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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>I never bring an older upright up =
to pitch,
especianly if it has rusty <BR>>strings.<BR><BR>>I also don't give =
a three
minute explanation to the customer. I just tell <BR>>them the piano =
is too
old, and this is the only thing that can be done. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Man, I love guys like that. It makes me =
look like
such a hero when I</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>come along and show them that with an =
extra 20
minutes or so (for </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>which I charge an extra $20) I can =
almost always
get their piano up</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>to pitch without any extra problems. I =
explain that
the piano will sound</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>better when tuned to the pitch it was =
designed for
and the pitch-raise</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>probably won't be necessary in the =
future if they
have it tuned regularly.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>These people sometimes become my best =
customers,
scheduling 2 or </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3 tunings a year after that. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> True, every so often you will =
have problems
getting an old piano up to</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>pitch (I warn the customer up front of =
this). But
if there's no evidence of </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>past string breakage, why not give it =
the old
college try? Usually, where </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>you do have a problem is in the high =
treble, and
when strings break up there</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>you can repair them on the spot by the =
expedient
method of "borrowing"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1 1/2 coils from the other tuning pin =
of the same
unison. It can be a pain</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(especially on spinets where the action =
is hard to
remove), so I will sometimes</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>charge extra for this, as well. If the =
strings are
very rusty, I'll knock them down</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>in pitch before pulling them up which =
seems to help
in some cases.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face=Arial =
size=2><BR></FONT>>most
customers will accept what you tell them, without question. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>That does seem to be the case all too =
often.
Probably that's how the local dealer </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>is able to sell so many =
Samicks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR>>If you try to explain too =
much,they might
wonder what you are trying to hide. <BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I think that depends on the =
customer. I know
that when I go to a professional, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>be it the auto mechanic or the surgeon, =
I like to
get a thorough explanation of</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>the problem and the various solutions, =
including
expected results, longevity of the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>repair, etc. as well as price for each =
of the
options. The guy who makes the best,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>most impartial representation of the =
options and
thereby helps ME to decide which</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>course to take is the guy who gets my =
money every
time. I try to provide my </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>customers with the knowledge that will =
help them
make the decision that's right for </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>them and their pocketbooks, but you're =
right - some
people require a different approach.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In some cases, their attitude is "Look, =
just do the
tuning for the lowest price possible". </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In others </FONT><FONT face=Arial =
size=2>it's "Do
whatever you think is best, and tell me what to make out the check
for".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR>>Just my
thoughts<BR><BR>>Wim</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>and mine,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mark<BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>