Tuning Complaint - Client Relationship

[Robert Wilson]

Hi Terry,

I would say charge them - if you don't it will look 
as if you are admitting that the failure to hold tune
was somehow your fault, when in reality it was the
piano, the climate, and probably the fact that these
pianos take quite a bashing.

Here in England, church pianos tend to be a problem
as the building is heated just on certain days or
weekends and are often tuned for special occasions
rather than as regular general maintenance.  They
can also take quite a while to pay!

Good luck,

Bob.

--- Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> 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!).
> 
> 


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