[pianotech] Looking for ideas

Sat Apr 4 07:08:33 PDT 2009

For both own records,  or especially if you wind up in court, I would
consider hiring (a friend tech might do it for nothing, I would) a 2nd
opinion on the pianos outcome from an outside tech.  It would be to your
benefit as well as hers.  Let them look at the piano, give their advice to
you, listen to her complaints, then discuss it privately of course in case
their opinion of the outcome doesn't happen to match yours and if it does,
let them possibly to her publicly afterward.  

I did this once after I pin doped an old Emmerson grand that had terrible
loose tuning pins.  I used Garfields.  After 2 weeks, it was almost worse
but, not quite than before I started.  She threatened to sue ME.  So, I
hired at that time one of the most respectable RPT's in (couldn't hire my
own dad you know) town Dale Newhouse to come look at it.  He told her that I
followed procedure exactly as was required, there was nothing out of the
ordinary and occasionally, things like this happen and that in time, the
pins should tighten up more yet which they did.  That saved the time in
court and satisfied her because he said he would side with me.  I offered
for her to call in anyone of her choosing too but, she refused and I refused
to return after that too.  Wasn't' taking anymore chances with that nut
case.  

Next time, cash the check the same day.  Then it's to late.  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of pianositter at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 12:17 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Looking for ideas

I'm having my first experience in non-payment in my twenty-something years
at this!  I have a contract the customer signed which specified a 50%
deposit, 50% on completion.  I put on new hammers, and asked the customer to
show me a few notes that she liked the sound of, so I would understand her
concept and could make all the notes sound that way.  It was a normal,
average, good Steinway sound (w/ the Abel natural felt hammers).  She wrote
me a check the first time I finished the job, and I left.  She called an
hour or so later to say it was just too loud, it wasn't what she wanted, and
I must come back RIGHT NOW and make it softer.  So I did, but it was getting
late and I told her I could make i softer but it wouldn't be even until I
returned the following week.  She said to go ahead and do that.  I did.
THen she called a day or two later to say she'd stopped payment on the check
and I must come the next day, Saturday (instead of in 4 days time, which was
the appointment) to "fix it".  Nobody had ever stopped payment on a check to
me before, and I was not happy.  But I went the next day, and worked all day
on her piano.  She said it was what she wanted, that she would try it a few
days and "if there was nothing wrong" she would mail me a check.  Another
week goes by, no check.  Now she says ......yadda yadda yadda.

What have other done in this situation?  Looks like I got a real wacky one
here.  Do I have to just sue her in Small Claims Court?
Please advise.  What happens if they award you the money in Small Claims?
How do you then collect it?
Thanks,
Linda Scott

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