Refuses to pay for pitch...

[BobDavis88@aol.com]

>  2.  When confronted with a piano requiring a pitch raise, and the
>  owner refuses to pay charges beyond a standard tuning fee, do you (a)
>  refuse to do the work, (b) tune the piano at current pitch  (c) spend
>  the extra time and do the job right for the standard fee?
>    3.  How does one handle customers when they speak ill of other piano
>  techs, especially when it is obvious that the previous work was
>  performed poorly?
>

(Assuming this is a new client)
In the first phone conversation, we ask when the piano was last serviced,
what kind it is, and if they are having any mechanical or other problems with
it. This little chat takes it beyond a quick call for the lowest price,
quickly separates tuning from pitching and repair, and lets them know in just
a couple of minutes that there's more to tuning than tuning. Then we quote
the price for a standard tuning over the phone, and tell them that if for
some reason the piano is not at standard pitch, whether because of time since
the last tuning or choice of the last tuner, they can expect an extra charge
of up to APPROXIMATELY [insert your fee here] to correct the pitch before it
can be tuned, plus any repairs they choose to have done. We tell them that we
can give them a closer estimate when we see the piano. If they want to object
to the price, it might as well be now; we then graciously refer them to
another tuner ("You might want to check with X, he's also a good
technician").

On question 3, I agree that we don't know what the last service person was up
against. There is a difference between "I think I can make an improvement"
and "That incompetent weasel." If the work is really atrocious, I don't mind
saying that there is a way to make it work better, but I'd rather let the
client make their own judgment about the previous person. I know how tempting
it is....but then when you're old and gray, what would you want someone to
say about your work from, say, your first year.

With new customers the last thing I do when I'm leaving is to tell them to
feel free call me if they have any questions or problems.

Bob Davis, RPT