"guarantee...?"

[pianolover 88]

I got a call tonight from a customer who told me that his piano has "kind of 
gone out of tune." This particular piano (very old spinet)was 180+ cents 
flat when I pitch raised and tuned it close to 3 months  ago. I originally 
told him that his piano, having been neglected for many years, would very 
likely need to be tuned again in about 3 months, (How's that for timing?) 
due to the years of neglect and the fact that it was so flat, not to mention 
the sheer age and overall condition of the piano.

So, i asked him if he would like to schedule a follow-up tuning, and that it 
probably would NOT need another pitch raise, (as I had left it a little 
sharp, anticipating another, albeit lesser drop) just a basic tuning, and i 
quoted him my basic tuning fee. WOW! He immediatey asked ... "Don't you 
guarantee your work?" (I Didn't see that one coming, so i asked him what he 
meant.) He continued... "Well, the piano seems to have kinda gone out of 
tune and I didn't expect to have to pay you AGAIN to tune it."
I reminded him of what i had told him when i first tuned his piano, and that 
pianos cannot be "guaranteed" to stay in tune indefinitely, especially a 
piano that had been so severely neglected and was so  flat. Then he 
said.."well, I just don't have the money right now." I did what i could to 
be "diplomatic", and ended the conversation by thanking him for calling, and 
to please call again when his situation changes, and i would be happy to 
schedule a follow-up tuning. I am wondering how other list members have 
dealt with this type of situation. Thanks.

Terry Peterson
Associate Member PTG
Los Angeles, CA

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