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<DIV>The scenario: middle class couple buys expensive German grand --a=
fter
weeks of haggling with dealer (who I happen to contract for--for a low
price. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>First tuning July 2004, paid by dealer. No problems with piano.</=
DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Second tuning 6 months later(January 2005): I notice that some weak
repetition springs are causing action problems. I increase tension on =
a
few, but am limited by time. Problems seem to be cured.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Yesterday: Call from customer complaining that 10 year old =
son
is having trouble with certain notes on Fur Elise not repeating. I arr=
ange
a time to check out the piano today after my last job, which is fortunately =
only
about half a mile from his house.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>When I arrive at the domicile, I find that rep springs are so weak, tha=
t
they can't even come close to holding a hammer line. I set about doing=
a
blanket rough regulation of them when I notice that the problem still exists=
in
some of the notes I've already done. So I check balancier height. =
;
Repetition levers are below the tip of the jack! So I do a blanket
regulation of the balancier height, and voila, problem is gone. I rese=
t
hammer line and start to make out a bill. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here's the question: who do I give the bill to? I don't fee=
l
it's the customer's responsibility, as it's virtually a new piano, with no
environmental factors involved that could possibly cause such changes in
regulation as to render the piano virtually unplayable. Should it=
be the dealer, who really doesn't prep the pianos particularly well?&nb=
sp;
Normally, this particular brand comes into the store in very good
shape with need for only minimal tweaking. And given the pri=
ce
paid by the customer, the store was likely even less inclined than=
normal to service the piano thoroughly. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Should it be the manufacturer? How far does their responsibility
go? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Though I generally prefer to go through the manufacturer, I'm inclined =
to
give the bill to the dealer and let them discuss financi=
al
responsibility with the manufacturer. The bottom line is, I don't=
really care, as long as I get paid. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What think you all? Thanks for any thoughts, ideas, revelations, =
and
other bursts of insight!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dave Stahl</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>