almost always, they agree that if they are out
they will leave the door open, or leave a key in a pre-arranged spot for me.
Customers are very good about following through with this, and with just a
few exceptions of people who have forgotten I was coming and had buttoned
the place up, it's always worked.

There was an occasion in Humboldt, Iowa, however, that I will always
remember.

I had told the customer I would be arrive rather late, around 8 p.m., but
since I was in the area, I would rather get their piano tuned while I was in
community for the day, then wait to make a return visit for just their
piano.

The wife said that they would leave the lights on and the front door ajar
for me.

I arrived at their address at a little after 8. The lights to the front room
were in fact on, but the front door was shut.

I rang the bell, and knocked loudly, and when no one came to the door, tried
the knob. It was unlocked.

I opened the door a crack, and yelled "Hello, piano tuner!" No response, so
I opened the door wider and yelled again. No response again, so I'm thinking
it's okay to come in, that they just forgot and pulled the door shut.

I looked about the front room, thinking the piano had been in the corner. No
piano.

I thought, well they've moved it to another room. So I go to the dining room
and flipped on the light. No piano.

I'm starting to wonder by this time, but still no alarm bells are going off
in my head. Pianos get moved around in homes from time to time. They've
moved it to another room, I'm thinking.

There's a hall with doors that I proceed down. Quite often people will put a
piano in a bedroom.

I knock on each door, then crack the door open a bit to find the light, flip
it on and look around for the instrument.

By the last door, I'm starting to get an uncomfortable feeling.

I had my cell phone, so it occurs to me to dial the number on the tuning
card. I do, and the ring tone on the cell phone starts, but no phone in the
home is ringing. Must be her cell phone, I'm thinking.

The customer answers the phone.

"Hello, Mrs. Smith? I'm in your home and I can't find your piano."

"Mr. Behm, we're home. We got home early!"

"Then where am . . ." I began.

A gasp on the other end. "Oh, my God. I forgot to tell you WE MOVED!"

Let me tell you, I beat a hasty retreat from that house. I still thank my
lucky stars the home owners didn't return before I got out of there.  Chuck
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