"guarantee...?"

[Douglasmahard@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 10/30/2000 12:22:03 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
pianolover88@hotmail.com writes:

<<  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
 
 Hi Terry,

Educating your customer is the best way I feel to resolve situtations like 
this.  You went that route it appears when you first encountered the piano, 
the customer didn't hear or want to hear it though.  I would mail him the 
Pitch Raising Technical Bulletin and the How To Take Care Of Your Piano 
brochure the Guild offers.  In my experience with similar situtations this 
has brought the customer around to a fuller understanding of the stability 
(or lack there of) of the piano.

Like somebody posted once on this list, "The only thing I guarantee is that 
the piano will go out of tune."

Hope this helps.

Doug Mahard