Tuning for Tomatoes

[Brown, David]

I'd like to throw in my 2c worth here.  This story really touched me as I
read it.  I do think that rates need to be adjusted according to the
situation.  Where you must be careful is when clients begin to compare
rates.  I think you did a noble thing.  As a father of two young children,
I'm not in the position to do this just yet.  There will come a day.  

I have been offered two dozen farm eggs and some squash, puppies, kittens,
etc. when I've tuned on the farm.  Generally speaking, I don't make money
when I tune on farms.  The travel, the condition of the pianos, etc. seem to
eat into my profit.  I do, however, enjoy the time on the farm.  It does
something for the soul.  

I have sat down to eat a meal with a customer or two.  I used to turn down
these offers.  Now, I figure I'm building a relationship that will continue
long into the future.  The best tuners don't run in and run out.  You have
to build a trust.

Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story.

D. Brown

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul [mailto:tunenbww@clear.lakes.com]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2000 8:38 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Re: Tuning for Tomatoes


Leonard
Thanks for sharing this story. I am glad to have the freedom to adjust my
prices and services to fit the circumstances, i.e. doing a little more for a
little less, especially when the client doesn't know it but deserves it.

Paul Chick
----- Original Message -----
From: <LHSBAND440@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2000 8:44 PM
Subject: Tuning for Tomatoes


> Tonight I had the rare occasion to tune for a wonderfully elderly couple.
> They had a Steinway and Sons that there daughter had played for years and
> since had moved out of the house and the piano hadn't been tuned since
1984.
> Even though it was in a finished basement the instrument was only 14 cents
> flat on an average.  I spent time learning about tuning and the art of
being
> human.  As the elderly gentlemen stood over me and watched everything I
did,
> his wife continually offered me and coke and a sandwich.  I ended up
> journeying away from the piano for five minutes to look at pictures when
> their daughter won piano competitions practicing on this instrument and
for
> an instant there lives were brought back to those happy days when music
> filled their house.  I was asked to do this tuning because they are
selling
> the piano since their daughter has moved on and has no interest in playing
> the piano.  As I returned to the piano these two wonderful people just
> continued to live those years over again as I played the piano to check
> intervals and beat rates.  Finally, I put the magnetic pickup on the
> accu-tuner and let them talk and relive to their hearts delight.  When It
> came time for me to leave the gentlemen took back his check and then came
> back with another that was 20% more than what a normally charge.  As I
took
> the check his wife came back with a bag full of tomatoes.  She said that
> these were the best from her garden and she wanted me to take them home to
my
> family since I had spent almost 3 hours with them tuning their piano
rather
> than being home with my family.  As I drove home I thought that his night
was
> just the kind of night that they needed and so did I.  It had very little
to
> do with beat rates, unisons, or the SAT.  But it had everything to do with
> how music can draw people together who have never met before and who have
a
> common interest, desire or just memories of times gone bye.  Now I don't
tune
> for a living but rather for the fun of it, so I can do this.  Those of you
> who tune for a living, I understand that this is probably something that
you
> can't do.  I kept the tomatoes but the check I put in an envelope and sent
it
> back with a letter saying that they were the winners of the free monthly
> tuning (which no such thing exists).  Am I richer for the evening? .......
> More than I have felt in a long time.
>
>
> Leonard (Leo) H. Silverman
> Watertown, NY
>