ethics question

[Alan R. Barnard]

1. The head tech doesn't call you back. A Steinway store. Imagine that.
2. It's a Steinway dealer and not even a Steinway piano: Ergo, they probably do not give a rat's bladder about the customer, let alone you.
3. If you are ever going to speak up, the time is now.
4. I have a cop-out ploy you might try. Explain the whole deal to the customer, what you did and have tried, etc., and that you don't want to be in the middle but do want the company to do the right thing. Then have him or her call Steinway in a lather (or maybe AFTER getting out of the tub) and demand action with the little white lie that it was another tuner she called this time and found the problem.
5. What is the warranty on this puppy?
6. Oh, by the way, did the stringer, by chance, leave the pins way high? I've seen a case like that ... tap, tap, tap, pitch raise, tune.
Alan Barnard
Salem, MO
Joshua 24:15






Original message
From: "Tom Sivak" 
To: pianotech 
Received: 12/29/2006 1:31:02 PM
Subject: ethics question


List
 
What to do, what to do...
 
A client has a new Essex grand, purchased less than a year ago.  The local Steinway dealer assigned me the freebie first tuning on the piano which I performed almost 6 months ago.  At this point, the client is now mine.
 
At that first tuning I was alarmed to find that most of the tuning pins were way too loose.  I'm not being picky here; I wasn't sure if the piano would even hold the tuning when I left.  So I called the head of the tech dept. at the dealer to inform him about the loose pins.  
 
He told me that I needed to measure the torque with a torque wrench so that they had some concrete figures to back up my assertion.  He wanted me to get some measurements without alarming the client, which I was able to do.  He seemed to indicate that he would have the piano replaced if the torque readings were unacceptable.
 
All the pins measure less than 25 pounds of torque.  Many were less than 15 pounds.  I reported back to the head techie at the dealer and did not hear of any further developements.  I did not share any of this with the owner. 
 
Last week the owner of the piano called to get it tuned again, so I went yesterday and retuned the piano.  My last tuning actually held just fine.  The piano was about 10 to 15 cents low, not at all unusual at this time of year, let alone on a new piano with stretching strings.  
 
The pins are just as loose as ever.  You can't overpull a string and ease it back down, because it'll just slip all the way down a half step or so.  You have to pull it up to pitch and let go  V  E   R   Y       G   E   N   T   L  Y.   This is a technique that we have all perfected after years of working on 75 year old Gulbransens, not pianos less than a year old.
 
So my ethical dilemma is this:  Should I tell the client that the tuning pins are too loose for a new piano?  The dealer may have given me the client, but the client is mine now.  I feel that I owe them my honest opinions on things, and my opinion is that this piano is defective.  Of course, no one has actually asked for my opinion about the piano, so I'd be the one who started all this trouble if it comes to that.  (I don't really do much work for the dealer any more, so I don't think I have that much to risk, personally, business-wise, but of course, I'd rather not alienate the only Steinway dealer in Chicagoland!)
 
And after all, the piano is fine right now.  It will hold a tuning, even if I have to be a little careful while doing it.  How many years will it be before these loose pins become so loose that it won't hold a tune?  I don't know, but certainly much sooner than any new piano should.  It seems unethical to allow the client to be blissfully unaware that in a year, or two or ten, this piano may need a new pinblock.  They have a warranty now, and since this situation is only marginally acceptable now and will only get worse, they should take care of it sooner rather than later.
 
There is a new head of the tech department at the dealer.  I have called him twice and he hasn't returned my calls yet.  Of course, I won't do anything until I talk to him, but in the meantime, the ethics of the situation seemed worthy of discussion.
 
What do you all think?  What would you do?  
 
I look forward to your sage advice,
Tom Sivak
Chicago

 
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