SOJ

[Tom Servinsky]

Diane,
 The description "completely rebuilt" has become my pet peeve when
describing what work has actually been done.  Like you, Ron , and others who
have put their 2cents to work on this thread, I get a big turn-off at the
very mention of a new customer telling me their piano has been "completely
rebuilt".  My enthusiasm has been crumbled too many times at the hopes that
maybe one of these times the customer actually, in fact, had the piano
"completely rebuilt". However, my blame doesn't go any further than the
tuner/ technician....and I use the word technician very loosely, who sold
the bill of goods in the first place.  There's still a huge void in this
industry establishing any type of across-the-board standardizations, thus
when Elmer Fudd saz this wasklely pianer needs wepletely rebuilt, the
results speak for themselves.
I have a found way, though, which generally indicates over the phone
conversation if and when a customer actually had had the work completely
done. Those who have spent a tremendous amounts of money on an incredible
rebuilt, generally searched thoroughly for the right person to do the work.
After the work was completed they won't let just anybody touch the piano.
They are much more selective and careful as to who they let to work on the
instrument.  Their phone conversation usually takes on the form of an
interview...they doing the interviewing.  Then I have a hunch that in fact,
they had the piano rebuilt.
Tom Servinsky,RPT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Hofstetter" <dianepianotuner@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 12:33 AM
Subject: Re: SOJ


> From:
>
> Diane Hofstetter
> 245-M Mount Hermon Rd.#343
> Scotts Valley, CA 95066
> ph  831-438-6222
> fax 831-430-9741
> dianepianotuner@hotmail.com
>
> It's almost a certainty that "this isn't a fix, but it will get
> >you going temporarily", will morph in the customer's mind until it glows
in
> >the dark as "COMPLETE REBUILD". .
> >
> >Ron N
>
> I've had customers tell me "My valuable antique upright has been
completely
> refelted" and found 11 damper felts replaced; "My husband gave me this
> antique Steinway upright, completely rebuilt, as a wedding gift" (it had
one
> piece of pretty, new felt woven in and out along the top line of the bass
> bridge pins, just barely covering the large crack); "This grand was just
> completely rebuilt, now I need to have it refinished" (it had one piece of
> pretty red felt covering the crack in the plate!, nothing else done to
it).
>
> I came to the conclusion that if they have spent anything over $200 on
> repairs to the piano, in their minds it is "completely rebuilt".
>
> Diane
>
>
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