<!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 6.00.2800.1141" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Good for you, David.. And don't = forget,,you helped pay for the instrument in the first place. </DIV> <DIV>Kevin</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE 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">From: <A title=drjazzca@yahoo.ca href="mailto:drjazzca@yahoo.ca">David = Renaud</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Tuesday, February 18, = 2003 2:43 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: moral dilemma/ = estimate</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>An estimate for a public school teacher. She's hired = me, she works for the school. Yahama Apt. size piano, not bad, = needs minor work. Hairline soundboard crack, not open, at pitch, not too = much wear, about 15 years old. Apparently the school is now uses electric keyboards; is willing to sell said piano to her. She = evicts 2 other teachers from the room, and explains;" she wants to be = alone with me because she, "Wants me not to be honest" "wants a high estimate", and proceeds to explain how she thinks she can get = the piano for about $1000(Canadian money....about $600US.) She then = makes clear I am not to communicate with the school, but will be = using my estimate to get what she wants.    Several issues = come to mind. First, a client does not dictate what an estimate = must look like. She thinks she can orchestrate the details because she is = hiring me. I don't think so. I advocate for a client hiring me, buyer = or seller, and act accordingly, but within reasonable limits based = on defendable valuations. Secondly, she is a public = servant, working for the very institution she is actively trying to rip off. I = see no sense of obligation to look out for the interests of the corporation she works for. I told her this, and also told her if = she worked for my company I would fire her. The same schools that = are crying no money for books and activities have teachers attempting to = suck the system for thousands of extra dollars. I happen to know = this same school closed a wood-shop. What do you think of a teacher getting = ahold of most of the tools for a song, for example $20 brings a giant lath = home. Polish it up and offer it privately for a $800 value. I was = booked to go to the lady's home after the estimate to tune and fix a few things. So between  this and the estimate I just walked = away from half a days work. I have heard it said "never let pride get = in the way of makn money" well.... today I beg to = disagree.    =            &nb= sp;  = grrrrrrrrrrrr          &n= bsp;    David = Renaud           &nb= sp;   RPT =            &nb= sp;  = Canada          &nbsp= ;            =             &= nbsp;                                      =            &nb= sp;            = _________________________________________________________________= _____ Post your free ad now! <A = href="http://personals.yahoo.ca">http://personals.yahoo.ca</A> _____= __________________________________________ pianotech list info: <A = href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org= /mailman/listinfo/pianotech</A></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>