<!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 6.00.2800.1126" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face="Prestige Elite" size=2>Hi,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Prestige Elite" size=2>It is a crazy world.  I = do lots of Yamaha service bond work and I have many times had to return the service = stuff to the store because I cannot get the purchaser to book and accept the = free work.  The hardest tunings to book are those that are = free.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Prestige Elite" size=2>Jim</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>James Grebe<BR>Piano = Tuner-Technician<BR>Wood Artisan<BR>Established 1962<BR>Creator  of Wooden Artifacts such as:<BR>Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups<BR>Handsome Hardwood Piano  Benches<BR>314 845-8282<BR>1526 Raspberry Lane<BR>Arnold, MO 63010<BR></FONT></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=Tvak@aol.com href="mailto:Tvak@aol.com">Tvak@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> Friday, July 18, 2003 = 9:39 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> finding = pianos/was:lessons learned</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT face=Helvetica = color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><BR>In a message dated 7/13/03 5:04:32 = PM, <A href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">tune4u@earthlink.net</A> writes:<BR><BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" cite="" TYPE="CITE"></FONT><FONT face=Helvetica color=#000000 = size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">When I darn a piano to heck but the people = otherwise are interested<BR>in pianos, I do not charge them and I help them, if = they desire, in<BR>finding another piano.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT><FONT face=Helvetica color=#000000 size=2 = FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><BR><BR>I have found pianos for maybe a dozen clients over the past three years or so, and = more than half the time I never hear from the client again.  This is = not after darning a piano to heck, either.  They call me, asking if I know = of any pianos for sale; I tell them I'll put them on my list.  I find = out what kind of piano and price range they are looking for, and a month later, = I find a piano which fits their criterion, so I call them to let them know = where the piano is.  Up to this point, all is cordial, they are grateful, I = feel like I'll be gaining a long-term client, and I'm doing two parties a favor.   (The seller and the buyer)<BR><BR>At this point, = one of two things happens: either they buy the piano and I never hear from them = again, or they evidently don't buy the piano and I never hear from them = again.  <BR><BR>I had a client whose piano I tuned for 3 years who called to = ask me to find a piano for her daughter.  I found the perfect piano for = her: she wanted a vertical piano with dark wood, and I found her this = Acrosonic, and it was cheap!  I gave her the info on the piano and I never heard = from her OR her mother again!  I called both of them several times over = the following week.  I still don't know if she bought the piano, or not.  On that little deal, I not only lost a new client but an = old one, too.  <BR><BR>Another woman asked me to find her a baby grand, = and when I called her with a lead on a little Samick 3 months later, she was so = grateful. She couldn't believe that I actually remembered her and took the time = to call her.  Gave her the info, and never heard from her again.  = She has since ignored my tuning reminder cards.<BR><BR>I didn't even ask for a = finder's fee or seller's fee on these transactions.  I thought it = would be enough to gain a client whose piano I would be tuning for the next = 10 years.  All these pianos I found were in good condition at a good = price.  I could do no more for my own mother.<BR><BR>One last story:  a man called to offer me his piano for free.  A = Wurlitzer spinet with a nice cabinet and bench.  I picked it up and did = some action work on it, since it wasn't playing very well.  I put about two = hours into it, levelling the keys, adjusting the letoff, even reshaped the hammers.  I sold it for $350, and even included a FREE TUNING = with it.  <BR><BR>Never heard from the client again.   He'll = probably call me in 5 years wanting his free tuning.  <BR><BR>I = know someone will suggest I've done something to alienate these people, but = for the life of me I can't imagine what it is.  All relations are cordial = and everything seems just fine up to the point that they go = incommunicato.  (sic)<BR><BR>So, Homey don't play that game no more.  I still = tell people that I'll put them on a list, but I don't call them no matter what I find.  It's not worth it.<BR><BR>Tom = Sivak<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT><FONT face=Helvetica color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>