Tuning Gone Bad

[Joseph Alkana]

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Terry,
You've already gotten several good suggestions, but here's an additional =
thought: Ask that the pianist join you at the piano when you reschedule =
the appointment. It seems only fair to me that the one doing the =
complaining should be there for the fix. If the problem turns out to be =
one that is beyond the scope of your control, at least the pianist will =
gain an insight to the problem and perhaps be more understanding and =
less demanding the next time something like this happens. I remember one =
situation similar to yours where the problem turned out to be a buzz =
caused by someone taping mikes to the soundboard. But of course, the =
piano never sounded like that before I tuned it!

 Then there was the piano with the pencil on the strings. And the jelly =
doughnut. The staple on a string. The high notes still ringing on, =
unlike the ones that have those wood things with the pads on them to =
shut off the sound. The mis-matched bass strings I pointed out two years =
ago as problem notes. The woody sound of the very high treble where the =
hammers are worn to a frazzle. And the list goes on. Very rarely on a =
return call have I actually found a piano with poorly tuned notes of my =
doing. Not that I'm such a whiz or anything, it's just that most return =
calls are for very picayunish details not related to tuning problems per =
se.
Lots of luck!
Joseph Alkana  RPT
josephspiano@attbi.com
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Farrell=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 4:26 AM
  Subject: Tuning Gone Bad


  I received a call from a church where I have tuned their 1960s K&C =
spinet three times since 1999. I just
  tuned it three weeks ago on May 2 (most of it was up to pitch, the =
treble got a second pass). The pastor called me the other day and asked =
if I could stop by and touch up the tuning because the pianist said the =
center of the piano went out of tune.

  I'm going to go out there Saturday. It is a 40 minute drive from my =
place. I suspect, unless I see evidence that someone was trying to tune =
it themselves, that the thing to do is touch it up, smile, and go on my =
way.

  This is the first time I have ever had a call like this. I'm sure =
others have. What is your normal course of action/policy. Do you tell =
the customer while on the phone that you will be charging them for the =
trip, etc.? Thanks.

  Terry Farrell


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