Killer Octave - Warranty Issue?

[Farrell]

A nice walk down the "grey area" highway Richard. Well put.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2001 8:39 AM
Subject: Re: Killer Octave - Warranty Issue?


> Having read a few posts on this I decided to throw in a few words. I guess
we get
> caught between a rock and a hard place often enough when in the situation
Terry
> describes.  On the one hand we may identify some problem that really
should be dealt
> with, yet on the other hand we have the customers interests and then the
dealers
> interests.
>
> The customers interests are the most important and perhaps the most
difficult to
> judge correctly. True, they have a right to know anything that is a
detrimant to
> their newly purchased instrument. On the other hand they have a right not
to know as
> well. That might sound a bit odd at first, but I think it is central to
the point
> some have made on this subject. Fact is, and I think all of us have
experienced
> this,  that some folks just want reassurance that all is well, and are not
really
> able to deal constructively with any information to the contrary.
>
> I guess what I am trying to point out is that I think to need to try and
read the
> customer before really deciding whether or not to supply unasked for
information. A
> technique I use for feeling out these kinds of situations is to start a
service
> visit by asking straight out whether the customer has any comments or has
noticed
> any problems. I then do the job, noteing any and all deficiencies and
doing my best
> to sort out which are serious enough to pursue and those that are not. At
the end of
> the job then I take initiative for an informal discussion with the
customer about
> the qualities of the piano. One gets plenty of signals right off about how
the
> customer feels about the instrument, and how they will react to any "bad
news".
>
> Of course one does have to be carefull.... hot water is easy enough to
find oneself
> bathing in, and one does have to be able to sort out whats important
enough in each
> situation to point out.  But the right of the customer to know is high on
my list of
> priorities. And if I feel they are sincerly interested, and have their own
emotional
> prejudice under reasonable control... then I do not hesitate further.
>
> The dealers I have experience with through the years have come to respect
this
> balance as a pretty darn fair one. Most of them are human enough, yet
honest enough
> to be able to take a fair kick in the pattootey when its called for.
>
> As has been pointed out by others, this requires a delicate balance often,
and a
> good portion of people savy. Walk the rail at your own risk, or play it
safe and say
> nothing. Me... I walk that rail as I feel like its just one more little
way I can
> push the market in a positive direction. And every little push and shove
helps.
>
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
>
>