Lo bass tuning

[Ted Simmons]

I left out a bit of information.  The piano was a used LaPetite purchased
from a music store that calls me to do their warranty tunings.  So there
was no money involved between the customer and me.  I've advised the store
owner of the problem and I'm going back one more time with all the
information you fellows have given me and I'll try to either tune it to her
satisfaction or explain to her why she needs to get a larger piano.  By the
way, she traded it in on a rusty hulk of a Conn upright which was 100 cents
flat and she said she never had that problem with the Conn.  Actually, it
had longer bass strings than her LaPetite.

>Call backs are part of any service business.  The more grey hair you have
>the less call backs. Unless you make mistakes.  There are very few pianos
>when seen for the first time, that do not really need two tunings.  If I
>don't write on the invoice, "tune in one to six months",  I have tuned a
>musician quality instrument that did not need to be raised to pitch, and it
>was tuned in the last 3 years.
>        In your case the customer must have faith when you say, "this is
>the best
>that can be expected from this piano."  99.9 percent of clients who have
>questions  about the sound of the piano after you tune are first timers and
>the piano is undersized.
>        If you are short on time and do not wish to see the piano or
>client again,
>and you are sure you did not make a mistake, you could offer a refund if
>she finds a tuner that tunes to her satisfaction (in a reasonable amount of
>time.)  You did write on the invoice a second tuning recomended in 30 days
>didn't you?
>    Call backs are so rare and because of the possiblity of a mistake, a
>return call is usually in order.  Even rarer is  having to say,  "This is
>the best I can do.  If you would like to call some one else and you are
>satisfied with  the improvement, and he thinks you are entitled to a
>refund, give me a call."    I have had to say this twice in 20 years and I
>didn't get called back on it. They were spinets.
>        Even if you made a mistake, the good will by coming back and
>rectifying it
>will compensate.
>
>Richard Moody