Tuning Complaint - Client Relationship

[John Ross]

Hi Terry,
You have received some good advice already.
First off, as already said, you must meet with the pianist, and find out
exactly what her complaint is.
Emphasise with her that any complaints about tuning, you be informed
immediately, by her, and not someone else. It is funny how often it is left
up to the secretary, or someone on the music committee to get in touch with
the tuner. It happens to me as well.
It sounds like they are a good customer, and being a church, they have a lot
of potential customers, in the congregation.
After your meeting with her, play it by ear about the charge, I would just
make it a charge for your time. i.e.Service Call. But if they really feel it
is your fault, do it for free.
Really emphasis the effects of the humidity swings, and give them some of
the PTG pamphlets, or direct them to the websites with the info.

Regards,
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
piano.tech@ns.sympatico.ca
----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 6:48 AM
Subject: Tuning Complaint - Client Relationship


> 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!).
>
>
>