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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>100 Cents? We see that and more often
here.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Joe Goss BSMusEd MMusEd RPT<BR><A
href="mailto:imatunr@srvinet.com">imatunr@srvinet.com</A><BR><A
href="http://www.mothergoosetools.com">www.mothergoosetools.com</A></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tnrwim@aol.com href="mailto:tnrwim@aol.com">tnrwim@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=paulmulik@yahoo.com
href="mailto:paulmulik@yahoo.com">paulmulik@yahoo.com</A> ; <A
title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, May 10, 2012 1:01
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [pianotech] crazy
customer</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT color=black size=2 face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
<DIV><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Paul</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>You did the right thing by walking away. As Paul said, some customers
think they know it all.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>You can charge whatever you want, but here is what I say to customers
when they call for a tuning. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><SPAN lang=EN>
<DIV><EM>The Piano Technicians Guild has a definition of tuning a piano. Piano
tuning is the aligning of the musical pitch of the carious notes of the piano,
by adjusting the tension of the piano’s strings, in order to achieve a desired
musical effect. Preferences in desired music effects and methods is achieving
those preferences will vary. Piano “tuning” does not involve the functioning
of a pianos’ key mechanism. (The “tune up: of an automobile engine may involve
keeping machinery running smoothly, but piano “tuning” by it’s self does not).
</EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM>Because piano tuning is defined as such, there are two different
fees: A <B><U>basic tuning</B></EM></U><EM> fee of $90, and a <B><U>full
service tuning </B></EM></U><EM>fee of $120. </EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM>If the piano has been tuned on a regular, (at least once a year)
basis, and all the components of the piano are working properly, then all is
needed is a basic tuning. </EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM>But if it's been more than a year, and/or there are some minor
problems, like keys sticking or not playing right, or the piano is far below
pitch, then the piano will need a full service tuning. However, if, in my
opinion, there are problems that are more than what would be consider minor,
you will be notified before proceeding.</EM> </DIV>
<DIV></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV>I don't even talk to them about a pitch raise, because the full
service fee includes a pitch raise and tuning. I just say the piano is
badly out of tune, and it needs a full service fee tuning. When I make
this statement, it's amazing how many people not only volunteer that the piano
needs the full service, but it seems they are almost proud to say it
needs more. Then when I tell them it does need more, they are happy to
pay it. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In your case, however, when the checks is already made out, and the
customer is not willing to pay you extra, walking away is the best
policy.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Wim </DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="CLEAR: both">
<DIV> </DIV></DIV><BR><BR>
<DIV
style="FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">-----Original
Message-----<BR>From: Paul Mulik <paulmulik@yahoo.com><BR>To: pianotech
<pianotech@ptg.org><BR>Sent: Wed, May 9, 2012 6:13 pm<BR>Subject:
[pianotech] crazy customer<BR><BR>
<DIV id=AOLMsgPart_1_32e4e8f5-5c78-4656-9889-ead424360198>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; COLOR: #000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV>I had an unusual experience yesterday. A new customer I'll call
Mrs. A called a few days ago to say she'd just bought a used piano, and we
scheduled a tuning. I told her, as I tell everyone, that my usual rate
is $88, but if the piano is badly out of tune it will cost at least 50%
more. (That's not the unusual part - I'll get to that in a bit).</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>So I get to her residence, which turns out to be a motel room, but that's
not so unusual here in Joplin (you'll remember we had a very bad tornado last
year, and many thousands of people, including my family, lost their
houses). She introduced herself and her husband, and both seemed to be
nice folks. I sat down at the piano, a Hobart M. Cable console, and
played a few arpeggios, and it was instantly obviously that the piano had not
been tuned in decades. Before I even opened the lid, I told them the
cost would be double my usual rate, possibly even more.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Here's where it gets interesting. Mr. A says, "No, I already wrote
out the check for $88. I'm not paying any more than that." I tried to
explain that the piano hadn't been tuned in a very long time, and that it
would need at least two pitch raises before I could tune it.<BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Then he said, "You already tuned this piano this year." I said no,
I had never been to their home before, and I had never once tuned this piano
at any time. Then he said "We found your business card in the
bench." Sure enough, he produced one of my old business cards. At
this point I remembered that I had gone to look at this piano 3 or 4 years ago
when it first came up for sale, but I did not tune it at that time, I just
evaluated it for the seller (Mrs. B) and suggested a selling price. (Mrs. B
insisted it was worth thousands more than the price I suggested -- but I
digress.) Apparently she finally lowered her asking price, and when the
As bought it, Mrs. B lied to him and told him that I'd just tuned the piano.
<BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Then Mr. A said, "It can't be out of tune. We haven't even played it
yet." I tried to explain that playing is not what makes pianos go out of
tune, and that a piano which never gets played will go out of tune, but I
couldn't convince him. At this, he again said, "Your business card was in the
bench the whole time," as if somehow that entitled him to free service or
something. I tried one last time to tell him what it would cost to have
it tuned, then he said "But it's been sitting right there ever since we bought
it." This nonsense went on for another minute or two, and it was obvious
he wasn't listening to a word I said, so I said goodbye and went on my
way. What a nut.<BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Paul Mulik</DIV>
<DIV>Joplin, MO<BR></DIV></DIV></DIV><!-- end of AOLMsgPart_1_32e4e8f5-5c78-4656-9889-ead424360198 --></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>