explaining Pitch raise....

[Farrell]

>."I would first
> ask: "how long ago was your piano tuned?" If the answer was "more than a
> year", or "i can't remember", I would mention that their piano may need a
> pitch raise, which cost roughly 1/2 the tuniing fee."

That is what I do. If they say the piano is tuned at least yearly, I say "OK
then, your piano SHOULD be up to standard pitch IF the last tuner tuned to
standard pitch - and we don't likely need to be concerned about pitch
raising". If they say anything other than yearly tuning, I say "when pianos
have not been tuned for a period of time, the strings stretch over the years
and the piano slowly drops to a lower pitch. If your piano is significantly
below pitch, we will need to do what is called a pitch raise. The fee for a
pitch raise is $40." And THEN I also add "Even though 90% of the time when I
find a piano that is below pitch, one pitch raise will take care of it, I do
run into pianos occassionally that have not been tuned for decades, and
sometimes multiple pitch raises are required - not often, but sometimes."
And if all this seems difficult for them to handle, I add "Are you near the
piano? Play middle C for me so that I can hear the pitch" I then compare it
to my piano and tell them that if the rest of the piano is similar, they
will need XYZ.

I don't get any questions after all that. But I will do all that a billion
times before I go to a client's piano and have to tell them that it will be
$40 extra because their piano is a quarter step flat. Or worse - the old
upright owner that just shopped around for prices and chose you. Now try to
introduce the idea to the dude with the tatoos in the trailer that his
sweetheart's piano is going to cost him about a dozen cases of Bud because
it is a whole step flat! No, I think I will cover all that over the phone,
thank you!

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "piano lover88" <pianolover88@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 12:31 PM
Subject: explaining Pitch raise....


> I'm wondering if the best way to explain a pitch raise to a customer, is
to
> NOT bring it up in the first place..at least not over the phone when your
> making initial contact. In the past, when asked my tuning fee, I would
first
> ask: "how long ago was your piano tuned?" If the answer was "more than a
> year", or "i can't remember", I would mention that their piano may need a
> pitch raise, which cost roughly 1/2 the tuniing fee. Then THEIR their
> questions and MY explaining begins! Usually they do not object, but it's
> getting really tiring trying to explain the procedure to each and every
> customer over the phone. I'm thinking maybe I should not even mention it
> until I actually SEE the piano, and assess the situation. Then, if a pitch
> raise is indicated, I can at least SHOW the customer what is necessary to
> bring the piano "into the ballpark".  I'm curious to know how other
members
> of this list handle the P.R. question. Thanks!
>
> Terry Peterson
> Associate Member PTG
> Los Angeles, CA
>
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