<!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 6.00.2800.1126" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Wingdings; } @font-face { font-family: Tahoma; } @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue> <DIV>Most large dealers here understood that the calls will be approx 5% on the = sales made (so floor prep is 1 hour at the most), so they know they eventually have = to pay for an (expected light) intervention on some of the customers. Little = shops make piano prep themselves more or less.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But they wish to work with techs who can do the minimal job, so the cost = stay low (tune at 436 Hz , fix only the complained part and leave the remaining = to be done later, etc) . It is possible to make good work for some dealers if = you are credible and don't play much in their play, but you need to be flexible enough, and to talk in their language, meaning let them know you = fairly know you are eating their margin, but the work is to be done as well. So = you are a necessary evil !</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best Regards, dear colleague.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Isaac OLEG</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> Isaac OLEG Entretien et réparation de pianos. PianoTech 17 rue de Choisy 94400 VITRY sur SEINE FRANCE tel : 033 01 47 18 06 98 fax : 033 01 47 18 06 = 90 cell: 06 60 42 58 77 <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>-----Message d'origine----- De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la = part de tune4u@earthlink.net Envoyé : mercredi 16 = avril 2003 06:05 À : Pianotech Objet : Worth = it? was Baldwin warrantee </DIV> <DIV>I = had a Baldwin dealer call me (back in the Baldwin Baldwin days) and ask me to = go look at a new Chickering grand on which the una corda wasn't working. He = told me it would be a warranty job. Okay, says I, and I drive 40 miles to the = customer. Turns out to be just an adjustment of the pedal collar. Time on = site, 5-10 minutes. Baldwin told me they wouldn't pay for it as it should = have been handled as dealer prep or at delivery and setup. Dealer does not = understand the term "dealer prep," or much else about the piano business. = He paid me, eventually, but it all became a stupid hassle. Let's just say I = won't do any more calls for him. He lost his Baldwin contract in the switchover = (many small dealers did) and now sells Wal-Mart Pianos, i.e., Made in China.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My point: I don't get much dealer work and almost no warranty repairs out here, = but what little I've seen and stories I've heard suggest that neither is really = worth much to my business.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>How does that notion fit in with the experience of others? How about you = city-slickers? Is it better in a bigger new-piano market?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Alan Barnard</DIV> <DIV>Country-Slicker in Salem, MO</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>-----Original Message----- From: = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Jonathan Finger Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 10:02 = PM To: 'Pianotech' Subject: RE: Baldwin = warantee </DIV> <DIV class=Section1> Yeah, = read a post about that a couple months back. Legally, = I can’t think of any reason that Gibson would be liable for = Baldwin’s = work.  We might wish that they would stand behind the piano, but they bought = the factory, not baldwin’s = problems.  And certainly if they’re going to turn the business around, = they’re going to need to cut costs, not incur them.   I = don’t like it, but it makes perfect sense.  I wouldn’t have expected = anything less. J     Jonathan = Finger RPT   -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] = On Behalf Of PatchWick@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 = 6:49 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Baldwin warantee   Hey list: I = recently was called to tune a 10 year old Baldwin console. Turns out that the pin = block is totally separated from the frame (end to end and top to bottom). = The frame posts are all loose at the top as well. The local Baldwin = dealer checked with the factory (now owned by Gibson) to see if they would replace/repair this piano under the original warantee. Turns out = that not only will they NOT honor this warantee but that the warantees on all = the brand new Baldwins on his sales floor were null and void as well. = Any thoughts? Thanks will wickham</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>