Sometimes, mind you, one just can't win, even with the most honourable and professional strategy. I was called to tune a piano donated to a fairly new residential complex for elderly persons. It was a really old birdcage in terrible condition. Now, I tune LOTS of old birdcage pianos, but this one was well beyond the pale. The person dealing with it all was the nurse in charge, who seemed quite young. I explained about the age and condition of the piano, and that I felt it would not be ethical to take money for attempting to tune this piano, that it would not stay in tune, and that everything in the piano was worn out. But I could see that she just wasn't 'getting it' - wouldn't understand that pianos have a limited lifespan, that this one was very old and decrepit and had been a cheap and nasty one even when brand new. She started to ask about my background, as if to question my professional competence to comment on the piano. I left knowing that I had done the ethical thing, and had explained it patiently and professionally, but knowing also that she doubted me, and suspecting that she might phone someone else. Best regards, David Boyce. >> Ron... You go man. >> Our prospective clients don't often know how junkie some of the stuff >> they own is. If it looks like a piano, has keys ...well it must be a >> piano. Or not! >> Polite education and " I can't in good conscience work on this." Is the >> answer. Usually I am thanks for my frank honesty. >Likewise, which feels a lot better to me than gratitude over patching up >an old beater as cheaply as possible. I'd rather get referrals from >having declined work I didn't think was in anyone's best interest than >referrals to patch up more old beaters. >Ron N
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