Clunker pianos - what do you do?

[Kerry]

My take on this is that it's easier to feel satisfied with the results of
your labor when you're working on a fine grand piano, so if you have the
kind of clientele that allows you to turn down anything else, more power to
ya. For most of us, there's a balance involved and I find that satisfaction
(for both me and the customer) comes from setting realistic expectations and
goals and then communicating them effectively. If a piano is beyond
reasonable repair, or is not suitable for the task at hand (I'm kind of hard
on parents who expect their kids to learn on a piece of junk), I'm not shy
about declaring it beyond fixing. Beyond that, I think the most important
thing is to find the point of diminishing return for any old piano at which
the customers get tangible results for their money (and understand what
they're NOT getting) and I can feel happy that I've given them good value.

 

(Maybe part of this comes from working at a university for so long, where I
faced the same instruments, good and bad, year after year. Back in private
business now, it's a relief to at least confront different clunkers every
day ;-) 

 

Kerry Kean


  _____  

From: Michelle Smith [mailto:michelle at smithpianoservice.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 11:25 PM
To: 'Pianotech List'
Subject: Clunker pianos - what do you do?

 

Hi all.  I have to admit that I'm pretty tired of old clunker pianos.
Hammers are shot, strings are beginning to break, parts are failing left and
right, and the pinblock was done quite a while ago.  The problem is that
many people in my area can't afford anything better and there's no one else
in my county to work on these old pianos.  

 

I'm curious how many of you refuse to work on clunkers anymore.  Every time
I work on one I tell myself it is my last!  =)

 

Best wishes,

Michelle Smith

Smith Piano Service

Bastrop, Texas

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20080410/8b5106f2/attachment.html