<HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-885= 9-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2722" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER= -LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none" bgColor=#ffffff> <P>Mike, </P> <P>I rarely if ever do call backs.  When I'm at that piano du= ring the service call, I can assess what problems it has and explain wh= at can be accomplished in the particular service call. I don't nee= d to come back to the piano to figure that out.  The $ per ho= ur I'm charging drops considerably if I drive back to the customer.&nbs= p; Are you going to tell me that most of the time in your callback expe= rience the customer had a legitimate complaint?  My policy is= :  "I do the best I can in the given situation."  On occasion= , a customer will call someone else.  So what?  I know I= did the best I could and that's all they get.  How about that con= cert tuning you did last night and why should we have to tune it again = for tonight's concert?  Isn't that a call back?   <= /P> <P>I haven't read Kent's article but look forward to it if I ever = get the Journal...;-[    <BR><BR>David I.</P> <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5p= x; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message<BR>From: "Mike Kurta" <MKURTA@ADELPHIA.NET><BR>To: Pia= notech <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Received: 9/10/2005 8:13:26 AM<BR>Subject= : President's Message<BR><BR> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Dear K= ent:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    In reference to you= r article in the latest PTG Journal, I have to take issue with your com= ments and please allow me to suggest a better system.</FONT><= /DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    1.  When a cus= tomer complains, one should listen with a sympathetic ea= r, not an  argumentative, defensive one.  A "dreade= d callback" is in reality  information that requires serious atten= tion, not excuses or blaming.  Like doctors who listen to pat= ients who know their own body, we need to listen to customer's concerns= about their piano.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    2.  The first = step should be an <U>immediate</U> return to the job in question. = A client expects the tuning to be right and has paid you for that expe= ctation,  but how complaints are handled are the real mark of a pr= ofessional.  A suggestion of "guaranteed tuning" might be better r= eplaced by a desire to achieve customer satisfaction promptly.  &n= bsp; </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    3.  The d= esire that clients use  one technician for all their instrume= nts is a valid one but can only be achieved by techs performance and tr= ust <U>earned</U>, not automatically expected after the first meeting.&= nbsp;  If one expects to serve this client with "pianos all o= ver the building,"  it would make sense to try to please rather th= an pre-judge.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    To assume the tunin= g was fine (which it probably was) and that the fault lies with th= e piano or  the person complaining, might be premat= ure.   To devote the conversation to boasting about ones= reputation and methods is a turnoff and counterproductive.  Allow= the customer to find this out by your performance over time. &nbs= p;He/she perceives a problem</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size== 2>and our job is to respond in a kindly,helpful way putting other thing= s aside until it is resolved.  This would be my "better system."</= FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Mike Kurta &nb= sp;     </FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>