This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Terry, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you here, and sort of line up = with some other comments that have been made. =20 Why was she asking you point blank the value of the piano? She must = have had some second thoughts or concerns about what she paid. I = personally think that we should never shoot from the hip by giving a = value without doing some research, and that is going to cost the = customer a few bucks for the trouble. The value of a piano is a slippery thing. It can depend on the local = cost of living, the economic climate, what the dealer paid for it, who = else might be waiting around the corner to pay the asking price. What = you decide is a value, even with some research, may vary quite a bit = from what the next technician (as honest as you are) may come up with. I would advise several things about valuing pianos. One, always use an = Ancott for reference, and ask around to any dealers or salespeople you = personally know to get as much info as you can. Two, always offer the = customer a range of values, high and low, not a fixed price. Sometimes, = if it is determined that a customer has paid in the higher end of my = price range, I tell them that. What this means is they did not get = "taken", they paid in the high end of what I feel is an acceptable = range. You say there was no other reasonable thing to do but tell her, but I = disagree. You simply can say "Since I am not a dealer, or don't know = the precise value without looking into it, and I would be glad to do = that for you for my regular fee". The fact that you were off in your = perception of current MSRP, based on what you remembered from last year, = bears this approach out. If you are commenting on piano values without an Ancott, you are not = using all the tools available to you. They are not that expensive for = what they give you back. I have an arrangement here with another tech: = we split the cost of an annual subscription. He takes the fall/winter = book and I take the spring/summer one. That keeps me current enough for = our purposes. Of course, they are not the be all and end all of this aspect of our = business, but they sure help. Randy Rush, RPT Seattle >No. This customer specifically asked me what I thought the piano was = worth. >And I told her. There was no other reasonable choice in this situation, = and >I would do it again. >Terry Farrell ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/40/56/cd/4d/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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