<html> <body> David, I agree with Bob on this.  My tuning bill (customer's copy) contains notes that discuss the role of temperature & relative humidity in tuning stability and I measure the temperature and RH at the appointment and write it in on the bill in the blanks provided in the discussion.  All my new customers get a Dampp-Chaser brochure.  The information contained therein is easy to understand even if their piano isn't worth as much as a Piano Life Saver System. Andrew At 06:15 AM 7/18/2004 -0700, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>List,   There are several ways to emphasize this information. First, you should give a Piano Life Saver system brochure with every new customer. Whether they purchase one or not isn't the point. They need to understand this info, if only to not assign blame to you if the piano tuning doesn't remain stable. Second, you should carry a digital hygrometer to scientifically demonstrate the fluctuations in the humidity and record this info in their service history that remains with them. Also, every time you tune the piano, discuss why the humidity conditions are forcing you to float the pitch sharp in the summer and flat in the winter. I really enjoy solving their problem by installing a Life Saver system, but this information is as much to protect my reputation than anything else. Bob Russell, RPT Barbara Richmond <piano57@flash.net> wrote: <dl> <dd>Hey David, <dd>If they don't want to take your word for it, perhaps you could give them <dd>some of that convincing reading material that is available. Just don't hand <dd>it to them, though. Quickly go over it and mark the stuff you want to <dd>emphasize. Works for me........well, that and my honest face. ;-) <dd>Barbara Richmond, RPT <dd>----- Original Message ----- <dd>From: "Dave Nereson" <dd>To: <dd>Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2004 10:05 PM <dd>Subject: customer education <dd>> I don't know how many times I've told customers, even those who should <dd>> be more knowledgeable, such as piano teachers, that it's changes in <dd>humidity <dd>> that make the piano go out of tune, but it just does not register with <dd>them! <dd>> It goes in one ear and out the other, or they just don't believe it, <dd>or <dd>> they don! 't believe the soundboard can swell up or contract, or they're <dd>> convinced it's because: <dd>> <dd>> they didn't play it enough, <dd>> or because the toddler banged on the keys with a toy, <dd>> or because they had the carpet shampooed and the steam must've thrown it <dd>out <dd>> of tune, <dd>> or the dust from the remodeling, <dd>> or 'cause they moved it across the room, <dd>> or there was a gas leak so they had to shut off the heat for a few days, <dd>> or maybe it's not a good piano after all, <dd>> or because we had a real cold winter or a hot summer (was the piano <dd>> outside?) <dd>> or because I didn't do a good enough job last time (3 to 10 years ago). <dd>> <dd>> It's amazing how large a percentage of piano owners think that playing <dd>> it helps keep it in tune. <dd>> No matter how much you tell them it's changes in humidity more than <dd>> anything else, they still think it's temperature or moving or any number <dd>of <dd>&gt! <dd>; other causes. Sure, these things can throw it out a little, but not the <dd>20 <dd>> cents that several weeks of rain can do, or 5 years without tuning! <dd>> Another thing they just will not believe no matter how often you tell <dd>> them or how you phrase it is that new pianos go out of tune faster than <dd>any <dd>> others and need tuning at least 3 times the first year, 2 or 3 times the <dd>> second, and twice a year for the next few years after that. They just <dd>> refuse to accept that. Then they're all up in arms two years down the <dd>road <dd>> when you have to charge them extra for a huge pitch raise. <dd>> The pianos need some kind of pop-up reminder display every six months <dd>or <dd>> year (3 or 4 months for new pianos). <dd>> --David Nereson, RPT <dd>> <dd>> <dd>> _______________________________________________ <dd>> pianotech list info: <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives" eudora="autourl">https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</a> <dd>> <dd>_______________________________________________ <dd>pianotech list info: <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives" eudora="autourl">https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</a> </dl></blockquote></body> </html>