Don't put that on your resume... '-] David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "David Stocker" <firtreepiano at hotmail.com> To: pianotech at ptg.org Received: 1/27/2010 4:52:35 PM Subject: Re: [pianotech] Why schedules sometimes go pfffft. >Twice I have shown up for scheduled appointments to find out the piano owner died >suddenly the day before. One was an elderly lady hit by a car while crossing a street >to get to one of our finer restaurants. Family had gathered, and said no, thank you; >we don't need the piano tuned. >The other was a lady who choked on a soft piece of waffle. (!) The husband calmly >told me the piano was there for the grandchildren next door, so go ahead and tune. >He had me back a couple more times. >Both pianos were more than 45 minutes away. >David Stocker, RPT >Tumwater, WA >From: Paul T Williams >Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 14:14 >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] Why schedules sometimes go pfffft. >Something similar....went to a vocal professor. Usual customer with a Steinway M >which needed rebuilding badly. Always took 15 minutes to take off the piles of >music. I start tuning, right, but then the phone rings while she is there in the >studio...Her daughter is getting carried away practically in a straight-jacket with >EMT's trying to "talk her down" from the trauma. I never heard a 70 year old woman >sound like the saltiest sailor I've ever heard...(and I've heard them, believe me...). >After 45 minutes of yelling, and I patiently sitting by waiting for some quiet, she >calmly asked me to please finish the tuning and leave the bill on the piano, and then >promptly ran out of the house. (I got paid promptly BTW and continued to go there >every 6 months until moving to Lincoln...) >What strange crap we techs have to deal with! I'm sure this will bring some other >"fun" stories! >Best, >Paul > From: Conrad Hoffsommer <choffsommer at hotmail.com> > To: <pianotech at ptg.org> > Cc: Susan Kline <skline at peak.org> > Date: 01/27/2010 04:03 PM > Subject: [pianotech] Why schedules sometimes go pfffft. >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >I went to a new customer, today. Local piano teacher. Some warning bells went off >when she not only didn't know how long it had been since it was tuned, but what >brand of grand it was. (She later commented how good her old Lowry had been... >oops) She also wanted me to clean the insides, fearing the dust rabbits on the >soundboard might be interfering with the function of the instrument. >When I got there I recognized her as someone I'd seen in the music building for >years, but never been introduced. We wound up chatting for at least 1/2 hour >about my retirement, college profs, etc. and how/where I'd learned to tune. (like a >recent thread) >The beastie turned out to be a redone Bush & Lane 5' neo-natal which she'd recently >gotten from her Aunt and had been in storage +5 years while Auntie had been in a >nursing home and had no idea how long it had been untuned before that. It was >±100¢ flat. >Cleaned the soundboard, etc. then Cybertuner to the rescue! The tuning was about >3/4 done and going well when she came into the room, holding her arm, asking me to >phone her husband. She had gone out to bring in the mail and had fallen on the ice. >I called him and then took a closer look at her wrist. It was already twice the size of >the other one. I called 911. Husband, first responder and ambulance were all soon >there. Besides the wrist which was mostly likely well broken, her shoulder was either >dislocated or broken. >I've tuned against Muzak, TV, vacuums, etc. but, trust me, you can't tune a piano >with a woman screaming in pain 10 feet away. >45 minutes later, after all had left, I finished the tuning, left the bill on the piano, >locked the door, went home and had a beer... >Conrad Hoffsommer
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