Dealer/Piano Owner Relationship

[Tony Caught]

Totally agree with you Jim.

Terry if you want to work for the dealer ever again, remember who is paying
you and who you are representing.
If you are called back by the customer Terry, tell the customer that because
the fine work is not done on the piano in the factory, the cost of the piano
is much cheaper than what it would be if the work had been done in the
factory. (Compare price of Yamaha to Young Chang) Thus by doing this work
yourself after the piano has settled a little, you will wind up with a piano
that is worth much more than what you paid for it.
But still not the best as there are three main differences in all pianos.
Design, workmanship and materials. If the design is good and the materials
are OK that you should be able to vastly improve the performance of the
piano for a minimal overall cost to the customer.
If the dealer had done all the work the piano requires to meet our (not the
customers) requirements and still give the customer a discount, the dealer
would soon go broke and than you won't be able to work for him.
I am not saying protect the dealer, I am saying work with him not for him.
or, don't work for him at all.

Regards

Tony Caught ICPTG
Australia
caute@optusnet.com.au
----- Original Message -----
From: <JIMRPT@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2000 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: Dealer/Piano Owner Relationship


>
> In a message dated 7/21/2000 8:00:11 PM, Terry wrote:
>
> <<"I asked the owner to wait until the dealer pays me for my service call
>
> before we talk to him about other work needed on the piano.">>
>
> Terry;
>  I suppose there is nothing wrong with this methodology but it really
doesn't
> sit well with me for some reason........I can't quite get a handle on
exactly
> what it is but................
>
> <<"How is this usually handled.">>
>  I don't know how it is "usually handled" but the way I would handle it
is:
>
> 1. I would perform the service as requested by the dealer. I would bill
and
> 'expect' to be paid for 'that' work, i.e.;
> "I recently was contacted by a piano dealer in NY to *tune* a new Young
Chang
> (Bergman - from China)"
>
> 2. I would let the 'dealer' know, in detail and in writing, of the
problems I
> had found while in the process of "tuning".
>
> 3. I would include this fault list with my bill for the "tuning".
>
> 4. I would not discuss this in 'detail' with the customer. You are at the
> customers house as an agent for the 'dealer' you are not there as a
> technician for the customer.  If you were there for the customer, then
give
> the customer the tuning bill and discuss all of the problems in detail
with
> the customer.
>
> 5. This customer bought a low end grand and should expect low end
performance
> and work......yes the piano 'should' work satisfactorily but peformance
> caliber work is not called for nor possible.
> (yes I know that some of the thingees you found are inexcusable but they
are
> there anyway are you are not responsible for them)
>
> 6. This is a problem for the 'customer' to handle do not make it your own.
>
> 7. If the customer is willing to foot the bill for the work and then seek
> reimbursement from the dealer this would be the best of all worlds.
>
> 8. No matter the outcome, things like this will leave a bad taste in your
> throat.
>
>  Finally....this is not the hill you should choose to die on, there will
be
> much better opportunities down the road! :-)
> My View.
> Jim Bryant (FL)
>