List -- The worst example of "perfectionist estimation" that I've encountered happened to a choir director with a fine old Mason & Hamlin upright. Middle C was not working, and B and C# were jamming. She called a tuner (whose name I luckily never found out) from a neighboring city, because a friend had told her that her piano was very good, and she should be careful of whom she got to work on it. OVER THE PHONE, this person listened to the complaints, decided the action was worn out, and estimated it would take $1000 to fix it. Not having $1000 to spare, she put up with the three bad notes, and taught on the piano for SIX MONTHS before the father of one of her students convinced her to call me. ONE HAMMER SHANK and less than 24 hours later, all was well again. Sheesh ... Susan --------------------------------------------------------------------- At 09:19 PM 6/4/97 EDT, you wrote: >List and Jim > >Agree with your observations entirely. The only thing that gripes me is >that I wouldn't have been able to write it so succinctly....you devil! > >I have known technicians through the years that would absolutely refuse a >job when the customer's finances wouldn't permit a complete do-over. But >there has always been another tech following behind willing to do as the >customer requested with the understanding that the instrument would >certainly not be perfect when he finished. > >It's good in a lot of ways to be a perfectionist. It's probably been >taught to most of us >when learning. However common sense must prevail. I have never met the >customer who has said to me, "Make it like new at any cost!". We can only >do the best job we can within the parameters of our expertise and the >price the customer is willing or able to pay. > >Ralph Martin > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Susan Kline P.O. Box 1651 Philomath, OR 97370 skline@proaxis.com "Anything is good if it's made of chocolate." --Ashleigh Brilliant
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