<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2712.300" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff background=""> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave, </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My apologies...didn't mean to sound harsh...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>FWIW, I must admit that many times = I want to tell the client that they have a POS and not to call me until = they get a real piano <G> But the reality is that this most certainly = would do more to damage my reputation than trying to make the best of the situation.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greg</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=davidlovepianos@earthlink.net href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">David Love</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, May 05, 2002 2:08 = PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: "Old School = Teachings" - Little Story & Confession</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Greg:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I wasn't putting my comments out as a criticism so = much as an observation on my own encounters with such = instruments.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>David Love</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Tunapiana440@cox.net = href="mailto:Tunapiana440@cox.net">Greg T</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> May 05, 2002 11:42 = AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: "Old School = Teachings" - Little Story & Confession</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>David,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I always strive for excellence in = my work, as we all should. But I can't tell you how many times I have = driven many miles for a service call only to find a PSO clunker that is = horribly out of tune and half the keys don't work because of broken & missing parts, etc, etc, but the customer says something = like "This was my grandmother's piano. I just want to be able to plunk = out a few melodies". Given the situation/parameters mentioned why would one be concerned about it being a bad reflection on their work? It is a reflection on the client. I don't think my = reputation as a good technician will be damaged in the least by me making = the effort to make that old clunker "playable" for the customer. I = just do the best I can and then move on, hopefully to find a better piano to = tune at my next appointment...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greg</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>   </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM><STRONG>David Love wrote:<BR></STRONG></EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>I missed a bit of this thread = but the problem with doing this type of thing, even if the customer seems = satisfied, is that the quality of the tuning reflects on you to others who may = hear it.  Though you can't make a silk purse..., I do tend to think = about the quality of the product I leave behind and how it might reflect = on my own reputation.  If a customer wants to pay only a minimum charge, = but you know the piano will need more to even get it reasonably in tune, and = it is likely that you won't see this customer ever again--or at least for = another 10 years, then (even though I still take the job) I often wonder if = it's really worth it.<BR><BR>David Love</EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR>----- Original Message ----- = <BR>From: Greg T <BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org <BR>Sent: May 05, 2002 10:32 = AM<BR>Subject: Re: "Old School Teachings" - Little Story & Confession<BR><BR><BR>I = totally agree with the reply below mine...<BR><BR>Maybe that = (customer/situation) is why the "tooners" of the "old school teachnings" did some of the = things they did and a was not so much a reflection of their skill = level...<BR><BR>IMO the best one can do is to simply do one's best, given the parameters = of the situation, and not worry so much about what a previous "tooner" did...<BR><BR>Best,<BR>Greg<BR><BR>----- Original Message ----- = <BR>From: Kevin E. Ramsey <BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org <BR>Sent: Wednesday, April = 24, 2002 9:04 PM<BR>Subject: Re: "Old School Teachings" - Little Story = & Confession<BR><BR><BR>    Terry, your customer = dictated the terms of service, you didn't. Let her define the level of service = she wants, if that's what she wants from you. You gave her what she wanted and = what she was willing to pay for; there's no reason for you to have your "tail = between your legs". <BR><BR>Kevin E. = Ramsey<BR>ramsey@extremezone.com<BR><BR>The short story is I tuned that thing in 45 minutes and left it 15 cents = flat. It was the worst tuning I have ever done, and I even skipped the few = notes in the high treble that were lacking hammers and/or hammer = felt!<BR><BR>I still claim to be Mr. "A440 or else!", but golly gosh, I guess there = are times when alternatives are in order - not often, but = sometimes.<BR><BR>With tail between legs,<BR><BR>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>