James, You'll get one or two like this a year. They may not watch the whole show, but a large portion of it. Talk to them while you're getting ready to tune, but when you start tuning, totally concentrate on what you are doing unless she asks you a question. Then stop completely, turn around and answer her question, then turn back and continue. After you do this a couple of times, she'll realize that she is interferring and she will be quiet as a mouse. She probably won't go away, but you just keep doing your job. When your shoulders start tensing up, take a break, stretch and talk some more. Then turn back to your job and forget her until you come to the next break point.(I call those back savers!) When you're filling out your bill chat some more. After you do this a few times you'll get it down to a science. And these lonely ladies will be your customers for life! Hope this helps, Warren james allen bickerton wrote: > > james allen bickerton wrote: > > > > Performed a tuning for a first-time customer the other day. Commenced > > the pre-tuning inspection with the usual chit chat, and once she and I > > agreed on the service to be performed, I sat down and began tuning the > > piano. It was an upright Samick, 2 years old that had been tuned 6 > > months prior. > > At this point, most of my customers say something to the effect, "I'll > > be in the other room, if you need anything, just shout." But not this > > one. She sat down on a couch 10 feet directly behind me and watched me > > tune the piano pin by pin directly over my shoulder. > > Feeling a little uneasy, I again engaged her in conversation, hoping > > that she would tire of the idle chit chat, but no such luck. After 20 > > minutes, I found myself losing concentration as I attempted to both tune > > the piano and verbally engage my customer. I couldn't decide whether > > she was just lonely, since she was a single parent in her early 40's, or > > whether she didn't totally trust me with her piano. To make matters > > worse, I learned through our chat that I was her third tuner in 2 years > > (was she too demanding?), and because I have pet allergies, I had taken > > an allergy tablet prior to entering her house, so I was feeling a bit > > edgy to begin with. > > She must have been satisfied because she agreed to have me tune her > > piano again in 6 months. > > My question is, how do you TACTFULLY handle a situation like this? My > > business is young, and I am eager to please. But in this case, my > > eagerness slowed my progress, and I was an hour late for my next > > appointment. > > Flailing in Fayetteville -- Home of the Humor List Warren D. Fisher fish@communique.net Registered Piano Technician Piano Technicians Guild New Orleans Chapter 701
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