<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"><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=purple><div class=WordSection1>A pianist broke the string and they don’t want to pay you to replace it, tweak the tuning on the new string???  These are the kinds of customers I try and get rid of.  Insist that they pay you for your time, all of it.  If they want to trade in the piano or give it back that’s between them and the dealer, don’t get involved with that aspect.  You cannot guarantee tunings under the best of circumstances.  Where there is an uncontrolled environment, as this seems to be, even less so.  Don’t let them take advantage of you and don’t be afraid to lose a customer.  They aren’t worth having if they insist that you work for free anyway.   Give them the one finger salute, I say.  Well, in a polite way, of course.  <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><div>David Love<o:p></o:p>www.davidlovepianos.com<o:p></o:p></div><o:p> </o:p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Marshall Gisondi Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2012 9:18 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: [pianotech] the church who thinks they can get by without paying<o:p></o:p></div></div><o:p> </o:p><div>Hi Patrick, The string broke quite a wile ago while the pianist was playing. They wanted it replaced recently due to the fact they want to get rid of it in order to go all electronic which is beyond me. I'm told by Masin & Hamlin that these pianos are not known for problems. My wife called another customer to schedule a repeat tuning who happens to attend and work at this church. She said that the piano sounded fine on Wednesday while she was at the church. I'm inclined to think as the person at Mason & Hamlin does, that the music director is trying to get rid of the p iano and trying to find a way to find fault with the it so that the dealer will buy it back. Now I have to write a letter to her, the business administrator and the pastor in order to recover my payment. They didn't intend to pay the bill because the letter and my invoice mail were mailed on the 14th. I tuned it on the 12th. I thought about ut visiting the church tomorrow morning, but my wife heas up the childrens work at our church, so I cannot do that. I know I did a good tuning on that piano based on what the customer said plus what Mason & Hamlin relayed to me. I wonder if I should go back and detune it. lol :-) and show them what an out of tune piano really sounds like.  Marshall 215-510-9400<o:p></o:p></div></div></body></html>