<HTML>List, I tend to whine alot about doing work for dealers: &nbsp;their lack = of desire to do anything but toon the piano and get it out there, the low pa= y for store work, etc., etc. &nbsp; The bottom line is, though, that I am truly grateful for the work they g= ave me at a very difficult time, and that they are still giving me at a time= when many techs in the area are complaining of slow business because of Sil= icon Valley's economic situation. &nbsp; Many of the pianos I service in homes for warranty tunings have never be= en touched , i.e. not even having the packing blocks removed from front and = bottom panels. &nbsp;&nbsp;Certainly, it would be ideal to have prop= erly prepped pianos to work on from the get-go, but this is an opportunity t= o know the ins and outs of each new piano from the time it is delivered for = as long as the customer continues to use me. &nbsp; On my third and fourth go-round on many of these instruments, it is quit= e rewarding to see the settling process they go through, as well as the seas= onal changes they endure. &nbsp;A little extra on each service call--a s= mall amount of voicing, regulating, lubricating, or key easing--and I have a= devoted customer, and they have a "well-oiled machine." &nbsp; Feeling good on a sunny day in CA, Dave Stahl </HTML>