<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="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> In some instances, “fault” unfortunately can’t be an issue if you want to keep a job- especially if your market is tight and there are other people who would step in.  I simply don’t do bureaucracies well, and after ten years I simply quit the school district job.  But in those years I made many calls for which I didn’t charge, because I valued the job, the teachers who sometimes truly were interested in their students, and being known as a technician as one of integrity. When the changes in rules and bureaucracy grew complicated enough to make life constantly an unpleasant stress I quit.  In this district I had pianos (virtually all Yamahas) which were so stable semester after semester, tune-ups were merely touch ups, and others where climate was a serious issue that the pianos wouldn’t hold for half a semester.  So, it strikes me if you wish much to keep your paycheck, there will be times when you have to do work for which you won’t get directly paid.  That’s just me in a very competitive market.    However, having tuned on a handshake for 10 years, when I quit, they sent to all local techs, including me a 23 page document for the “new guy” to complete before an interview was granted.  The whole picture has changed, and the quality of tuning and care as well.<o:p></o:p> Les bartlett<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Marshall Gisondi Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 3:38 PM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">pianotech@ptg.org</st1:PersonName> Subject: [pianotech] tuning stability or the piano<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Hi everyone, I tune pianos for two school districts, and the one is a new one I acquired this past fall.  I tuned a Henry F Miller grand an oldie for their middle school back in December.  I received a call that the piano sounded out of tune or the tuning was off. The secretary of course couldn't go into detail because this information was second hand.  I didn't speak with the music teacher directly who brought this to her attention.    So here's my dilema.  I can go back and check it out and retune it if in fact it needs it, but the secretary informed me that they wouldn't pay for an additional tuning.  So I either have to save my reputation and do it for nothing if in fact it needs a tuning, or tell them no I won't tune it for free. So has this hapened to anyone, a piano's tuning drifting in such a short time?  Is it me or this old piano?  How does one truly know who's at fault, and how do you convince a school that it's the piano and not me. I told the secretary that this is something unusual, and that I typically get compliments on how long my tunings stay.  I have this overwhelming need to save my hide/reputation, and I feel worried that my career is being hurt.  How do you guys handle this flood of emotional uncertainity when y our skills are being challenged?  I know I was trained well.  I know I pour a lot into every piano I tune.  How can I be assured that it's the piano in this case?  Thanks <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City> Marshall Gisondi Piano Technician <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City>'s Piano Service pianotune05@hotmail.com 215-510-9400 <a href="http://www.phillytuner.com/" target="_blank">www.phillytuner.com</a> Graduate of The <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Piano Technology</st1:PlaceName> for the Blind <a href="http://www.pianotuningschool.org/" target="_blank">www.pianotuningschool.org</a> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">WA</st1:State></st1:place> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=1 width="100%" noshade color=gray align=center> </div> No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - <a href="http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</a> Version: 2012.0.1901 / Virus Database: 2109/4734 - Release Date: 01/10/12<o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>