<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol= e_document face=Verdana color=#000000 size=3> <DIV>Alan,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Like you, I'd have a letter composed in my mind before I got down the block.  Some of us always think it's something WE'VE done when it reall= y isn't.  She may have just gotten back from her oncologist with bad news= , who knows.  It's really hard NOT to take these things personally, though.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'd send the letter with a few minor changes.  I don't know that i= t will do any good with her, but it will do YOU good.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Don Bose's advice from past posts about customer encounters that went w= rong has really helped me in getting the customer's expectations in line with the= services I offer and the prices at which I offer them.  It really keeps= things tidy and unemotional on both sides.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>On a tangential note, I was reading Ray Bentley's response to Alan's note.  While it is true that there is really nothing that would qualify= your average associate to advertise as a PTG member, there are those of us w= ith a conscience--probably all of the associates who read and contribute to this= list--who joined fully expecting to become RPTs in the not too distant future.  We have and make good use of a vast bank of knowledge in = the PTG.  But I still refuse to advertise my affiliation until I'm an RPT.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Then there things like I saw today.  I occasionally encounter pian= os tooned by Tooners like Kwang Jen--I will use his name here, because he has advertised falsely.  I replaced a keytop and did some other minor repai= rs, pitch-raised and tuned a piano that he'd "TOONED" in November.  It soun= ded like crap, was flat and all over the map tuning-wise, and he couldn't even replace a keytop--or refer someone to the customer who could!  Non= e of that surprised me.  What DID surprise me was his business card, which says:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Kwang Jen</DIV> <DIV>Professional Piano Tuner</DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000><U><STRONG>Piano Technician's Guild Member</STRONG></U></FONT></DIV> <DIV>510-438-0116 tel-fax</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I include all of this information because I was wondering if there is a= way to cross-reference members by phone number, in case he uses another name.&nb= sp; </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>After I was done with the job, I looked him up in the directory.  Nada.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I seriously doubt that anyone who is in any way associated with th= e PTG would do the shoddy work that I witnessed today.  So I'm inclined t= o call Kwang, or better yet, get ahold of the Better Business Bureau and discu= ss this matter with them.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Comments, suggestions, etc., would be appreciated.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 4/21/05 4:49:20 PM Pacific Daylight Time, ray@bentley.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><= FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size= =2> <DIV><SPAN class=125402323-21042005><FONT face=Arial size=2>I doubt = that sending the letter would do anything for either you or her.  Her mind= is already made up.  Perhaps she'll call you again and act totally differently. Sometimes, the less said, the better.</FONT></SPAN></DIV= > <DIV><SPAN class=125402323-21042005><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=125402323-21042005><FONT face=Arial size=2>One poin= t in your letter, however, mentions that you are the only Guild technician.....</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=125402323-21042005><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=125402323-21042005><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyone c= an pay dues and be a guild member.  It becomes meaningful only after the tes= ts to become RPT have been passed.  When advertising in this manner or i= n an ad, it is important that guild status be included.</FONT></SPAN></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV><SPAN class=125402323-21042005> <DIV><BR>At 05:47 PM 4/21/2005, you wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><FONT face=arial>Had to h= appen 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 pia= no for 2 1/2 hours. She's now home, comes in as I'm trying to take a little S= tory & 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. "Ho= w much."  Well it needed pitch correction, you see, blah blah blah, so = it's $140 today. <BR></FONT> <BR><FONT face=arial>[Insert sound of Bansh= ee With Bellyache here]<BR></FONT> <BR><FONT face=arial>"Why, we haven= 't even moved that piano." (Me: chuff, hrgmff, choke ...)<BR></FONT> <BR><FONT face=arial> {Caution Serious Rant Zo= ne Ahead} <BR></FONT> <BR><FONT face=arial>WHAT THE HELL IS IT WITH TH= IS 'MOVING THE PIANO CRAP'? EVERYONE KNOWS(!) THATS WHAT MAKES PIANOS NEED TU= NING (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 ANOTH= ER 15 YEARS AND SOUNDS JUST BLOODY GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!<BR></FONT> <BR><FONT face=arial>"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. <BR></FONT> <BR><FONT face=arial>T= ried to explain. She wrote a check. I said, just pay me what you think it's wor= th. She paid the full amount.<BR></FONT> <BR><FONT face=arial>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 tha= t I am a rotten crook and I charge $140 to tune a piano--that hasn't even been= moved! That's not okay. Damn.</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></SPAN></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>