<!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 5.50.4134.100" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As I've mentioned before, pianos can be = a cross between a pet and a car.  Like a car, it requires periodic maintenance.  Like a pet, it is a member of the family.  Like = both, they age and eventually pass on, especially if their health needs had = been neglected over the years.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I suppose one can argue that inanimate = objects can be restored, but the more neglected they were during their useful years, = the harder the restoration job would be if it was at all possible.  Now = if money were no object and the customer was not concerned with the dollar = value of the piano after the restoration, then we're dealing with something else altogether.  I think what's happening here is that the customer was = crushed to learn that her piano was now worthless when it had been a source = of blessed family happiness for so many years in the past.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Just my 2 cents ..</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Z! Reinhardt  RPT<BR>Ann = Arbor  MI<BR><A href="mailto:diskladame@provide.net">diskladame@provide.net</A></FONT><= /DIV> <DIV> </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"><B>From:</B> <A title=Wimblees@AOL.COM = href="mailto:Wimblees@AOL.COM">Wimblees@AOL.COM</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> Monday, August 06, 2001 = 11:46 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Perspectives</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a = message dated 8/6/01 8:18:19 PM Central Daylight Time, <A href="mailto:jstuart1@pdq.net">jstuart1@pdq.net</A> <BR>writes: = <BR><BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" TYPE="CITE">Maybe I am just still to new at this but I feel really = bad about telling <BR>the lady about the sound board and fully realizing that = I felt much the <BR>same as she only a few short months ago. <BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>As Jim said, don't take it personally and = don't be too rough on yourself. You <BR>are going to run across this = situation many times in your life. It's tough to <BR>give this kind of news, and it = hurts even more when the customer does react <BR>the way yours did. But at = the same time, it is part of our job to be honest <BR>with the customer, and = tell her what the problems are with the piano. I think <BR>if you express = exactly how you feel, as you described it, the customer will <BR>most likely = accept the news better. <BR><BR>Willem </FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>