<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="time"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="date"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=blue face=Verdana><span style='font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:blue'>Write her a nice letter.  Apologize politely.  Recommend a few competent tuners.  Forget it.  <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=blue face=Verdana><span style='font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:blue'>J R W<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=blue face=Verdana><span style='font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue'><a href="mailto:jrwhiteltd@msn.com">jrwhiteltd@msn.com</a></span></font><font color=blue><span style='color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue'>(253) 922-2372</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </span></font></div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>piannaman@aol.com<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, <st1:date Year="2006" Day="23" Month="5" ls="trans" w:st="on">May 23, 2006</st1:date> <st1:time Minute="10" Hour="7" w:st="on">7:10 AM</st1:time><br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> pianotech@ptg.org<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> What would you do? Ethical questions.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> Hi All,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>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.  <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>I don't expect a call back from her--ever.  The bridge is burned, whatever trust there was is gone.  <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>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?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'>Thanks in advance for any input<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Dave Stahl<br> <br> <br> Dave Stahl Piano Service<br> 650-224-3560<br> dstahlpiano@sbcglobal.net<br> http://dstahlpiano.net/<br> <br> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>