2 questions

[Chris Olson]

Hi,

I have two different questions for you folks -

1.  How does one figure storage fees for pianos left in your shop for a
long time?  Here's the story: This couple split up, the husband calls and
says please come and look at the piano it needs work and take it to your
shop and fix it.  Old Chickering Upright (finish in excellent condition,
unlike the rest of it).  So, I had the movers move it to my shop (they were
selling their house (more like a mansion) and in the process of moving when
I got the piano).  I asked him to reimburse me for the moving and give me
the money for parts up front... He said yeah, ok I'll mail a check
monday......(of course he didn't)
fast forward about 9 months, (I was busy and the piano wasn't really in the
way, so I ignored it) We start to call him and ask "Do you want the piano
or do you want to trade it in place of a storage fee". He's undecided about
it and says I'll call you in a week with a decision.  Of course he doesn't.
He said if he has me do the repairs he would be glad to pay a storage fee,
and he's sorry he left it here so long.
Ok, so how do I go about figuring the storage fee, I've never charged
anyone for that before.


2.  I have been tuning for a local concert promoter (Sebastopol Celtic
Festival, and misc. folky events). He puts on the Kate Wolf Memorial Music
festival in Sebastopol outdoors at a little family owned vinyard...He is
thinking of having an artist who is a pianist, but I'm not sure about the
tuning stability.  Last year at the festival, one day was foggy and cold
(temps in the 60s) & the next day was sunny and in the upper 80's.  Also
the stage is out in the open in a field with no indoor storage for the
piano.  The festival is in june which is always unpredictable around here
in Northern Calfornia about 10 miles in from the coast (Bodega Bay).  Is
this a disaster?  I told him that there will be major stability problems.
Would a dampp-chaser system (mostly just the dehumidifying part as the
humidity rarely drops below 60% around here) help if maybe the bottom the
the piano was covered and the lid closed?
any suggestions?

Thanks,
Chris Olson
Complete Piano Services
Associate Member, PTG    (<--for a limited time only)


Chris Olson
11375 Bodega Hwy		"Our Roots Are Showing"  Noon - 5pm Saturdays
Sebastopol, CA 95472                 KRCB-FM 91.1 -- Redwood Public Radio
dreemer@crl.com				  Santa Rosa, California