We should be able to explain to customer the breakdown of the piano and what we may find once the plate is pulled. A disclaimer that lays out the possibility of a new soundboard, pinblock my have cracks we cannot see, etc. Give them the worse case, so they are prepared... David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: erwinspiano at aol.com To: pianotech at ptg.org Received: 12/24/2009 7:21:57 PM Subject: Re: [pianotech] Reversing Crown > Hi Will > Well done. Well said. Trust is the real currency and professional capital of or of our >occupation. It's humbling, and gratifying. > Dale >Ultimately, it’s all based on trust and their faith in you. That’s the real >grease of the relationship, not the paper the estimate is written on. Good people >skills, along with meticulous truthfulness, are what keep you out of court. > >Will Truitt > > > > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of erwinspiano at aol.com >Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 5:36 PM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] Reversing Crown > > Having been on church elder boards that balance budgets,activities and >maintenace issues my experience is that there many really good hearted people >involved who either run their own businesses or have skills of disernment in many >areas. Honesty is the best policy & honest miscalculations are recieved with >understanding...Honesty is always the best policy and respect comes right behind it. >Chin up mate...plan B > Dale >Ok, help me understand this (mainly the words in bold). I'm not trying to be ugly in >any sense of the word, just trying to understand. > >At the point where you find the zero or negative crown surprise, I'm assuming >you've already destrung at a minimum. Are you going to "walk away from the job" >with the piano unstrung and just return it to them that way? Or are you going to >give it a quick restring in an attempt to put it back in it's original condition to return >it? Or are you going to perform the work you originally contracted for... which >doesn't sound like "walking away", but maybe could be interpreted that way? > >Some have mentioned finding negative crown after having removed a soundboard >so if you haven't contracted for removing (replacing, or possibly repairing?) the >soundboard in the first place, you wouldn't have it out to find that negative crown. > >It is good that the church in your example went for the new board. In for a penny, >in for a pound. But had they not, at what point were you in the tear down process >and what would you have done at that point? Or what would you have wanted to >do in that point? > >Again, not trying to pick on you, but I'm having a hard time mentally getting to an >answer that would be good for both parties and stand up in front of a judge. > >Hoping you can help me understand. Sincerely. > >Thanks, > >Brian > > >From: surfdog at metrocast.net >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:09:26 -0500 >Subject: Re: [pianotech] Reversing Crown >I agree with David. Twenty five years ago I rebuilt a 6’ 4†Vose grand for a >church. It had some positive downbearing before I tore it down. After the plate >was out, the crown had headed south for a permanent vacation, and obviously so. >I had heard from others that sometimes the strings are literally holding the crown >and it lets go when they are removed. That was my first and only. > >I approached the church about replacing the board after having contacted my >bellyman at the time and costing everything out. I had prepared a detailed >explanation why it needed to be done, and why it would be spending bad money to >not do it, and be spending good money to do it – even though it was a >considerable cost increase to them. I explained it matter of factly and without >apology (why would I apologize for a condition that I did not cause and could not >have foreseen?) They went for the new board, and were happy with the rebuild >when done. > >It is simply too heavy a load to bear for you to assume the cost of replacing the >soundboard. You are not that far into the job yet, and I would simply walk away >from the job if they are not inclined to proceed. > >I don’t think it is that common for us to have this kind of surprise, but it does >happen. > >As others have said already, taking a number of careful down bearing readings and >crown readings when doing the estimate make such an ugly surprise a less likely >occurrence. > >It is also important to have a written disclaimer in your estimate about unforeseen >conditions before teardown. Resist the impulse to split the difference with them, >they will believe it is your fault if you do. > >It is also possible that the reason why the board has oilcanned is related to bad work >done originally at the factory lo those many years ago. They weren’t always >perfect in the factory in 1929 either, although we all want to believe those were the >Golden Years. But sometimes they drank their lunch on Friday back then too. > >Will Truitt > > > >Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. =
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC