Hi All, Here is what works for me. The need for pitch raising pianos is caused by one the thing: NEGLECT. Before I can get the piano up to speed I first have to convince the client that either they, or the previous owner did the dastardly thing. I talk to them about tuning a piano is not a one shot deal, it is a commitment to putting things right and maintaining them at the "right" level. What has passed before will not pass anymore. Just as when you start piano lessons you make a commitment to practice regularly the same thing is true on keeping your expensive piano at peak performance level. I give the client a choice of either tuning it at the correct pitch or the pitch where it is, 7 beats per second low or -25cents or more. If after conversing with them as to what the reasons are that the piano should be at A-440 and why that is important to them and what it will take to get it there, and keep it there, I give them the choice as to raising or leaving it where it is. I tell them that if they are not serious about starting a new path towards taking care of their piano they are better off not raising pitch because it will be badly out of tune in a short time. If they choose to leave the pitch low I let them know it will stay a normal amount of time and 6 months is the normal time to retune. I then do the best tuning I can at the highest pitch I can find on the piano at this time. I let them know that the pitch raise "process" can be started next time if they wish. If they choose to put the piano where it was designed to be I tell them my method. Tuning to A-440 now from -25c or lower at my regular tuning fee. I set the next appointment for 2 weeks from them encouraging them to play the heck out of it and not be alarmed that they hear it going out of tune. At the end of the 2 week tuning at regular price I set up the 3rd tuning in 3 months in my appointment book. I let them know that with each tuning to A-440 the piano will hold tune better than the previous tuning. After the 3 month tuning they will have had the piano tuned 3 times in 3 and/2 months and then let them know that every 6 months is considered normal for regular tuning and that some pianos may do better than others. If I see after the next tuning that I believe it can go longer I will let them know. By this time they are getting to know me pretty well since I have seen them 3 times in a short number of months. They get to see that I do not have any hidden surprises up my sleeve as everything I have told them is backed up exactly by the pamphlets, that I write and give them, about piano tuning and care , a description of my current VTD and how it works to HELP tune their piano, and another brochure that talks about pitch raising. My sentences to them are almost verbatim as what is stated in the brochures I give them. I could probably recite the text in each brochure if I was asked. By this consistency of message and person delivering the message, I do pretty well at keeping them as a new regular client. I often tell my clients that the reason I write all this stuff down in my brochures is so I can't tell them shady stories to try to con them, like it keeps my story straight. Still there are some who try to get shady on me and cancel the 2 week appointment., very few. When that happens I reason that I slipped up on my presentation and try to think back what might have happened why they did not follow my advise. Meanwhile, I delete them from my computer. If they call back later they are still in my card file but I do not believe in having thousands of people in my client database that aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing. IF, they call later, I can always put them back in. I do not offer to lower the price just because they will have it tuned in 2 weeks. I do not give bargains for expected maintenance on their piano, I give my best work for what I consider my best price which is a little lower than my competition with usually less experience. My price is mine and not designed to keep up with the Joneses, (is that right?) I am comfortable with my message and the price they pay for my service. Now on to pitch raising itself. If the piano is more than 100c or a step down and there is no rust or corrosion and it is a good quality piano I overpull it up according to my current machine, currently the RCT or before, the SAT both or either, in pitch raise mode, or before that with the SOT no more than 25% above pitch the first pass. If the piano shows some rust or such or is not a good quality piano the first pass goes only to A440. The 2nd pass gets pitch raised from there I concentrate mostly on the middle and up to the top of the damper section at the first tuning-pitch raise. When I return for the 2nd tuning in 2 weeks I can get down to begin getting a fine tuning on it because the piano has had time to "shake it out" Its inner voice now starts coming out and I know that my effort is being rewarded. By the 3rd tuning I can really get it on knowing that it is now getting used to be where it is supposed to be and thanking me for its new found voice and its balanced stability. The client is now accustomed to what the piano is supposed to sound like and hopefully will be bothered when it doesn't sound like they heard that it could sound. We have all won. Thank you for reading. As I said, this is what I do and it has worked for me and my methods have come from 38 years of trying do the right thing. Whatever method you use, be consistent as your customers sometimes know each other and trade info with one another. If you do the same thing, say the same thing you are doing the right thing for your clients. As times get tighter, loyalty from your clients is what you are after. Be honest with them even if they are not honest with you. Give answers to their questions that you believe to be true and don't waiver. They are looking for a rock. If you do this whole process another way and it works for you stick with it for it works for you. If it isn't, experiment around with ideas from all of us and formulate your own "right" way. James Grebe R.P.T. of the P.T.G. from St. Louis pianoman@inlink.com "I'm on my way towards the mighty light of knowledge".
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