<HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY> That is exactly correct.  I am working= hard at truthfully telling customers my "disclaimer" before= I touch a tuning pin.   I use the word= "disclaimer".   They can relate to it.  = Things can happen during a pitch raise that are out of my= control.  Strings can break, the tuning will be= rough...this isn't fine tuning.  I will do the best I= can but be prepared to re-tune at anytime between now and 6= months.   I typically will call them in 6= months.   NO one has a problem with this.  = They know they've let the tuning go for too long and are= prepared to pay for what is needed to bring it= around.   No one has, but if they seem skeptical, I= explain it again and then walk if I'm un-comfortable with the= situation.   I also think the written material is a= great idea I have yet to use... David I. However you decide to handle a pitch raise, what= James Grebe said I think is good. Make it specifically (rather= than casually) known up-front what the customer should expect as= far as what is required from you to get the piano in tune (as he= says, "another tuning in 2 weeks and then 3 months"). -= John <BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger>As a new= piano tuner, I am learning a lot as I go and tune= different<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?pa= ram Arial><?x-tad-bigger>piano’s and typically I am tuning the= older piano’s and some= new/better<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?p= aram Arial><?x-tad-bigger>ones.  This past Sat. I tuned a= piano for a home that had a= console<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?para= m Arial><?x-tad-bigger>that had never been tuned ‘in a long= time’. I warned them that I= might<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>break strings and that it will go out of= tune quickly because of the= condition<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?pa= ram Arial><?x-tad-bigger>of the strings and the piano itself.= Well I was called back= by<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>the customer saying ‘the piano is still out= of tune and you must= not<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>have checked it before you left’. = Before I left I told him, ‘your= piano<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>is most likely going to go flat somewhat= because it has not been= tuned<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>at all in such a long time (20+ yrs) and= that it should tuned every 6 months.= The<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>piano was old and recently had some action= work, but the strings= looked<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>old and dirty.  I was careful not to= break any strings and when I left it= sounded<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?para= m Arial><?x-tad-bigger>good and the funny thing was the customer= said it sounded good after I= finished.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?pa= ram Arial><?x-tad-bigger>It was not that out of tune, A440= sounded like it was between g-sharp and a,= but<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>not an entire half/step= off.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger> <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <BR= ><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger>So, what do I do now?= Has anyone been in my shoes before? Go back= and<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>do a ‘free’ fix it up tuning, or tell him,= he has to pay for a= 2<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-smaller>nd<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQU= OTE> <BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger>tuning. Is= this<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>going to risk my reputation? He had the= action done by another local PTG= member<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>and I am afraid that if I don’t go back and= ‘fix’ this, I am going to get= that<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>reputation and the other PTG member might= tell others about the ‘part time’= tooner,<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?para= m Arial><?x-tad-bigger>which I do not want to be and this is why= I joined the PTG, to get better.= Any<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>thoughts on this would be greatly= appreciated.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><= ?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger> <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <BR= ><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger>I thought the tuning= was good, inspite of the condition of the piano and the= strings.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?par= am Arial><?x-tad-bigger>It sounded alot better, but I knew it was= going to need another tuning= soon.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger> <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <BR= ><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger>Any advice,= thoughts?<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?pa= ram= Arial><?x-tad-bigger> <?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <BR= ><?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>Thanks.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <B= R><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-bigger>Doug= Renz<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> <?fontfamily><?param= Arial><?x-tad-bigger>Associate PTG member, Rochester,= NY<?/x-tad-bigger><?/fontfamily> </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>