Home Alone

[Kent Swafford]

on 12/12/00 4:41 PM, Farrell at mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com wrote:

> Sometimes when tuning in a private home, the owner says - "Gee, I gotta go
> out and ......  Do you mind locking the door on your way out?" Or sometimes
> a long-time client says that they can't be home, but they will leave the key
> under the door. "Just let yourself in dear, the check will be on the piano".
> 
> But how about the guy that calls you - you've never heard of, met, seen this
> guy in your life - tells you he wants the piano tuned as a present for his
> wife, he can't be home, but the key is in the barbie on the back porch
> (check will be left with key).
> 
> Has anyone ever had a bad experience with any of these scenarios? The last
> one I did today - first time. I did not feel entirely comfortable with the
> circumstances. Seemed OK though in the end.

One member of the KC Chapter declines to be present if the customer is not
present. He _will_ stop work and leave the house if the customer leaves
while he is there. He will not stay in the house alone with only the
children present either. I can see his point of view; he figures he could
not possibly afford to be accused of something even once, so he figures
better safe than sorry.

As for myself I try to accommodate the customer's suggested logistics. In
doing this I am making a rather large assumption. The assumption is that an
untrusting person likely to make accusations would never leave me in his
house by myself, and nice trusting people who are unlikely to make
accusations are the people who leave the tech alone with their house and
kids. It's a rather big assumption.

Our best possible behavior is required either way.

Kent Swafford