Tuning Complaint - Client Relationship

[Farrell]

Hi Listees. I'm looking for some opinions. I am responding to my first
tuning complaint this morning at 9:30 EST. My question is going to be: Do I
charge them for a tuning.......because the tuning did not hold......, or
should I tune and not charge and get a couple PR stars on my forehead?
Details follow:

Subject is a 1968 Yamaha C7 in original condition. I would describe the
condition as fair+. The piano is in a fundamentalist-type Christian church.
AC goes on Wed. night and Sundays. No dehumidification system on piano.
Client called up last night and said she had been meaning to call for the
last three weeks because the pianist said the piano is flat (pianist is out
of town - that's all I could get out of secretary). Service history follows:

2000 - Replace 4 bass strings & 4 treble strings
Nov. 8, 2000 - Pitch Raise 10-25 cents
Nov. 8, 2000 - Tune A440
May 17, 2001 - Tune A440

My piano Notes follow:

SAT:   4.0   7.0   6.5     DOB: 0.0
Church wants this piano tuned (pre-scheduled) every 6 months.
Piano inspection 11/8/00:
Board: minimum crown, barely OK
Bridges: DB minimal, but OK
Strings: false beats, bass tone uneven
Action: 55 - 60g DW, needs full regulation, Good candidate for balancing
Hammers: original - should be replaced, but could be filed/shaped

We have had a severe drought in Florida all winter. The rainy season finally
started right at the end of June. I can't imagine that I will find the piano
flat - it will most likely be sharp because I last tuned it near the end of
a prolonged dry period and now it rains about 2" a day.

Anyway, I know I tuned it right at A440 - and the rest of the piano sounded
good (as good as this one will get!). In two months, I can only imagine the
piano needs to be tuned - change of seasons, no climate control, AC
on-and-off, etc. I have a hard time imagining that it is the tuner's fault!
I expect I will find the piano out of tune and sharp. Quite obviously a
goodly amount of education is due here. I will talk extensively about tuning
stability, climate and climate control, and give them a Dampp-Chaser
brochure.

The bottom line is do I charge them for a tuning (if they have a pianist
with an ear and considering climatic conditions, the piano should likely be
tuned every 2 to 3 months), or should I do a complete tuning for free to
preserve that "feel good" climate (as unstable as it is!).