[pianotech] call-backs you can't charge for

[Tom Driscoll]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Nereson" <da88ve at gmail.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2009 6:50 AM
Subject: [pianotech] call-backs you can't charge for


>    A client called and said her daughter hears several buzzing notes.  > 
> Suddenly client shows up (was walking the dogs).  I show her the screws, 
> tell her there's no more buzzing, and she says, "Oh, thank you soooo 
> much!" in a tone that's so grateful I can tell she thinks I came to remove 
> the problem as a huge gratis favor, and that certainly I don't intend to 
> charge anything.  (When they say, "Do I owe you anything?" then you KNOW 
> you'd better say, "No, that's OK -- I was in the neighborhood" or 
> something similar.)
>       >    --David Nereson, RPT

David,
One factor is wheather they are a repeat customer or not. A client of many 
years has "earned " the freebie in my view. First time client? I  respond in 
a few ways depending on the vibe to :
  "Do I owe you anything ?"

'"Yes , my basic service charge is X "
They pay and might be happy or not.


" My basic service charge is X . Let's just make it $20.00 to cover the gas 
and some of my time"
They pay and feel like they got a break



" No just continued patronage will due"
Maybe earning you a lifetime client, or maybe they will call another tuner 
if the price is lower

" How about $6.00 so I can buy a sandwich "
They laugh and either give you more or write a check for six dollars---like 
you can spend that at the sub shop.

I know we can all go off on these anecdotal stories, but one comes to mind 
for me.
I tuned an asian grand --all routine  then got a callback from the lady in a 
very irritated tone about a noise in the piano that wasn't there before I 
came.
I show up promptly and pull a pen out of the action cavity.
  "Oh , that's all it was "   No I'm sorry for accusing you .  I didn't 
charge and never saw them again.

I guess my point is that we're all flying by the seat of our pants in these 
type of situations and after three decades I'm still not sure what to do.

Tom Driscoll


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