Return calls/was tuning stability

[David Love]

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I would just go back and check it at no charge when you have an =
appointment in the area.  It happens rarely enough that worrying about =
how to justify a charge probably isn't worth it.   The customer will be =
glad that you did it and you're probably more likely to get referrals =
from them.  I would take the opportunity to suggest that they might want =
to consider a more thorough servicing of the instrument at each tuning =
to touch up the voicing and regulation, perhaps.  Sometimes their =
embarrassment over having you come back for nothing can be used as an =
opportunity to generate more work by raising their awareness about the =
kind of servicing a piano needs to be kept at a reasonably high level of =
performance.  Over the years I have had to return for a variety of =
reasons unrelated to my work.  Most recently a buzz that turned out to =
be a picture frame on the wall nearby.   Of course, if there is another =
problem that needs fixing I do charge them.  If it's a 10 second fix I =
probably won't, but if I have to spend some time I will.   I would =
probably charge for actual time though and forget my one hour minimum.  =
Often business building requires walking that fine line between being =
taken advantage of and good public relations work.  When in doubt, I opt =
for good public relations.  It will serve you better in the long run =
than those couple of dollars.

David Love


----- Original Message -----=20
  From: PNHISTIC1@AOL.COM=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: May 25, 2002 5:56 AM
  Subject: Return calls/was tuning stability


  Terry, list,=20

  I recently tuned a 1 year old Kawai RX-2 6' grand in a home that was a =
 half hour drive from my house.  I spent a good amount of time on it =
because it had gone at least 20-30 cents flat throughout in the year =
since it had been purchased and tuned.  When I was finished, I was quite =
pleased with the way it sounded.  Unfortunately, the gentleman who plays =
the instrument was not there to check it out at the time.  He called the =
following week to point out that there was little sustain in the =
mid/lower treble.  =20

  I know the dampers were adjusted, and I'd left nothing on the strings =
to mute them.  The hammers were not grooved at all.  My take on it is =
that the player had gotten used to a certain sound-- out  of tune--so =
that when the unisons were tuned, the piano didn't sound the same at =
all.=20

  Anyway, I told him that I'd come out and look at the piano no charge =
if he could wait until I had another call in his neighborhood(likely =
very soon--it's in San Jose, CA, a huge metropolitan area with many =
pianos).  I'd come look at it and correct anything I'd caused or missed =
for no charge, but if it turned out he'd left a shirt on the strings, or =
that there was no problem, I'd charge him half a tuning fee for the hour =
in the car.=20

  Sound fair?  Any opinions on this?=20

  Dave Stahl=20

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