<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 9/14/2006 1:55:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>Your problem was that you tried to tune it, knowing the pins were loose. </FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>Word of mouth is the best advertising, but it is a two edged sword, it can work against you as well. Bad publicity can hurt you.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>I would suggest that you either give him his money back, and chalk it up to experience, or agree to tune it again, but only after you treat the pinblock with C/A. You can charge enough for the C/A application, to partially pay for the additional tuning.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>Next time, if you think the tuning is bad, don't charge.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV>John M. Ross<BR></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV>No good deed goes unpunished. I would NEVER give him even a penny back.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You should have asked questions in advance of going out.  Like:  how long since last tuning, are all parts working: ask him to play you a few dozen notes OVER THE PHONE so you can hear the results of loose tuning pins.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Then make one of two decisions: ask him to find someone else because this piano doesn't sound tunable/workable. OR : tell him in advance that this is a non-guaranteed tuning because of the condition of the piano you can clearly hear over the phone.  If he still wants you to travel 25 miles, it is a tuning WITHOUT WARRANTY.  And then put that in writing on the invoice having him sign it.  Be sure to get mileage/distance charge clear to him IN ADVANCE.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'll bet he has already thrown out all the TV sets he owned over 25 years ago.  But pianos are supposed to last forever.  Good for you to try to educate him.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I personally would have never gone out on that call.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sincerely,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Bob Bergantino, Willoughby Hills, Ohio</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>