Birdcage

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Conrad,
Good for you <G> 
Joe

----------
> From: Conrad Hoffsommer <hoffsoco@luther.edu>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Birdcage
> Date: Tuesday, October 13, 1998 6:13 PM
> 
> Hello Bill,
> 
> No flak from me (surprised?).  See below...
> 
> At 17:15 10/13/98 EDT, you wrote:
> (edited)
> >The first thing to do is to call the customer back and tell him/her that
you
> >will be delighted to service the piano.  Being that it is not a modern
piano
> >and of an unusual design, you need to inform the customer that extra
time will
> >be involved and therefore a higher than usual fee will be charged.
> 
> >You can easily get twice your usual fee.  If the customer balks at that,
tell
> >him/her to call you back if he/she reconsiders.
> 
> > Failing that, call the customer and go get the money (not to mention
> pleasing the customer and doing what a piano technician does for a
living).
> 
> 
> The owners of these things generally _know_ they have an old and unusual
> instrument and what you have to do is let them know that you are willing
to
> work for them to make it sound and work the best it can.
> 
> The first one of these I did looked like it just left the showroom floor,
> beautiful finish, polished brass candleholders and all. True, no one born
> this century had tuned it, and no one living _into_ this century had
pulled
> the action, but it was all there and unbroken.
> 
> Customer wanted to be able to play it - could I get it running? I said
I'd
> give it a try. No guarantees. 
> 
> I spent the entire afternoon regulating and tuning (M3 flat).  When I was
> finished the customer almost had tears in her eyes as she took it for a
spin.
> 
> I charged for my time and tuning, and she gave me a tip which was almost
as
> much as the tuning fee. (remember tips?)
> 
> Birdcages? Yup, I'll tune them, squares, too. I'll complain all the way
to
> the bank. After all, my card says piano technician not technician of
pianos
> younger than I am - no wisecracks, Wim.
> 
> 
> 
> Conrad Hoffsommer, RPT		hoffsoco@martin.luther.edu
>