The day's frustration

[John Ross]

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Hi ilex,
The only problem with copying things from the PTG website, aiming for =
legitimacy in the customers eyes, is that anyone can go to the site, =
copy and give the same stuff.
(For grammar police, I know the punctuation, is probably wrong)
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: ilex cameron ross=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 3:51 AM
  Subject: RE: The day's frustration


  Dave -=20
  I have actually found the PTG's website to be EXTREMELY useful in =
circumstances like these. Printing off a copy of the PTG explanation of =
a Pitch Raise (along with the faq of "why does my piano go out of tune" =
yadda yadda), not only gives the customer concise information on piano =
care and behaviour, but also gives them a legitimate reference point =
outside of the word of one new tuner. They obviously don't know that =
your work and intentions are honest, so for all they know, you could =
just not be a very good tuner, and/or you could be trying to take them =
for a ride, billing them for a bunch of bogus work. To their credit, =
they're right to be skeptical - there ARE unfortunately a lot of tooners =
(and other service people) who make their livings off of dishonest =
upsales/scams. *WE* know you're not one of those, but your new and =
uneducated customer doesn't. Think about it - it's kind of like when you =
go in for a simple oil change and JoeBob at the quicklube tells you that =
you need about $200 worth of additional work done on your car (even if =
it's a tuneup, transmission flush, new air filter...). But last time, =
you had your oil changed by Tommy up the street, and he didn't mention =
any of that. Tommy's been changing your oil for years and has never had =
to do anything more to it - tuneup? What's that?=20
  If I hand my customer a printout from the PTG website, it not only =
credits the PTG for all of the information given, it also gives the url =
for the PTG's website - aha! Another valuable resource for piano owners =
who just don't know any better. It also earns me brownie points for =
going out of my way to show that *I* care about their piano, and that I =
want to bother explaining these things to them. Lastly, it leaves them =
with written information in a clear format (not handwritten. And do you =
really want to take the time to write the whole pitch raise and false =
beats shpiel out?) - 90 percent of what you verbally tell a customer =
goes in one ear, gets jumbled up and confused, and leaks out the other =
ear. Not because customers are stupid, but because most people simply =
don't have the time or attention span - they have kids, which means they =
have scouts, soccer practices, piano lessons, sunday school, pta =
meetings, karate, ballet, etc. That simple piece of paper is something =
they can refer to. Maybe they'll read it and respond positively, maybe =
not. But you're at least covering your butt, doing all you can do, and =
giving a chance for it.=20
  WHEW that was long-winded!=20

  ps - congrats on your nuptials - it's my turn this fall! *gulp*!

  -ilex
    -----Original Message-----
    From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On =
Behalf Of Piannaman@aol.com
    Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 1:36 AM
    To: pianotech@ptg.org
    Subject: The day's frustration


    List,

    It's been a slow week for phone calls.  Getting people to make =
appointments around tax time is like extracting wisdom teeth.  April has =
traditionally been my slowest month, but I've kind of gotten used to it. =
 What's aggravating is when a customer calls to say that the piano I =
tuned a couple of weeks ago doesn't sound "clear" according to her =
daughter and the piano teacher(who came the day after I tuned it). =20

    The piano is a Kohler and Campbell console, circa 60s-70s, with =
false strings throughout the treble.  It had been tuned regularly, up to =
a year ago by a tuner who she thought did a great job, but whose card =
she "lost."  I suspect other things transpired. =20

    The piano is right next to a door, and the weather has undergone big =
changes in the last couple of weeks.

    When I tuned it it was 20-50cents flat.  Hmm, great tuner...tuned a =
year ago...next to a door...I should have begun the education process =
here.  Instead I put my nose to the grindstone, did a pitch raise--which =
she somehow managed to talk me out of charging for (my first =
mistake!)--and as good a tuning as I could get into the piano given the =
time and instrument constraints.=20

    I agreed to go back and see if I can make the piano "sound better."  =
I don't mind doing this ONCE if I can educate a customer in the process. =
 Don't know if that will happen, because it seems that some people =
choose to remain ignorant.  I hope this was the cork on a frustrating =
week...

    Thanks for being my wailing wall,

    Dave Stahl
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