unhappy customer

[Marvin McDonald]

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Doug,
I learned a long time ago, through experience,  that you never want to
do anything to a piano that does not have your customers approval
first.  You went the extra mile but believe this or not I have clients
who like the tone you were hearing from that spinet.  They would not
like it if I were to voice the piano to what I would consider a
tolerable tone.  Remember that voicing is a very personal thing on a
piano.  What you and I will like may not be what our client wants so we
must first seek their opinon about the tone of the piano.
--Marvin McDonald, Associate

Doug Garman wrote:

> 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,  AssociateGranbury, TX

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