unhappy customer

[David Ilvedson]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Bad boy...although if you hadn't done the voicing you would have been done
tuning and no one home and no one to pay the bill?  I don't let customers
leave without a check on the oft chance they don't get back before I'm done.

You also need to let potential customers know about pitch raise
possibilities and the fee for such additional work when talking on the
phone.  I know it can make your fees seem high but a brief explanation
usually makes sense to them and no surprises at the job.

David I.

 -----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf Of
Doug Garman
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 7:34 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: unhappy customer


Yesterday, I tuned a 1958 blonde Kimball spinet.  I had told the lady my
tuning fee over the phone.  When I arrived and found the piano to be a half
step low I explained the need for a pitch raise and my fee for such.  She
called her husband and got approval to do the work.

I'm not the fastest tuner in the world.  After spending much more time than
I usually need to I was exhausted but very pleased with the results
(especially considering the piano I had to work with).  At that point I
would have written the invoice, collected my fee, and left.

However, the tone was still that thin, shallow, metallic, pinging, tinging
(my word) sound we're all familiar with in pianos of this sort.  I decided
to spend some time voicing.  The lady had left the house for a while, so I
did not "get her approval".  After voicig the tone was much more tollerable
though still far from ideal.

When she got back I presented her with the bill which included an additional
0.4 hour of time for the voicing.  I could tell she was concerned.  I
explained what that "voicing" was.  She played the piano and liked it (I
didn't), but later that evening her husband called complaining about the
extra charge for something he did not understand or approve.  I offered to
refund the extra fee, telling him I'd rather he be happy.  He said he'd
"leave it up to his wife" and that she would call today.

Was I a bad boy to charge her for doing a little voicing without getting her
approval?  I admit I was frustrated that I was not going to get paid for all
the time I had already spent, but its not like I charged her for something I
did not do.  I think they got a bargin, though it is obvious they do not
understand that.

Doug Garman,  Associate
Granbury, TX


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/9a/c7/f7/e8/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--