<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:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:ns0="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>Could be too that the part was originally mislabeled?  The person was having a bad day?  The person was new?  Take pictures of parts.  Don’t get in a hurry.  Don’t unnecessarily burn bridges.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>I want to believe that vendors desire to conduct good business and so I practice offering constructive feedback.  Don’t be wishy-washy when asking for a refund or return.  If the part or item is wrong, it is wrong.  When ordering, make it a practice to take the persons name, date, and time of order and any other details and fax or email a PO especially if you have a not so favorable history with the company.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>Dean May is right; it is good practice to use a credit card, contact your credit card company; they are an advocate for you.  The Better Business Bureau may be an option too.  As I get older, I triple check my orders.  Reputable vendors will correct errors and provide an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) and bear the cost of shipping.  If a vendor chooses to shaft you they will just as easily shaft the customer without regard.  Often constructive complaining will get the problem fixed, you will be happier, and you likely will save others the same grief.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>As a contrast, I recently had a piano manufacturer ship me the wrong replacement pedals for a grand piano. In this case, we had a verbal order - Piano Make, Model, and Serial Number were given.  The person taking the order made assumptions and did not provide me with the appropriate choices to avert the errant order.  On follow-up, I tactfully contacted accounts receivable department, not the person I dealt with first and explained that I had lost one billable hour attempting to install the wrong pedals their lost time and blah, blah, blah and that we were now far beyond the cost for the pedals and my customer was extremely upset with me and I may risk my reputation due to this error.  The manufacturer shipped me the replacement pedals for free and I was almost able to recoup my lost income.  This company now has my favor.  This was a win-win situation for us.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>Some years ago, after many frustrating phone calls over a warranty fee, I told the argumentative snotty nose punk slacker parts manager <u>from the same company as cited above</u>; by not making this warranty fee (the difference of $15.00) right you risk loosing my favor and future recommendations to my clients for piano purchases. Since that time about five years now, they have indeed lost a lot of business from me. The snotty nose punk slacker parts manager is no longer with the company.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black'>Kindest Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black'>Garret <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoPlainText><ns0:PostalCode></ns0:PostalCode><o:p></o:p></p> <div class=MsoPlainText align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Willem Blees<br> <b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:16 PM<br> <b>To:</b> Pianotech@ptg.org<br> <b>Subject:</b> who pays?</span><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>I ordered a part for an upright piano from a well known major manufacturer. When I ordered it, I included the model and serial number. But the manufacturer sent the wrong part, and the right part is no longer in production. I am able to send the part back, and get credit for it, but I will not get reimbursed for the shipping costs. Since I live in Hawaii, that came to over $40. <br> <br> Who should pay the shipping cost? The manufacturer, for sending the wrong part?  (like that's going to happen)  Do I have to eat it?  (it wasn't my fault the manufacturer sent me the wrong part).  Or the customer? (It wasn't her fault, either). <o:p></o:p></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal>Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT<br> Piano Tuner/Technician<br> Honolulu, HI<br> 808-349-2943<br> www.bleespiano.com<br> Author of <br> The Business of Piano Tuning<br> available from Potter Press<br> www.pianotuning.com<o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div id=u8CABA812BB86A6C-E78-307> <div style='margin-top:7.5pt'> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </span></div> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:7.5pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The Famous, the Infamous, the Lame - in your browser. <a href="http://toolbar.aol.com/tmz/download.html?NCID=aolcmp00050000000014" target="_blank" title="http://toolbar.aol.com/tmz/download.html?NCID=aolcmp00050000000014">Get the TMZ Toolbar Now</a>!</span> <o:p></o:p></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>