Tech/dealer relationships

[Bob Anderson]

John, Paul McCloud gave a lot of good advice. There are always a number
of people involved in warranty disputes: dealer, mfg., tech., customer,
perhaps piano teacher. Someone has to lead the way. Often it's easiest
for the tech because the tech has access to all the others. 

As a tech, you need to establish a policy. Sometimes it's easier to deal
with a problem without even worrying about reimbursement. There are a
lot of small problems that you could make into big problems. I've done
some routine action, etc. svc. without charging the dealer or mfg.
because the time it would take me to go through the channels wd take
more time than it took me to effect the svc. I always let the customer
know when I do something like this.

There are cases in which I can get the dealer to be responsible for the
remedy, whatever it might be. Establishing relationships with dealers is
an important part of a tech's business. Some of them you can work with,
some of them you can't.

If you can't work with the dealer, don't worry. Some of them are
impossible. The alternative is to deal with the mfg. I have
relationships with a lot of the mfg. reps, and I can work things out
with them when the dealer is no good. This happens, and the the mfg.
reps understand.

It pays to get to know mfg. reps. Attending national PTG conventions and
regional conventions/seminars is a good way to keep in touch with them.

I find myself in different situations vis a vis dealers/mfgs. I don't
work for any dealer, but I know them all in Tucson. There are situations
in which one of my customers buys a piano from a dealer. I'll often be
called on to do the free dealer svc. because both the customer and the
dealer know me and trust me. There are situations in which I come upon a
piano sold by a dealer to a party I don't know. If I find problems, I
decide whether or not I can work with the dealer(I already know the
dealers, so this step doesn't take too long). If I decide to bypass the
dealer(because of proved unreliability), then I'll go to the mfg. The
more of them you know, the better your credibility with them will
become. Of course, if you have a positive track record with them, it
makes it all the easier.

Sometimes I'm called upon by a mfg. rep to solve a problem because I'm
the only (or first) tech he/she can think of. 

The bottom line is that this is not a simple problem. You can prepare
yourself to deal with this kind of problem by careful, methodical
procedures, including establishing relationships with dealers, mfgs.
and, needless to say, customers.

Bob Anderson
Tucson, AZ