Things customers say that I'm still not sure how to respond to.

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

At 11:31 AM 2/20/2007 -0500, you wrote:

>Things customers say that I'm still not sure how to respond to:
>(And the responses I say in my head but not out loud)
>
>"Can I get you anything?"
>- How about espresso and a brownie
>      (What does "anything" cover? Are they just asking if they can 
> do something
>         to make the job easier e.g. turn the lights on, or is it OK 
> to ask for coffee ??)

I could use a shovel/backhoe/end loader to clear the memorability off 
the top of the piano.

>"You must have good ears"
>- Well, uh, actually they're pretty average. It just took a while to 
>learn this beat stuff.

They've held up my glasses quite well for many years.

>"Cool computer with the spinning thing on it! What's it do?"
>- It's much too complicated. Let's just say it does a bunch of math.

I'm addicted to computer games so I play this one while I'm tuning.

>"My uncle (grandfather, neighbor, third cousin) was a piano tuner. 
>He had perfect pitch."
>- Great he could tune pianos in spite of the handicap.

Does he/she know you've called someone else, yet? You might be out of 
the will by now.

>"Piano tuning is a dying art, isn't it?"
>- Do I look like that much of a geezer?

Dying art for moribund instruments, like this one, is a good match, 
don't you think?

>and of course, at the end of the job,
>"HOW BAD WAS IT?"
>- The poor thing was in terrible shape since it's been a decade 
>since you last cared to get it tuned.

It was needful, and my wallet looked anorexic.



(non-relevant, non-political, non-pianoistical saying to follow)



Conrad Hoffsommer

There comes a time in every man's life and I've had plenty of them.
-Casey Stengel