<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Norma, I understand. It's so hard to make sweeping assumptions and judgements given the custom nature of each of our businesses, and email is a cold, rather context-less medium. All the same, I have seen, and see today, so many good men and women pianotechs that have undervalued their skill set, and have suffered in one way or another for it. I just want to help people out of that particular box canyon. <DIV>David A.<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV> <BR><DIV><DIV>On Feb 12, 2007, at 10:24 PM, Norma Neufeld wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">David, I think you may have misunderstood some of my post. I do </SPAN><EM style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; ">not</SPAN></EM><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; "> give away my expertise or de-value my services in any way. Quite the contrary actually. The 'free' things I do for some clients are things they may not even know about like taking up lost motion on an upright for example, it's quick and easy and makes a big difference. I explain it needs regulating etc, etc..they may go for it, or not. All they know is that the piano sounds and feels much better and I'm happy knowing that they will get more enjoyment from their instrument from a few extra minutes of my time. </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">A few years ago, I did a lot of cheap work for the University as part of my training. Because of that, I now look after all the uprights in the department</SPAN><EM style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; "> for my regular fee</SPAN></EM><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">. No discount. That a good steady income that I can count on.</SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>