Clunker pianos - what do you do?

[David Andersen]

comments interspersed.....
On Apr 11, 2008, at 9:47 AM, Ron Nossaman wrote:

>
>> Andrew Anderson wrote:
>> "Not a customer I wanted to have"
>>  Not a technician I would want!
>>  Al Guecia
>
> Then don't call me either.
Or me.
> I try very hard to not promise more than I can deliver, either with  
> minor repairs, or major remanufacturing. If I consider a piano to  
> be too far gone to be rendered reliably usable by the indicated  
> repairs, I'll suggest they spend nothing, or as little as possible,  
> until they can locate a better instrument. If they insist, and it's  
> possible, I'll do a few minimal repairs to make it work well enough  
> to buy them time, but it's with the full understanding that it's  
> cash down a rat hole. I find the phrase "I don't have money to  
> throw away, and I presume you don't either" tends to focus their  
> attention fairly effectively.
Wow. I use both of those phrases too. Very focusing.
> Very often, people get offended and defensive, sometimes offensive,  
> when I diagnose the piano as dead. It usually takes another 20  
> minutes of explanation before enough lights have gone on for them  
> to understand, and they begin to realize I'm actually trying to  
> help. What possible reason could a tech have to decline to do patch  
> up work on an old beater, waiving the income that would result,  
> unless he sincerely thought it was in everyone's best interest to  
> do so?
Precisely. And I'd love to have a video of the hundreds of times that  
the light has finally come through the window, and the client  
realizes I'm being an honest guy.
> I'd personally have a lot less confidence in the tech who exuded  
> optimism and confidence in outlining $500 worth of repairs on that  
> piano the church gave away.
No kidding. Weasels like that  are  shun, stun, done, and run.
>
> Another, apparently unpopular perspective.
Wrong.
>
> Ron N
David A.

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