$65 to adjust one damper?

[John M. Formsma]

Was the customer there to ask before you started the repair? That would
eliminate the difficulty in deciding who is responsible for the cost. If it
wasn't something that the customer complained about, I think you just had a
good learning experience. ;-)
 
Generally, if I'm having to repair something that I've never done before, I
will not charge my full rate because I'm learning. I do get paid, and well
enough, but don't feel like I should charge my full rate because it's 'on
the job' learning.
 
JF
 
  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Nereson
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 11:59 PM
To: List Pianotech
Subject: $65 to adjust one damper?
 
 I'm sure something similar has happened to everyone on the list.  I noticed
one damper had a long after-ring, so tried to bend it up, down, sideways,
etc., to make it contact the strings better.  No dice.  Had to pull the
action.  This is one of the dampers right against a plate strut, with the
long right-angle bend before the damper wire goes down the guide hole.
Anyhow, pulled the damper, made what I thought was the necessary bend, and
of course the damper head comes loose from the wire, even though I was
holding it tightly in place with parallel pliers.  Had to plug the hole with
a toothpick splinter and tap the wire back into the hole with a small punch,
then add a drop of CA glue.  Then put the damper back in the underlever,
regulated, re-installed the action and tried it.  Nope.  Still rings.  By
now probably 15 or 20 minutes have elapsed.  Yes I have the tool that
enables bending it side to side with the damper in place.   No dice.  Still
rings.  Pull the action and damper again, try squeezing the felt to make it
settle down farther into the strings, reinstall damper, reinstall action,
try again.  Nope, still rings.  By now about a half hour has elapsed.  Pull
action and damper again, try fluffing up the felt with a voicing tool on the
one string that still rings.  Reinstall everything and try again.  Better,
but now the 7th partial is too strong.  Try bending forward and back to kill
the partial.  No dice.  This goes on and on for another half hour before I
finally get the damper to satisfactorily dampen that note.  Do I now charge
$65 just for adjusting one damper?  How do I explain this to the customer?
Certainly if I had let it ring, I would have gotten a call-back about it.
            --David Nereson, RPT  
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