Aaargh!!...aka customer relations

[Barbara Richmond]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Oh, gosh, Dave, thick skin is some times required.  There are a number =
of ways to HELP avoid this type of thing in the future.

When making the appointment, get all the information you can about the =
piano and it's service history.  Ask, brand, model, age, last time it =
was tuned, service history, any mechanical complaints, etc.  Then =
educate the customer by giving the spiel, "Did you know that =
manufacturers recommend that pianos be tuned twice a year?."  "It is =
quite possible that I will have to do a pitch correction in addition to =
a tuning, etc...."  Explain the work that will have to be done and the =
expected charges and that it is also quite possible that it might take a =
few service calls to get the piano stable.=20

It's really important to get this information to them right at the =
start.  I usually end up with the comment, "Though it will cost more =
this time, at least you are not having to pay for all the tunings it's =
missed!" =20


As far as how to handle the current situation, it's your choice:

1. Do nothing, risking whatever.=20
2. Go out and please him and keep him as a customer=20
3. Go out and please him and never make another appointment with him =
again.=20

I've made it a policy to dump rude and troublesome customers.  You don't =
HAVE to tune everybody's piano (unless you're really hard up for the =
cash.)  Peace of mind in worth something, too!


Many years ago, a fellow asked me to come tune his small grand piano.  =
When I got there a section of the treble bridge was in a shambles (and =
you could hear it!).  I showed him the problem and explained that =
repairing the bridge at that point would make good sense before tuning =
the piano.  I told him what it would cost, he could pay me a $25 fee for =
coming out now, but then I would deduct the fee from the repair bill =
when I finished the work.  OR I could try to tune the piano, but I =
couldn't guarantee how that would turn out.  He opted to have the bridge =
repaired, we made the appointment, he paid the service call fee. =20

Late that night, I got a call from him.  It was obvious that he had been =
drinking.  He informed me that he had called all the other piano tuners =
in town (some of which didn't care for me because I was a young female =
upstart, who had gone to, of all things, a piano technicians school), =
and they told him I was way out of line, he was canceling payment on the =
check and I could take him to small claims court if I wanted.  Also, he =
was a newspaper reporter and threatened to write about me (he never did) =
and it didn't reflect very well on the music store that had recommended =
me.  Ah, me. I did nothing, but informed the music store of the trouble. =
 (I'll admit I was very tempted to go up to his door, ring the doorbell =
and run.)  I thought it was better to let one of those other piano =
tuners deal with this guy!

Speaking of being in a dazed state, I was once awakened from a nap by a =
call and the first question asked was, "How much does it cost to fix two =
loose knockers?"  It was a good thing I was sleepy!  :-)


Barbara Richmond, RPT
at home with a sick child
somewhere near Peoria, IL


  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Piannaman@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 9:40 AM
  Subject: Aaargh!!...aka customer relations


  Fellow self-employed types,=20

  Has this or something like it happened to you?  I had just gotten my 3 =
year old to sleep last night and was about to nod off when my phone =
rang.  I glanced at the clock and it was almost 10:30.  I picked it up, =
and a man stated his name, and said that I'd been out to his house last =
week and tuned his piano.  I remembered him, and I remembered his =
demanding nature.=20

  He said that the teacher had been to his house and had played the =
piano.  She said that the bass was out of tune.  Now this doesn't =
surprise me a bit.  It was a pitch raise of gargantuan proportions and a =
tuning.  2 hours worth of work, and I didn't charge him for the pitch =
raise, because he was a new customer.  I did warn him that the next time =
he'd pay.  The piano is approximately 5 years old, and if had ever been =
tuned in his house I'd be surprised.  Normally when I pitch raise a =
piano, it's pretty stable, as long as it was stabilized at one point in =
it's life.  That was certainly not the case here.=20

  In my dazed state, I stated that I'd come out(today) and check it out. =
 He was extremely rude, and acted as if I'd done something wrong.  My =
first reaction was to make it better so that the customer--and his =
teacher, who'd recommended me--were no longer disgruntled.  I thought =
about it for awhile, and realized that I'd done nothing wrong, and had =
indeed given him far more than he paid for.  I called him back and left =
him a polite message to that effect on his work phone, which he should =
pick up today.  I pointed out that I'd do it for free this time, but =
that I wasn't the one who let the piano go untuned for so long.=20

  Any advice on possible responses to this sort of thing?=20

  This type of stuff really rankles me.  I guess the lesson here is to =
not take it too personally.  Kinda hard to do sometimes when you're the =
whole show.=20

  Thanks for reading.  =20

  Dave Stahl=20



---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/5e/5a/6a/91/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--