[pianotech] what woudl you do?

[David Nereson]

  I'd be more concerned about getting her cold just from bacteria
circulating in the air or on the keys (!) than I would be about
anything else.  I hate it when people schedule me when somebody in the
house is sick.  If you've already been tuning for them for 4 years,
there shouldn't be a problem.
   I've tuned for many people when just the teenage daughter is home.
The clients have no worries because I've been recommended highly by
their friends, relatives, neighbors, whoever.  I go in, proceed
directly to the piano, barely even acknowledging the daughter, and
start in.  Any kids who might be home are usually way more interested
in watching TV or talking on the phone or whatever else they do than
watching a piano being tuned (borrrrr-ing!!).
    When done, I may call out (if nobody's in the room), "I'm all
finished.  Thank you!" and leave the bill or collect the check they
left on the table, and leave.
    It would only be perhaps one girl in more than thousand of whom I
might be leery that she might accuse me of some kind of advance or
molestation, and that would only be if by some inappropriate glance,
gesture, or comment we got off on a "bad note" (pun intended).  But I
don't give any inappropriate glances or gestures.  I come in, tune the
piano, and leave.  I just plain don't worry about it.
   --David Nereson, RPT