<!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 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #000000; = FONT-FAMILY: Verdana" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>Dave - </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>I have actually found the PTG's = website to be EXTREMELY useful in circumstances like these. Printing off a copy of = the PTG explanation of a Pitch Raise (along with the faq of "why does = my piano go out of tune" yadda yadda), not only gives the customer concise = information on piano care and behaviour, but also gives them a legitimate reference = point outside of the word of one new tuner. They obviously don't know = that your work and intentions are honest, so for all they know, you could just not = be a very good tuner, and/or you could be trying to take them for a ride, = billing them for a bunch of bogus work. To their credit, they're right to be = skeptical - there ARE unfortunately a lot of tooners (and other service people) = who make their livings off of dishonest upsales/scams. *WE* know you're not = one of those, but your new and uneducated customer doesn't. Think = about it - it's kind of like when you go in for a simple oil change and JoeBob at = the quicklube tells you that you need about $200 worth of = additional work done on your car (even if it's a tuneup, transmission flush, new air = filter...). But last time, you had your oil changed by Tommy up the street, and he = didn't mention any of that. Tommy's been changing your oil for years and has = never had to do anything more to it - tuneup? What's that? </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>If I hand my customer a printout = from the PTG website, it not only credits the PTG for all of the information given, it also gives the url for the PTG's website - aha! = Another valuable resource for piano owners who just don't know any better. It = also earns me brownie points for going out of my way to show that *I* care about = their piano, and that I want to bother explaining these things to them. = Lastly, it leaves them with written information in a clear format (not handwritten. And do you really want to take the time to = write the whole pitch raise and false beats shpiel out?) - 90 percent of what = you verbally tell a customer goes in one ear, gets jumbled up and confused, = and leaks out the other ear. Not because customers are stupid, but because = most people simply don't have the time or attention span - they have kids, = which means they have scouts, soccer practices, piano lessons, sunday school, = pta meetings, karate, ballet, etc. That simple piece of paper is something = they can refer to. Maybe they'll read it and respond positively, maybe not. But = you're at least covering your butt, doing all you can do, and giving a chance for = it. </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>WHEW that was long-winded! = </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>ps - congrats on your nuptials - = it's my turn this fall! *gulp*!</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>-ilex</SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Piannaman@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, April 02, 2005 1:36 AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> The day's frustration<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT id=role_document = face=Verdana size=3> <DIV>List,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It's been a slow week for phone calls.  Getting people to = make appointments around tax time is like extracting wisdom teeth.  = April has traditionally been my slowest month, but I've kind of gotten used to = it.  What's aggravating is when a customer calls to say that the piano I = tuned a couple of weeks ago doesn't sound "clear" according to her daughter = and the piano teacher(who came the day after I tuned it).  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The piano is a Kohler and Campbell console, circa 60s-70s, with = false strings throughout the treble.  It had been tuned regularly, up = to a year ago by a tuner who she thought did a great job, but whose card she "lost."  I suspect other things transpired.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The piano is right next to a door, and the weather has undergone = big changes in the last couple of weeks.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When I tuned it it was 20-50cents flat.  Hmm, great = tuner...tuned a year ago...next to a door...I should have begun the education process here.  Instead I put my nose to the grindstone, did a pitch = raise--which she somehow managed to talk me out of charging for (my first = mistake!)--and as good a tuning as I could get into the piano given the time and = instrument constraints. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I agreed to go back and see if I can make the piano "sound = better."  I don't mind doing this ONCE if I can educate a customer in the = process.  Don't know if that will happen, because it seems that some people = choose to remain ignorant.  I hope this was the cork on a frustrating = week...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks for being my wailing wall,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>