<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=windows-1250"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2627" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Had to happen = sooner or later. Visit people who don't play much, tune annual. He's nice. She was = okay in past. She not home. Sit at piano. 20+ cents flat after period of high = humidity around here. Tell him it needs pitch correction. Work on piano for 2 1/2 = hours. She's now home, comes in as I'm trying to take a little Story & = Clarke wine out of the unisons. Scowl. "We have places to go today! How much longer = is this going to take?" Oh, says I, I'm just finishing up. "How much."  = Well it needed pitch correction, you see, blah blah blah, so it's $140 today. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>[Insert sound = of Banshee With Bellyache here]</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"Why, we = haven't even moved that piano." (Me: chuff, hrgmff, choke ...)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> {Caution Serious Rant Zone Ahead} </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>WHAT THE HELL = IS IT WITH THIS 'MOVING THE PIANO CRAP'? EVERYONE KNOWS(!) THATS WHAT MAKES = PIANOS NEED TUNING (puff puff pant) DID THE GOVERNMENT USED TO PRINT THAT FACTOID(???!!!) ON CEREAL BOXES OR WHAT? SEEMS MOST FOLKS DON'T = KNOW A $#*%&* THING ELSE ABOUT THEIR PIANO BUT IF YOU ROLL IT 3 INCHES, = THAT'S WHEN YOU GOTTA CALL THE TUNER (OR IF A KEY IS 'STICKING.') OTHER THAN THAT, = IT CAN EASILY GO ANOTHER 15 YEARS AND SOUNDS JUST BLOODY GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"Last time you = were here you only charged me $50." No, Ma'am. It was $65 a couple of years ago. = Now it's $80 plus you needed the pitch raise. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tried to = explain. She wrote a check. I said, just pay me what you think it's worth. She paid the = full amount.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>She won't be = using me next time. That's okay. She will undoubtedly tell everyone in her = church--and it's a small community here--and anyone else who'll listen that I am a = rotten crook and I charge $140 to tune a piano--that hasn't even been moved! = That's not okay. Damn.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I never raised = my voice.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've  included  the letter I've = prepared to send her , below. Before I = seal it and send it, if any of you kind folks want to look it over and tell me = I'm right on, crazy, or both, I'd appreciate it. All comments welcome. Maybe some = ideas for people with similar customer relations disasters are here, too ...</DIV> <DIV>  </DIV> <DIV align=left>Alan R. = Barnard</DIV> <DIV align=left>Trying to Thicken My Skin Without Thickening = My Skull in Salem, MO</DIV> <DIV align=left>(Man, that's just plain thick! Thorry.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> Dear = Friends:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I am very upset about = our discussion today. These are my thoughts and feelings = …<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> First and foremost: If = I have offended you in any way, whatsoever, I do truly apologize and ask your forgiveness. Friendship and integrity mean everything in the world to me = and business …. is only business.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Jeanne, you seemed = upset with me from the moment I said hello and certainly before the fee was discussed. = I didn’t understand that.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I’ve attached a copy = of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:PersonName>info</st1:PersonName>rmation about tuning, = humidity, pitch raises, etc., in the interest of understanding. Your piano was 21 = percent flat today, which I pointed out to Ron. He heard how much I was raising = each string just to get it near pitch. Anything more than about 6 or 7 = percent flat (or sharp, and less than 5 is better) is simply not tunable for good, = lasting results. If anything, with the high humidity of recent days, I expected = to find your piano a little sharp, or maybe a little flat (it has been a whole = year) but it was way = off.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Perhaps I should have = clarified fees with Ron before starting, but you had always handled our business = in the past and you are the player. So I just plunged in, doing what the piano needed.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Most people tune every = 6 months in our climate, but usually a year doesn’t throw a piano so = much—although it will not sound very good. But some pianos are just more reactive to = humidity swings than others. No one could have <st1:PersonName>don</st1:PersonName>e a straight tuning, = today; the pitch correction was absolutely essential. I wish you’d been home when = I arrived; maybe we’d have saved some grief. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> You were right in = remembering that I charged less on previous occasions. My records show $65 tuning = payments on <st1:date Month="9" Day="11" Year="2002">9/11/02</st1:date> and <st1:date = Month="4" Day="27" Year="2004">4/27/04</st1:date>. Both were for = straight, near-pitch tunings, even though I had already raised my rates by April = of last year, I charged you the old amount—<st1:PersonName>don</st1:PersonName>’t remember why. My = standard tuning rate is now $80 but if gas prices remain so high, I will be = raising it a little or start charging for mileage and time on the = road.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> That’s the way = Bottorf Appliance charges: $40 per hour (including driving time to and from) and $100 a mile.  = I know because I routinely survey other professional services to make sure = that my fees are in line and fair. At their rate, a visit equivalent to mine, = today, would have run about the same as what I charged. Equivalent time on auto = repairs at Al West would have cost nearly $200 just for the labor (and they = won’t come to your house).<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p>As I said, I’m not = the cheapest tuner in our area. In fact, if I heard that another person was charging = more than I, I would immediately raise my rates. I am the only Guild = technician between here, <st1:City><st1:place>Springfield</st1:place></st1:City>, <st1:place><st1:City>Columbia</st1:City>, = <st1:State>Arkansas</st1:State></st1:place>, and <st1:City><st1:place>St. Louis</st1:place></st1:City>. That alone doesn’t = guarantee you top-notch service, but does demonstrate a person’s desire to be professional, ethical, and to provide excellent, knowledgeable service. = Also it affords fantastic training and mentoring opportunities which I take = every advantage of.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> There are people out = there who will take your money to fiddle with your tuning pins. We call them = “tooners.” One such person, locally, uses a guitar tuner and has no understanding, = at all, about how pianos work or how to tune them, doesn’t understand tempered = tuning, inharminicity, or what to do if a key doesn’t play right. When = encountering pianos off-pitch like yours, this person either tunes and = tunes—desperately trying to make it sound right—until they literally throw him out, or = tells them their “strings are shot” and they need a new = piano!<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> There is a fellow from = <st1:City><st1:place>Marshfield</st1:place></st1:City> who tunes locally and = has a good reputation. And there is one in Rolla whom I have never met, but = have never heard anything bad about. <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Second</st1:PlaceName> = <st1:PlaceName>Street</st1:PlaceName> = <st1:PlaceName>Music</st1:PlaceName> = <st1:PlaceType>Academy</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> in <st1:City><st1:place>Dixon</st1:place></st1:City> has a lady who tunes, = very well I’m told. I’m not sure she comes this far south, = though.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> On the other hand, = I’d like to remain friends and, just perhaps, your tuner, too. I’m trying to build = a business, provide the best service I can, feed my family, behave = honorably, and make as many friends as I can. If I blew it, somehow, I’m sorry.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Very truly yours,<o:p></o:p> <IMG height=106 src="cid:140591922@21042005-3370" width=257 v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><o:p></o:p></BODY></HTML> -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.1 - Release Date: = 04/20/2005