<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4134.600" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT color=#000080>Alan,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000080>We had a similar situation arise some years = back when we rebuilt a Model L for a large hotel. The hotel manager insisted that = we use genuine Steinway action parts even though we told him they would = actually be Renner parts and that they would be far less costly if we ordered = directly from Renner. In fact, he insisted that we bring the packing slips and = the boxes the parts came in to show to him when the piano was delivered. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000080>When the parts arrived from Steinway they = were still in the original Renner boxes with Steinway labels pasted over them. The = Renner labels were not completely covered, though. We didn't have to say a word....</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000080>Del</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=mathstar@salemnet.com = href="mailto:mathstar@salemnet.com">Alan R. Barnard</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> July 20, 2002 10:34 = PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Humorous dilemna = ...</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT size=2> <P>This is a real dilemma and kinda funny. What would you advise. = Remember: The customer is always right ...</P></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Customer has a 1910 Steinway "O" = (very nice, he and the piano). He is conservatory trained and fussy so ... when I = pointed out to him on my first visit that he was missing a bi-chord wound string = and it was throwing off the hammer and damper, etc, so it needed to be = replaced, he asked where I would get the string.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I told him that I order direct from = Mapes, etc., etc. He said "No thank you, I really insist on a genuine Steinway string".</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I said "okay," jumped through = Steinway's hoops ("Just tell us what you want in an email and we'll invoice you.") and = ordered a "genuine" Steinway string.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Of course it came from Mapes--shipped = to me but invoiced to Steinway who had charged me about 3 times the direct Mapes = price.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dilemma: Do I share the joke with him = and just charge him what Steinway charged me, plus the shipping, or do I keep = my mouth shut, throw a markup on the string, and REALLY stick it to him for one = pretty little copper-clad wire?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan Barnard</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial = size=2>Missouri</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>