[pianotech] minimum service charge

[tuner at helmsmusic.net]

David, I like your preventive approach, except I go one step further - I
recommend to all of my customers (on my first visit) that they train
themselves and their kids to avoid putting ANYTHING except music on the
music rack - no pencils, paper clips, etc. Instead, I recommend they
purchase a small decorative table and place it beside the piano, and train
everybody to place all of that stuff there, and get into the habit of
ALWAYS placing it there. My customers always respond with "oh, that's a
good idea!" Granted, it's a long-term process to get everybody to learn
this, but once I've made the recommendation, I don't feel bad about
charging a service call to remove things - it's just a little
reinforcement of my recommendation (kind of a "told-ya-so" moment!)

I also remove the fallboard at every appointment and pull out all the
stuff on top of the keys, and show it to my customer. They often didn't
even know it was there.
-- 
Scott A. Helms, RPT
Helms Music Enterprises
480-818-3871
www.helmsmusic.net



>
> What I like to do is theach them what to do BEFORE the pencil gets into
> the action cavity. I show them how it happens. Usually the pencil will get
> between the fall board and the stretcher; it's hard to get so they drop
> the fall board and the pencil goes downhill in the piano. I show them and
> then tell them to push on the fallboard while they bring the pencil to
> either the left or right side so that when it's wedged between their
> finger and the side it can be easily removed. I also ask them to show
> their children. The customer is usually very glad to learn how to prevent
> these things.Marcel CareySherbrooke, QCDate: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:50:50
> -0600From: paul at bruesch.netTo: ilvey at sbcglobal.net;
> pianotech at ptg.orgSubject: Re: [pianotech] minimum service chargebut only
> with the warning that they can scratch or get it wedged... which, in my
> experience, usually results in "Oh, we'll just let you do it." (or better
> or worse!)On Sun, Nov 16, 2008 at 4:46 PM, David Ilvedson
> <ilvey at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
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>       That sounds like a plan...sometimes you can show them how to remove
> the fallboard on  a Yamaha etc...
>
>       David Ilvedson, RPTPacifica, CA 94044
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