Killer Octave - Warranty Issue?

[jolly roger]

Hi Jim,
           Good post as usual,  nothing that I disagree with.
Roger


At 11:11 PM 9/9/01 -0400, you wrote:
>Good discussion here huh?
>
>Copula things we need to keep in mind when decicing to "tell the customer"
or 
>not.............
>First thing we have to do is determine who the customer is. Is it the dealer 
>or the consumer?
> If 'your' customer is the dealer than any comments to the 'consumer' other 
>than what is needed, for you to do what you were hired to do, are probably 
>out of line. This does not mean that you ignore any possible "warranty 
>problems" what it does mean is that you make the 'dealer' aware of them in 
>full and as soon as practicable after their discovery by you.
> To do otherwise puts you, the technician, in an untenable position both
from 
>a practical economic standpoint and possibly from an ethical standpoint.
This 
>point can be twisted and turned any way you want to with all the "coulda", 
>"shoulda", "woulda" and "poor customer" sentiments that anyone would care to 
>use.....but the fact will remain that it ain't your job 'yet'. 
>
> I am not saying to ignore any real problems with any customers'/consumers' 
>instrument....... what I am saying is that you owe some loyalty to 'your' 
>customer and the way to show that loyalty in these cases is to report any
and 
>all 'real' or 'potential' warranty issues 'fully' to the dealer first and 
>give them and opportunity to rectify the situation.......to do other wise
is  
>unprofessional.....period.   Warranty issues are between 
>consumer/dealer/manufacturer and while we as techs have a role to play, 
>telling the consumer what a lousy piano they have without first 
>discussing/urging the dealer about it is 'not' that role.
>
> There are two types of issues involved when your customer is the 'dealer'. 
>One is when the "problem/issue' is raised by the consumer...the other is
when 
>you have discovered a potential warranty issue.
> In the first case we should try to discern whether the consumer complaint
is 
>valid and if so what the cause of it may be. If it is a problem that can't
be 
>fixed by -on the spot- education of the consumer...such as "No Sir, no piano 
>has dampers past that point and there were none left out of your 
>piano"..........then you need to relay that information to the dealer and
let 
>the consumer know that you are going to do so...............this puts the 
>ball in the dealers court, where it should be, as well as provides the
dealer 
>with all the information you have...........this will allow the most
amenable 
>conditions for resolution of any 'real' "warranty problems".
>
> If the consumer is your "customer".....the only thing that changes is that 
>your loyalty should rest there..............any possible "warranty" problems 
>is still between the consumer/dealer/manufacturer and the only role you play 
>is of consultant/representative of the consumer rather than the dealer.
Under 
>no condition should you 'bad mouth' the dealer, the piano, the manufacturer 
>or the salesperson....I know, I know, there are times that such is deserved, 
>and possibly well earned :-), but doing so will decrease your value to your 
>customer.
>
> I suppose what I am saying is don't take a knife to a gun fight, don't take 
>a horse to a car race and don't run off at the mouth when you don't know 
>squat about any 'possible' agreements between consumer /dealer! 
>Be tactful, be professional and provide the best service/advice you can to 
>your real customers FIRST..be they dealer or consumer. 
>My view.
>Jim Bryant (FL)
>