<!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 6.00.2900.2604" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #000000; = FONT-FAMILY: Verdana" bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 = rightMargin=7> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Hi ilex,</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>The only problem with copying things = from the PTG website, aiming for legitimacy in the customers eyes, is that anyone can = go to the site, copy and give the same stuff.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>(For grammar police, I know the = punctuation, is probably wrong)</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV>John M. Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></DIV>= <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr 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=i1ex@earthlink.net href="mailto:i1ex@earthlink.net">ilex = cameron ross</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, April 02, 2005 = 3:51 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: The day's = frustration</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>Dave - </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>I have actually found the PTG's = website to be EXTREMELY useful in circumstances like these. Printing off a copy = of the PTG explanation of a Pitch Raise (along with the faq of "why does = my piano go out of tune" yadda yadda), not only gives the customer = concise information on piano care and behaviour, but also gives them a = legitimate reference point outside of the word of one new tuner. They = obviously don't know that your work and intentions are honest, so for all they = know, you could just not be a very good tuner, and/or you could be trying to = take them for a ride, billing them for a bunch of bogus work. To their credit, = they're right to be skeptical - there ARE unfortunately a lot of tooners = (and other service people) who make their livings off of dishonest = upsales/scams. *WE* know you're not one of those, but your new and uneducated = customer doesn't. Think about it - it's kind of like when you go in for a = simple oil change and JoeBob at the quicklube tells you that you need about $200 worth of additional work done on your car (even if it's = a tuneup, transmission flush, new air filter...). But last time, you had = your oil changed by Tommy up the street, and he didn't mention any of that. = Tommy's been changing your oil for years and has never had to do anything more = to it - tuneup? What's that? </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>If I hand my customer a printout = from the PTG website, it not only credits the PTG for all of the information given, it also gives the url for the PTG's website - aha! = Another valuable resource for piano owners who just don't know any better. It = also earns me brownie points for going out of my way to show that *I* care = about their piano, and that I want to bother explaining these things to = them. Lastly, it leaves them with written information in a clear format (not = handwritten. And do you really want to take the time to = write the whole pitch raise and false beats shpiel out?) - 90 percent of = what you verbally tell a customer goes in one ear, gets jumbled up and = confused, and leaks out the other ear. Not because customers are stupid, but because = most people simply don't have the time or attention span - they have kids, = which means they have scouts, soccer practices, piano lessons, sunday = school, pta meetings, karate, ballet, etc. That simple piece of paper is something = they can refer to. Maybe they'll read it and respond positively, maybe not. = But you're at least covering your butt, doing all you can do, and giving a = chance for it. </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>WHEW that was long-winded! = </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>ps - congrats on your nuptials - = it's my turn this fall! *gulp*!</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=930083007-02042005>-ilex</SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Piannaman@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, April 02, 2005 1:36 AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> The day's frustration<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT id=role_document = face=Verdana size=3> <DIV>List,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It's been a slow week for phone calls.  Getting people to = make appointments around tax time is like extracting wisdom teeth.  = April has traditionally been my slowest month, but I've kind of gotten = used to it.  What's aggravating is when a customer calls to say that = the piano I tuned a couple of weeks ago doesn't sound "clear" according to her = daughter and the piano teacher(who came the day after I tuned = it).  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The piano is a Kohler and Campbell console, circa 60s-70s, with = false strings throughout the treble.  It had been tuned regularly, up = to a year ago by a tuner who she thought did a great job, but whose card = she "lost."  I suspect other things transpired.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The piano is right next to a door, and the weather has = undergone big changes in the last couple of weeks.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When I tuned it it was 20-50cents flat.  Hmm, great = tuner...tuned a year ago...next to a door...I should have begun the education = process here.  Instead I put my nose to the grindstone, did a pitch raise--which she somehow managed to talk me out of charging for (my = first mistake!)--and as good a tuning as I could get into the piano = given the time and instrument constraints. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I agreed to go back and see if I can make the piano "sound better."  I don't mind doing this ONCE if I can educate a = customer in the process.  Don't know if that will happen, because it seems = that some people choose to remain ignorant.  I hope this was the = cork on a frustrating week...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks for being my wailing wall,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>