---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Thanks to all who responded. Lots of good advice there!
I always give customers the PTG pamphlets on pitch raising and regulation.
The "gentleman" seems to want to remain ignorant as to why his piano wasn't
stable.
I called him today to set a time, and he began to tell me that there was a
funny noise in the piano, and that the bass was out of tune. I reiterated that
it wouldn't surprise me, given the neglect that he'd heaped on it.
I arrived at the house, and only the non-English speaking mother-in-law was
there. I played a bit, and noticed--not at all surprisingly--that many of the
unisons in the temperament and mid treble had gone a bit south.I touched up a
couple. Don't know why I did that.
The bass sounded as good as it could in a 5'1" piano grand piano. Then I
heard the buzz. I could not isolate the sound without an assistant to hit it
while I hunted for it, so with some sign language, I enlisted the aid of the
Mother-in-law. Within about 10 seconds I located a piece of lego on the
soundboard near the end of the long bridge. Removed. Sound gone.
It was then that I noticed that the window it is next to is a single-paned
window, and that there was an open heater duct directly underneath the tail of
the piano. I called the *********** and politely pointed out that there was a
foreign object on the soundboard, and that it had been removed. I gave him
the word on the effect of heat and moisture on pianos.
He proceeded on as if he had never heard me, saying that the teacher had said
what a good job I do on pianos. He continued on that the bass sounded out
of tune. I guess being ignorant makes it easy to be a jerk. I told him to
have the teacher call me. I understand that he is an idiot who is trying to get
something for nothing, and is impossible to reason with.
If he calls me again, I will recommend the worst cowboy tooner that I know of.
As if by magic, my next job was about 5 houses away, and it was tuning a
barely-out-of-tune Grotrian 189(about 6' 3"). When I'd finished and gone through
my arpeggios, she said that the piano had never sounded better! Just what I
needed to hear!
Dave Stahl
> 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!"
>
Sound advice, Barbara.
I also find the PTG Technical Bulletins very helpful. The one for Pitch Raise
spells it out well, except for your phrase above. It's a good point, and I
use it occasionally, but I'm sometimes hesitant to point out how many hundreds
of dollars that they've saved for fear of them deciding that it's a viable
long-term technique! The bulletins are effective because customers will normally
have a bit more respect for the printed word. And.... with cantankerous
customers, my communications skills go down the toilet. The ptg.org address is on my
invoices, estimates, and letterhead, also. Sending the customer to the .net
has other advantages, also. Like getting the customer off your shoulder while
working.
Entertaining career, no?
Guy Nichols, RPT
Ft. Stinkin' Desert, NM
"Controversy equalizes fools and wise men and the fools know it."
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)
---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/1e/4c/8a/39/attachment.htm
---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC