You vs. Them

[Carl Meyer]

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I don't think I would send the letter.  You can write it, but don't send =
it.

Next time she calls, tell her you can't schedule it and refer to the =
most expensive guy around.

Carl Meyer Ptg assoc
Santa Clara, Ca.
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Tvak@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 10:52 AM
  Subject: You vs. Them


  List

  Second visit to a client's house yesterday.  First call was a tuning.  =
 At that visit she complained about my fee, claiming that I tuned her =
neighbor's piano for $20 less.  This was simply not true.  She =
reluctantly paid it, only after arguing with me for a good 2 or 3 =
minutes.  I wouldn't back down.  (My fee is not even on the high end of =
techs here in Chicago.)

  Why did I agree to come back and do repairs for her?

  Upon handing her the bill she claimed I told her it would take me only =
30 minutes to do the following: =20
       replace a broken treble string
       replace two broken hammer shanks with new ones
       repair/replace two broken key buttons

  There is no way I would ever estimate that to take 30 minutes.  Maybe =
one of you guys could do that in 30 minutes, but not me.  It actually =
took me 90 minutes, mostly due to it taking me forever to cut down a new =
key button to fit a dogleg key.  I felt that it should have taken me =
less time to do this, (any tips on this procedure would be welcome: I =
used a little saw, then filed it and it came out nicely, but there has =
to be a better way...) so I only charged her for 60 minutes plus parts, =
which is what I believe I quoted her on my estimate.

  She wasn't satisfied until I charged her only for the 30 minutes plus =
parts.  I simply refused to argue with her beyond the first 2 or 3 =
minutes, and I caved.  I have to point out that my labor rate is lower =
than any other tech I know.  So the bill was LOW to begin with.

  Now I should probably just let this go and move on, but I am about to =
mail her a letter in which I advise her to find another technician to =
work on her piano in the future.

  When it comes down to you vs. them, how do you deal with that?   =
Perhaps in her country of origin it is appropriate behavior to haggle =
over things such as this.   I found it offensive.  I just wanted to get =
out of the house and be done with her.

  Luckily the day ended on a nicer note.  Another repair, another house. =
 This time I handed her the bill and she said, "Oh, no, that's not =
enough!" and gave me an extra $10.

  Tom Sivak
  Chicago 
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