hopeless

[Susan Kline]

At 07:51 PM 07/04/2000 -0400, Brian wrote:
>I know it's probably an odd time to inquire, since many are likely on their
>way to the convention...
>
>I was wondering to myself just how other techs deal with the customer who
>only tunes their piano once per decade whether it needs it or not.  Do you
>continue to call them or send post cards every 6 months or once a year?  Or
>do you simply stick them in the 'they'll call when they're good and ready'
>file.?

Hello, Brian

Well, this may not seem very businesslike or impressive, but I only call them
by request. That is, if they want to make appointments ahead of time, or have
me call them, I will. Otherwise, it's up to them.

I seem to be in the black, and at certain times of year I have a hard time
getting through everything. I know I'm not the world's fastest or steadiest
worker, but a more easy-going way of doing business suits me, and I think
that my chances of burn-out are far reduced. I just don't like spending
time and money trying to convince people to have their pianos tuned more
often than they feel like it. It helps that the climate is benign here, and
pianos often sound quite decent even after a couple of years without
attention.

In the 22 years I've been in business, I have never mailed one reminder
card. Life's too short, and postage adds up. I find that the best source
of good, high-quality, steady business is referrals from happy customers
and other tuners, and they have been abundant. I may meet pianos in awful
shape, like a 12-year-old Korean "Weber" grand I tuned the other day: tenor
100 cents flat, bass 20 cents flat, in the sun. I lectured about drapes
and Chinese screens, removed extra music from the bench, got incredible
noises out of the bench by using VJ lube where the legs meet the case,
fixed pedal noises, tightened flange screws, glued lots of loose hammer
heads, removed an unmetered (plugged in) damppchaser from the action
cavity, did two passes of tuning, then collected a tuning fee plus repair
charges and extreme gratitude from an owner who now knows whom to call,
and will tell her friends. She thought she was just going to get a tuning.
Her previous tuner died about 10 years ago. She'll probably call me
in three months or so, which is when I suggested she have another
tuning done, but if she doesn't, it won't bother me.

It's fun when a piano which really isn't too bad but is very neglected
springs back to life after only a couple hours of work. I'd rather do
work like this than two six-month tunings on pianos which really didn't
need them, where I could hardly tell the difference. There's that open-eyed
excitement when the owner first hears and sees what has happened.

I suppose in some parts of the world there may not be enough new work
to go around, but I think in most places there is piano work going
begging. So .... why go lockstep twice a year for people who don't
want it?

Happy 4th of July, everyone.

Susan