Ethical quandry

[Jon Page]

There are different fees involved here. Each with it's own scenario.
A dealer may pay a finder's fee for a referral.
(you sent him a customer - minimal $25.-100.)
A dealer may pay a commission for assistance in the sale.
(accompanying the customer to showroom - larger  5%)
A customer may pay a fee for evaluation. (customer present or not)
A customer may pay a fee for finding a piano for them. (referral or evaluated)

If a customer locates piano and pays for your assessment at a showroom,
        the dealer should not give you any fee for the sale. If he offers,
this is
        where a conflict of interest may be brought up.  Refuse.
If you tell a customer (who has asked you to search) of a piano in a showroom,
        it is up to your involvement as to accept either a referral or
evaluated fee.
        The dealer may offer either a referral or sales assistance fee. Accept

It is your own conscience which dictates your actions. Referrals based soley
on a higher commissions will put extra cash in your pocket, but you are failing
in your loyalty to your customer.  These are the qualities which build character
and reputation. If you acted in good faith, acting on your customer's
behalf; that extra cash has a sweet gingle and you can feel good about yourself.

Stil pondering,
Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At 11:48 AM 3/15/97 -0600, you wrote:
>>...One incident comes to mind where a piano teacher was brought to
>>the showroom to assist her student in the selection.   After the piano was
>>selected by the student and the teacher tried it, she brought the dealer
>>aside and said: "If you give me an artist's bench, I'll approve the sale".
>>Needless to say, the dealer was floored. But not wanting a $300.00 bench
>>to hold up a $13,000.00 sale, he agreed.  So here she was being paid by
>>her student and using extortion on the dealer...
>>
>>Jon Page
>>Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
>
>Jon, List,
>
>Thank you for this example.
>
>This offers me an opportunity to mention something that started stirring in
>my mind since receiving some of the posts on this thread.  This may be out
>of our bounds to try and determine, but I would like to receive others
>thoughts to help stimulate me to arrive at some solid footing, that is, if
>I can present myself clearly enough.
>
>This teacher you described is providing a service to the student and to the
>dealer and to herself. (though I'm not necessarily sanctioning the method
>or approach you described)  My question: Is it really unethical to receive
>payment on the same deal from different sources, or is it only unethical in
>the manner or approach in which a person arrives at receiving payment from
>different sources?
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Keith A. McGavern
>kam544@ionet.net
>Registered Piano Technician
>Oklahoma Chapter 731
>Piano Technicians Guild
>Oklahoma Baptist University
>Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA
>
>
>
>