<HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none"><BR>Hey Dave,<BR><BR>#1:   The dealer needs to be informing customers at the time of the sale, of the real world service needs on a new piano.  Written information kit such as Yamaha's.  YOU need to make sure they do that AND you need to be giving this information to the customer again at the that first service.   New strings, acclimating to the house, yada, yada...you are re-inforcing the dealers info or at least giving it to them for the first time.<BR>#2:  You didn't bring the piano down to A440 did you?   At + 10 cents you leave it where it is and it will come down on its own...make as little change in tension as possible.   Below pitch, you bring it up with all the disclaimers about instability...yada...<BR>#3:  You missed the first free tuning appt...it happens...<BR><BR>David Ilvedson, RPT<BR>Pacifica, California<BR><BR><BR><BR> <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message<BR>From: piannaman@aol.com<BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org<BR>Received: 5/23/2006 7:09:43 AM<BR>Subject: What would you do? Ethical questions.<BR><BR> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana'"> <DIV> <DIV align=left> Hi All,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Yesterday I got a call from a lady whose piano I tuned 2 months ago.  That appointment was the store-paid-for tuning on a nice new small upright piano.  Prior to that appointment, I'd misplaced her on my schedule and was a no-show...embarassing, something I never do, and we all hate it when it happens to us.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>She said that the piano was already out of tune after two months--not surprising given the recent weather changes and the fact that it's a new piano that was 10c # at the first appointment.  We set up an appointment, then she asked if this was paid for by the dealer.  I said no, tunings are not a warranty problem, pianos go out of tune, yada, yada, yada.  She asked how much.  I quoted her my normal price.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>She didn't exactly blow, but she was not a happy camper.  I explained to her that I am an independent tech, and that I couldn't be responsible for factors beyond my control, such as the newness of the piano and the change of weather (from cold and wet to warm and dry).  In the end she said, "I'll find someone else!"  End of conversation.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I thought about it, and tried to see it from her perspective.  I called her back and offered her a discounted rate--trying to placate her and smooth things over.  NO go.  She still intended to call someone else.  End of conversation.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So I'm tuning along on the morning's piano when the fact that I'd missed our first appointment slapped me in the face.  While not responsible for the aforementioned factors, I WAS responsible for wasting a couple of hours of her day on a prior occasion.    I called back and left her a message to the effect that I would be happy to come and make up the time that I'd cost her that day.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I don't expect a call back from her--ever.  The bridge is burned, whatever trust there was is gone.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What would you have done when faced with a phone call like the first one?  Stuck to your guns for the full price, offered a discount, or come back for free?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>IN the end, I'm somewhere between feeling better because I did everything I could to remedy things, and feeling like I caved in a big way.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks in advance for any input</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl<BR><BR><BR>Dave Stahl Piano Service<BR>650-224-3560<BR>dstahlpiano@sbcglobal.net<BR>http://dstahlpiano.net/<BR><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>