lesson learned

[David Ilvedson]

Les,

Yesterday a customer called back and had a complaint about a squeek in the
sustain pedal of her small Steinway console.  A week or so ago I came for a
service appointment to repair her pedal which was tipped on its side and
barely moved up or down but did slightly raise the dampers.  I had estimated
2 hours for the repairs, including re-attaching some ivories and some minor
regulation.  It took me 1.5 hours so she saved some $.  The squeek wasn't
there when I left (I think) but undoubtedly after it was finally moving as
intended with all the other pedal parts a squeek that was probably
unnoticeable in its broken condition began to make more noise.  What to do?
I agreed to come by and check it out on my way back from an appointment.  I
told her if I can take care of it quickly with a little lube, no charge.  If
I need to get in, pull the action and do some real work.  She gets charged
for work that needs to be done!

I like the idea of the PTG bulletins to explain things but alas I don't
carry them with me at this time.  With the initial phone call explain A440
and the possiblity of a pitch raise with the extra charge.  No one is going
to notice anything temperment-wise with the stability.  Only the unisons.
Make sure the unisons are solid at the expense of the high treble if need
be.

David I.

P.S.  Just because I replied doesn't mean I'm an oldster...

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
Of Leslie W Bartlett
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 6:14 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: lesson learned


Well, I learned a lesson today, but now, don't know quite what to do
about it. So, oldesters, who've learned this lesson, please to tell the
ignorant one how you've fixed it so you don't get in this situation
	Tuned a Kaway KG1 for a family yesterday. It was way low. I went through
it twice, and I told the lady of the house, "This piano was very much out
of pitch. I tuned it twice, but some notes will probably not stay in
tune."

	Tonight the man of the house called to tell me the piano was horrible.
Had his kid play on it, and about three notes were obviously not dead
center. He expected me to come out and return tomorrow, even though I
have a full schedule before heading to DC.  I said, that I would not
retune the piano since it had not been tuned in at least 18 months, and I
had told the lady it would have some problems.

	So, the question- how to stay ahead of this kind of thing. I tend to be
pretty naive, I guess, and must stop it immediately.  This customer is a
loss, and I'm not particularly sad about it. He was a nasty creature.
	Two or three questions.
	1) How far "out" out does it have to be before one says "pitch raise
extra tunings"? (given a decent piano)
	2) How do you get it through customers' heads that there is a problem
that won't go away in one tuning?

		I see that the tech must be the aggressor, and, in a sense, put the
client on the spot, here.  Hep the newbie, please- probably before I
leave for DC on Saturday a.m to move pianos.

thanks
les bartlett
houston
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