<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>My first thought is that if an individual is going to lie about their purported membership in the Guild, be it the PTG or some other organization, then they probably are doing shabby work as well. The local techs can be especially vigilant about this and let any of the other person's customers/victims be aware when it occurs so that THEY might pursue some legal remedy. That approach, which I have seen myself and know to be effective, will at least slow this person down. Maybe even, hopefully, run them out of town or out of "business". </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>IMHO</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Robin Blankenship</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=piannaman@aol.com href="mailto:piannaman@aol.com">piannaman@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, November 04, 2006 9:35 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: faux RPT?</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>Tom, </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>While not exactly the same situation, I've come across pianos tuned by "members of the Technician's Guild," who I later found out weren't members of the PTG or any other guild.  It was even written on their business cards.  I was a bit po'd about it, but the general consensus was to let it go.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Pretending to be an RPT is a whole different matter.  Removing him or her from the PTG would be an appropriate punishment, IMHO.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Damage to a reputation from blatant lying about one's qualifications could be significant.  Negative word of mouth travels far.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you were a customer, would you want a known liar working on your piano?  In our business, trust is a big deal.  Most customers don't know or can't tell if you've done the work you've billed them for.  They have to take your word for it that it's been done.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I wouldn't want someone who's capable of making false claims working on anything I own that's of value.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Regards,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl<BR><BR>Dave Stahl Piano Service<BR>650-224-3560<BR>dstahlpiano@sbcglobal.net<BR>http://dstahlpiano.net/<BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: john@formsmapiano.com<BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org<BR>Sent: Sat, 4 Nov 2006 6:01 AM<BR>Subject: Re: faux RPT?<BR><BR> <STYLE>.AOLPlainTextBody { FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff } .AOLPlainTextBody PRE { FONT-SIZE: 9pt } .AOLInlineAttachment { MARGIN: 10px } .AOLAttachmentHeader { BORDER-RIGHT: #7da8d4 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #7da8d4 1px solid; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; FONT: 11px arial; BORDER-LEFT: #7da8d4 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #7da8d4 1px solid } .AOLAttachmentHeader .Title { PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BACKGROUND: #b5ddfa; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; FONT: 11px arial; PADDING-TOP: 3px } .AOLAttachmentHeader .FieldLabel { PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 9px; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; FONT: 11px arial; COLOR: #000000; PADDING-TOP: 1px } .AOLAttachmentHeader .FieldValue { BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; FONT: 11px arial; COLOR: #000000 } .AOLAttachmentHeader A { COLOR: #2864b4; TEXT-DECORATION: none } .AOLImage A { COLOR: #2864b4; TEXT-DECORATION: none } .AOLAttachmentHeader A:hover { COLOR: #2864b4; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } .AOLImage A:hover { COLOR: #2864b4; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } BODY { BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: "Verdana"; BACKGROUND-COLOR: white } P { PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } IMG.managedImg { WIDTH: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px } IMG.placeholder { BORDER-RIGHT: #dadad6 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #dadad6 1px solid; BACKGROUND: #f4f4f4 no-repeat center center; BORDER-LEFT: #dadad6 1px solid; WIDTH: 275px; BORDER-BOTTOM: #dadad6 1px solid; HEIGHT: 206px } </STYLE> <DIV class=AOLPlainTextBody id=AOLMsgPart_0_f5186991-50b1-44c0-8a49-b151c0133f52>Gosh, I would hope so Tom. If he were in my chapter, I'd want to give him the boot immediately if that were true. That kind of stuff doesn't get a second chance, in my opinion. Now, if someone misunderstood him to say he was "almost an RPT" or "working towards RPT," that would be different. But if it were proved, I say bring out the gallows!!! <BR> <BR>Now, there are probably ways set up in the bylaws to deal with this very situation. I haven't read that section in a while, but it would probably be in there. <BR> <BR>JF <BR> <BR>Tom Sivak wrote: <BR>> List <BR>> > Would the PTG take any action if it were found that an Associate > Member was telling prospective clients that he was an RPT? > > Other than kicking him out of the PTG, which would have little impact > on his professional life, seems like there wouldn't be much they could > do. > > Just curious... <BR>> <BR>> Tom Sivak <BR>> Chicago <BR></DIV> <DIV class=AOLPromoFooter> <HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px"> <A href="http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/1615326657x4311227241x4298082137/aol?redir=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eaol%2Ecom%2Fnewaol" target=_blank><B>Check out the new AOL</B></A>. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more.<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>