ethics question

[Dean May]

May I suggest, Tom, that you haven't yet done your duty. Perhaps the dealer
and the factory are taking their cues from you.  Of course I don't have a
transcript of your conversations with them but from what you have shared so
far I would get the impression that you have been less than forceful with
them. If you are just reporting data with no conclusions then you are
allowing them to reach whatever conclusion is most favorable to their short
term interest. I would encourage you to be more aggressive and forceful
without bringing the customer in just yet. Let them know that this piano
needs replaced. You demonstrate your allegiance to the customer by
aggressively keeping the pressure on the dealer and the factory. If you
don't then allegiance really doesn't mean anything, it's just a word.

 

Of course your challenge is to do it diplomatically without burning bridges.
It should help your cause that you have consulted the national PTG forum and
the consensus is that a new piano with those torque numbers is wholly
unacceptable. Let the factory know that the entire PTG network is watching
this case to see how they'll respond. It is not just their reputation with
this one customer that is on the line here. 

 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Paul McCloud
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 11:40 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: ethics question

 

Tom:

    You have done your duty.  Let the dealer/factory take care of the
problem.  You can inform the customer of your discovery, but you need to let
it go.  Don't make the dealer/factory the bad guy.  YOU will be the one to
lose because one day you may need their help.  In my town, there has been a
lot of bad blood on both sides.  Some technicians have been blackballed from
every dealer in town, and won't get any referrals from anybody.  Some
technicians won't work for any dealers either.  And be careful what you say
about a certain brand of piano.  You can be held for libel if you say things
that aren't true, just as you would be held responsible for saying things
about a person that are false or accusitory.  

    If you choose to burn your bridges, you may be sorry later.  Don't be
labelled a troublemaker, but try to help the situation if you can.  Don't
take sides against the dealer, but try to work with them.  Your reputation
could be sullied by the dealer if you side against them.  After all, they
refer people to technicians all the time, and if they like you, and respect
you, you may be the one they recommend.  

    We have our opinions about these situations, and we may not like to have
to deal with them, but making enemies of our dealers isn't the way we should
be going.  I am the head technician at our store, so I get to try to solve
problems as they arise.  Believe me, it isn't my cup of tea to cover for the
factory defects I see and make sure the customer is happy.  I've found
myself in hot water many times for making the wrong comments to customers
about problems I've found.  My advice (FWIW) is to try to be a hero and help
both sides.  So far, I think you've done the right thing.  You informed the
dealer, they are taking steps, you haven't alarmed the customer, and let
whatever may happen.  Who knows?  Maybe the dealer will pay you to fix it.  

    Believe me, if you take sides, you won't win.  Been there...

    JMHO,

 

    Paul McCloud, RPT

    San Diego

    The Piano Exchange

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Tom Sivak <mailto:tvaktvak at sbcglobal.net>  

To: pianotech <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>  

Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 11:31 AM

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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