Tuning Complaint - Client Relationship

[Farrell]

I should add that the last time I tuned it, it was 5 cents flat to start
with. Also, this time I will sign my post! Thanks for any input.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 5:48 AM
Subject: Tuning Complaint - Client Relationship


> Hi Listees. I'm looking for some opinions. I am responding to my first
> tuning complaint this morning at 9:30 EST. My question is going to be: Do
I
> charge them for a tuning.......because the tuning did not hold......, or
> should I tune and not charge and get a couple PR stars on my forehead?
> Details follow:
>
> Subject is a 1968 Yamaha C7 in original condition. I would describe the
> condition as fair+. The piano is in a fundamentalist-type Christian
church.
> AC goes on Wed. night and Sundays. No dehumidification system on piano.
> Client called up last night and said she had been meaning to call for the
> last three weeks because the pianist said the piano is flat (pianist is
out
> of town - that's all I could get out of secretary). Service history
follows:
>
> 2000 - Replace 4 bass strings & 4 treble strings
> Nov. 8, 2000 - Pitch Raise 10-25 cents
> Nov. 8, 2000 - Tune A440
> May 17, 2001 - Tune A440
>
> My piano Notes follow:
>
> SAT:   4.0   7.0   6.5     DOB: 0.0
> Church wants this piano tuned (pre-scheduled) every 6 months.
> Piano inspection 11/8/00:
> Board: minimum crown, barely OK
> Bridges: DB minimal, but OK
> Strings: false beats, bass tone uneven
> Action: 55 - 60g DW, needs full regulation, Good candidate for balancing
> Hammers: original - should be replaced, but could be filed/shaped
>
> We have had a severe drought in Florida all winter. The rainy season
finally
> started right at the end of June. I can't imagine that I will find the
piano
> flat - it will most likely be sharp because I last tuned it near the end
of
> a prolonged dry period and now it rains about 2" a day.
>
> Anyway, I know I tuned it right at A440 - and the rest of the piano
sounded
> good (as good as this one will get!). In two months, I can only imagine
the
> piano needs to be tuned - change of seasons, no climate control, AC
> on-and-off, etc. I have a hard time imagining that it is the tuner's
fault!
> I expect I will find the piano out of tune and sharp. Quite obviously a
> goodly amount of education is due here. I will talk extensively about
tuning
> stability, climate and climate control, and give them a Dampp-Chaser
> brochure.
>
> The bottom line is do I charge them for a tuning (if they have a pianist
> with an ear and considering climatic conditions, the piano should likely
be
> tuned every 2 to 3 months), or should I do a complete tuning for free to
> preserve that "feel good" climate (as unstable as it is!).
>
>