Yamaha service bond

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

       Hi, Lance. Thanks for the note. I just got to the mail in time to see
that Dave has already pretty much answered you. I do have a copy of the
service bond procedure that Yamaha used to give out. The important things on
it were pretty much what Dave as already pointed out. I think the real
reason for doing a service bond is so that the piano can be restored to a
very good regulation after the action parts have had a chance undergo the
slight compacting due to the initial play in. In the case that I mentioned
in my previous posting, though, the piano was purchased in the L.A. area,
and shipped to Twenty Nine Palms CA., which is desert. All the flange screws
had shrunk due to slight drying, and really could use some snugging, which I
knew even before I saw the piano.
    Of course the piano had arrived with no dealer prep, and I wasn't being
paid much for driving 25 miles one-way to service it. The theory behind this
kind of work is also that once I have the initial contact, the customer is
mine to keep, if I can, but in this situation the client was a Marine Corp
Officer who was going to be transferred in six months. Doing a good job for
the customer was important to me, and made me feel good, but it didn't do
anything for my personal future welfare. It did help with my decision to not
do any further work for that dealer, though, when he called me to tell me
that he wasn't going to pay me for my extra 1 &1/2 hours of work.
    I still have a copy of the old service bond sheet from Yamaha. If you
want more detail, e-mail me privately, and I'll send it to you.



Kevin E. Ramsey
ramsey@extremezone.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Nereson" <dnereson@dimensional.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 12:12 AM
Subject: Yamaha service bond


> to Lance Lafargue:  I worked for a Yamaha dealer in the 80's and we
> routinely did Yamaha Service Bonds.  First, new Yamaha piano owners got a
> "free" tuning with purchase of the piano, then 6 months later, got the
> Service Bond.  There was a Yamaha-issued card you took with you, which had
> the procedure on it, which you checked off as you went, then upon
> completion, you signed it, got the piano owner's signature also, and the
> dealer returned them to Yamaha.
>     I think they much preferred that the technician had attended the
Little
> Red Schoolhouse service program in Buena Park, CA.
>     It consisted of mainly screw tightening all around the piano, and all
> the action screws, then checking and touching-up the regulation, pedals,
and
> doing a tuning.  Usually took a little over 2 hours on a vertical and 3 or
> more on a grand, depending how badly out the regulation was.
>          But I haven't worked for a Yamaha dealer since '87.  I don't know
> if they phased out the Service Bond, or if they only pay for it if the
> customer finds out about and/or requests it.  --Dave Nereson, RPT
>
>