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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Lance; first off, =
good letter.
The question really should be, what is the price of your
<EM><STRONG>integrity</STRONG>.</EM> Not yours personally, mind you, =
that is
obvious. But it seems that so many people don't care about ripping =
people off if
it puts money in your pocket. The question should be "what's your =
price?"
The higher the figure, the greater your integrity. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I just got a letter =
from a
client of a salesman at one of our stores. He was working at a Going Out =
of
Business sale for one of our competing dealerships, but he worked =
for the
same dealership that I do. I received a work order to =
tune-voice-regulate a
piano that he had sold. Management nixed it, saying that it was the
responsibility of the other company to prep it. I then get this w.o. =
saying to
go to the customers home to do the tuning-voicing-regulating which of =
course was
done poorly, or not at all by the dealer who was going out of business. =
The
owners of my company told me not to spend more than two hours at the =
home, and
then leave. So the customer, who bought a (Pramberger) and expects a =
decent
piano, is all set to get shafted. First by the company from whom he =
bought it,
and then from the company who sold it. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I took the work =
order, saw that
they were a young couple on the go, to whom music was a big part of =
their lives,
and I did what was right. I had to go without eating that day so that I =
could
give them more of my time than I was supposed to. So I get this letter =
which
just gushed over what an incredible change I made to their piano, and =
how much
they appreciated it, and they enclosed a gift certificate for Border's =
Books.
Hey, the letter was all the thanks I could ever use. (But I'm a =
voracious
reader, and will use the gift). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The point is; for =
what do we
work? Some people are in the business for the bottom line only. That's =
all they
care about;( and I'm not talking about piano technicians here.) All they =
care
about is how much money they can get for the least amount of effort. =
I've dealt
with dealers who want you to go out and do a Yamaha service bond, but =
they won't
pay you for it. They just want you to fill it out, so that they can get =
paid. I
know what Yamaha wants, and will bill accordingly. If they don't like =
that, then
I end the relationship.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Getting back to the =
subject, (
Applause form the audience ) Some dealers will do anything to =
anyone,
including their good friends, for money. Period. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The price on my =
integrity is so
high, that I'll probably die and be buried in a paupers grave like =
Mozart. The
blame belongs to my parents who taught me right from wrong.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Kevin E. Ramsey<BR><A
href="mailto:ramsey@extremezone.com">ramsey@extremezone.com</A> </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=lancelafargue@bellsouth.net
href="mailto:lancelafargue@bellsouth.net">Lance Lafargue</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> Thursday, June 07, 2001 =
8:33
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Deceptive =
Advertising</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=340140915-07062001></SPAN>> <EM>Nothing in the script =
is false.
Maybe a little exaggerated, but <BR>it is all
true.</EM></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=340140915-07062001>Among the finest in the =
world?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=340140915-07062001>Concert length keys?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=340140915-07062001>Perfection in key =
weighting?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=340140915-07062001>What's "master-crafted"? =
Really? Is that
a type of computer automated machine? </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=340140915-07062001>Finest materials?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=340140915-07062001>Exhaustively tested? =
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN =
class=340140915-07062001>Why
are they sending so many back? What do Larry Fine's surveys say =
about
these fine instruments?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=340140915-07062001>Apparently they need even more testing with =
the
problems they're having.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN =
class=340140915-07062001>I
consider this to be similar to all "stencil" pianos like <STRONG>DH
</STRONG>Baldwin, Kohler & Campbell, Chickering, etc. The =
salesmen
here at the University sales forget to tell the consumer that they are =
Korean
Made and that makes me furious. When I show the customer the =
tiny "Made
in Korea" sticker behind one of the legs (After I've spent a couple of =
hours
or days easing keys, actions, fixed buzzes, clicks, etc., etc., etc., =
etc),
they flip. The ignorant consumer thinks they are buying a =
Baldwin with
quality from decades past, made here. It's misleading and often =
outright
lying. It's a crime that the industry and often times =
technicians turn
their heads to it and I think pressure should be applied at least =
through
the technician to shine a light of truth in these rip-off scams. =
If we
were mislead this way when buying products, (a Roll Royce made in =
Czech or
Korea or a Martin guitar made in Vietnam) we'd consider it for what it =
really
is. If the dealer had a conscience they would not be a part of =
this
misleading advertising. No one wants to take responsibility, =
blame it on
the Chinese as though the dealer has no control or say. They can =
refuse
to sell it and take the high road, but they are selling out and are =
just as
guilty. They'll take the check when it's written to =
them.
Just a little rant on what I consider a crime to innocent, trusting =
people and
something that I think the industry as a whole is suffering =
from. I hope
that some day we will look back and be appalled that it went on as =
long as it
did. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN =
class=340140915-07062001>
<P><FONT size=2>Lance Lafargue, RPT<BR>Mandeville, LA<BR>New Orleans =
Chapter,
PTG<BR>lancelafargue@bellsouth.net</FONT> </P></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT =
face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> =
owner-pianotech@ptg.org
[mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of
</B>Wimblees@AOL.COM<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 07, 2001 9:17
AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Deceptive
Advertising<BR><BR></DIV></FONT><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT =
size=2>In a
message dated 6/6/01 9:31:50 PM Central Daylight Time,
<BR>mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com writes: <BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff =
2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">I copied the following from a web page for a dealer. =
How do
they sleep at <BR>night. <BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Terry =
<BR><BR>Don't
blame the dealer for the ad copy. This is what the manufacturer has =
<BR>come
up with. Nothing in the script is false. Maybe a little exaggerated, =
but
<BR>it is all true. Unfortunately, its because we know so much, that =
we see
this <BR>as misleading consumers. But how else are they (the =
manufacturer)
going to <BR>persuade people to buy their product? <BR><BR>Willem
</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>