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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I agree. If I miss an appointment - it does happen about
once per year (I take notes in shop and don't get it onto the schedule on my
computer) for me - or if I have to reschedule because of a conflict that
develops, I bend over backwards to accommodate their schedule, rather than
discount my services. It may mean a drive across town for one tuning, but I
figure it was my fault.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>And yes, it sounds like she did not get proper information
regarding the tuning schedule for a new piano. I tell people with new pianos
that most will need 2 to 4 tunings the first year - every piano is different -
some may even need more. This also sounds like it could be a climate situation
also - the owner needs to be educated on the effects on climate changes and
remedies.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV> I'm a little confused. You missed the first
appointment, the one that was "on the house", right? Now she wants
another tuning 2 months later. Why would she be upset about that?
That already happened, and it's in the past. The thing she's upset about
is that it's out of tune so soon, and it's going to cost her more money
now. I'm guessing that she wasn't made aware from the beginning about
the possibility of needing a follow-up tuning sometime in the next 6 months or
so. I'd just chalk it up as a learning experience. I don't think
you were wrong to quote your full price, assuming you did your best job the
last time you tuned it. If she had called a week later, I might have
stopped by to see what was the matter. I don't think you have to "eat"
the cost of a tuning, or even offer to do it for less. Sometimes doing
that makes the customer even more disrespectful, because it indicates y! ou
may have some regret about charging "full pop". They may think you feel
guilty about your prices. Just let it go.</DIV>
<DIV> JMHO.</DIV>
<DIV> Paul McCloud</DIV>
<DIV> San Diego</DIV>
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size=2>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>
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<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></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>