cheated customer. was Re: Whitney spinet

[Wimblees@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 98-11-21 20:37:28 EST, you write:

<< My first appointment this morning was with a Whitney spinet that was 100
 > cents flat.  Normally I would charge 2 pitch raises and a final tuning, but
 > I noticed that there were no bridle straps so I charged an extra pitch
 > raise; in other words, I went over it 4 times instead of 3.  I feel
 > justified in this because of the lack of bridle straps.  I certainly didn't
 > want to be faced with a broken string on this piano if I could help it.
 > Anyhow, as it turned out there were no broken strings and the piano ended
 > up right at A-440 and sounded pretty good.  My question is -- if a string
 > had broken and required removal of the action how would I accomplish this
 > without all of the jacks dropping down beneath the butts?  Second question:
 > should I have run as fast as I could from this piano?
 > 
 > Ted Simmons
 > Merritt Island, FL
  >>


Ted:

In my opinion, you were dishonest, and cheated the customer. You charged her
for the possibility of a problem, which in the end, didn't occur. You mixed
apples and oranges. You charged the customer for a bushell of apples, and just
because she looked at the oranges, you charged her for those also, even though
she didn't buy any. 

I would have informed the customer that the piano needed a pitch raise, and
how much that would cost. Then I would have warned her that in case a string
broke,  it would have cost her x number of dollars, which would have included
removing the action, replacing the bridle straps, replacing the strings and
replacing the action. If the customer wanted to do all of that, then it would
have been her call, and she would have been prepared to pay the extra, if
needed. 

Getting back to your question, however, there is a way to remove an action
without the bridle straps. I have done this on upright pianos, but it can work
on spinits also. Before removing the action, put a strip of masking take on
the back checks, from one end of the action to the other.  (Double up the
masking tape if you don't think it is strong enough). Then put tape at several
spots from the backs checks to the hammer rail. This will keep the back checks
up tight against the action, and prevent the jacks from slipping under the
butts.   

Willem Blees 
St. Louis