Aaaaaaaarrrrrrgh!

[Ray T. Bentley]

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Alan,
 
I doubt that sending the letter would do anything for either you or her.
Her mind is already made up.  Perhaps she'll call you again and act
totally differently. Sometimes, the less said, the better.
 
One point in your letter, however, mentions that you are the only Guild
technician.....
 
Anyone can pay dues and be a guild member.  It becomes meaningful only
after the tests to become RPT have been passed.  When advertising in
this manner or in an ad, it is important that guild status be included.
 
Ray
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ray T. Bentley, RPT
Registered Piano Tuner-Technician
Alton, IL
ray@bentley.net
www.ray.bentley.net <http://www.ray.bentley.net/> 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Alan
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 5:29 PM
To: 'Pianotech'
Subject: Aaaaaaaarrrrrrgh!



(Had trouble with this message, if it posts more than once, just zap.
Sorry)
 
Had to happen sooner or later. Visit people who don't play much, tune
annual. He's nice. She was okay in past. She not home. Sit at piano. 20+
cents flat after period of high humidity around here. Tell him it needs
pitch correction. Work on piano for 2 1/2 hours. She's now home, comes
in as I'm trying to take a little Story & Clarke wine out of the
unisons. Scowl. "We have places to go today! How much longer is this
going to take?" Oh, says I, I'm just finishing up. "How much."  Well it
needed pitch correction, you see, blah blah blah, so it's $140 today. 
 
[Insert sound of Banshee With Bellyache here]
 
"Why, we haven't even moved that piano." (Me: chuff, hrgmff, choke ...)
 
 {Caution Serious Rant Zone Ahead} 
 
WHAT THE HELL IS IT WITH THIS 'MOVING THE PIANO CRAP'? EVERYONE KNOWS(!)
THATS WHAT MAKES PIANOS NEED TUNING (puff puff pant) DID THE GOVERNMENT
USED TO PRINT THAT FACTOID(???!!!) ON CEREAL BOXES OR WHAT? SEEMS MOST
FOLKS DON'T KNOW A $#*%&* THING ELSE ABOUT THEIR PIANO BUT IF YOU ROLL
IT 3 INCHES, THAT'S WHEN YOU GOTTA CALL THE TUNER (OR IF A KEY IS
'STICKING.') OTHER THAN THAT, IT CAN EASILY GO ANOTHER 15 YEARS AND
SOUNDS JUST BLOODY GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
 
"Last time you were here you only charged me $50." No, Ma'am. It was $65
a couple of years ago. Now it's $80 plus you needed the pitch raise. 
 
Tried to explain. She wrote a check. I said, just pay me what you think
it's worth. She paid the full amount.
 
She won't be using me next time. That's okay. She will undoubtedly tell
everyone in her church--and it's a small community here--and anyone else
who'll listen that I am a rotten crook and I charge $140 to tune a
piano--that hasn't even been moved! That's not okay. Damn.
 
I never raised my voice.
 
I've  included  the letter I've prepared to send her , below. Before I
seal it and send it, if any of you kind folks want to look it over and
tell me I'm right on, crazy, or both, I'd appreciate it. All comments
welcome. Maybe some ideas for people with similar customer relations
disasters are here, too ...
  
Alan R. Barnard
Trying to Thicken My Skin Without Thickening My Skull in Salem, MO
(Man, that's just plain thick! Thorry.)
 
Dear Friends:

 

I am very upset about our discussion today. These are my thoughts and
feelings .

 

First and foremost: If I have offended you in any way, whatsoever, I do
truly apologize and ask your forgiveness. Friendship and integrity mean
everything in the world to me and business .. is only business.

 

Jeanne, you seemed upset with me from the moment I said hello and
certainly before the fee was discussed. I didn't understand that.

 

I've attached a copy of information about tuning, humidity, pitch
raises, etc., in the interest of understanding. Your piano was 21
percent flat today, which I pointed out to Ron. He heard how much I was
raising each string just to get it near pitch. Anything more than about
6 or 7 percent flat (or sharp, and less than 5 is better) is simply not
tunable for good, lasting results. If anything, with the high humidity
of recent days, I expected to find your piano a little sharp, or maybe a
little flat (it has been a whole year) but it was way off.

 

Perhaps I should have clarified fees with Ron before starting, but you
had always handled our business in the past and you are the player. So I
just plunged in, doing what the piano needed.

 

Most people tune every 6 months in our climate, but usually a year
doesn't throw a piano so much-although it will not sound very good. But
some pianos are just more reactive to humidity swings than others. No
one could have done a straight tuning, today; the pitch correction was
absolutely essential. I wish you'd been home when I arrived; maybe we'd
have saved some grief. 

 

You were right in remembering that I charged less on previous occasions.
My records show $65 tuning payments on 9/11/02 and 4/27/04. Both were
for straight, near-pitch tunings, even though I had already raised my
rates by April of last year, I charged you the old amount-don't remember
why. My standard tuning rate is now $80 but if gas prices remain so
high, I will be raising it a little or start charging for mileage and
time on the road.

 

That's the way Bottorf Appliance charges: $40 per hour (including
driving time to and from) and $100 a mile.  I know because I routinely
survey other professional services to make sure that my fees are in line
and fair. At their rate, a visit equivalent to mine, today, would have
run about the same as what I charged. Equivalent time on auto repairs at
Al West would have cost nearly $200 just for the labor (and they won't
come to your house).

 

 As I said, I'm not the cheapest tuner in our area. In fact, if I heard
that another person was charging more than I, I would immediately raise
my rates. I am the only Guild technician between here, Springfield,
Columbia, Arkansas, and St. Louis. That alone doesn't guarantee you
top-notch service, but does demonstrate a person's desire to be
professional, ethical, and to provide excellent, knowledgeable service.
Also it affords fantastic training and mentoring opportunities which I
take every advantage of.

 

There are people out there who will take your money to fiddle with your
tuning pins. We call them "tooners." One such person, locally, uses a
guitar tuner and has no understanding, at all, about how pianos work or
how to tune them, doesn't understand tempered tuning, inharminicity, or
what to do if a key doesn't play right. When encountering pianos
off-pitch like yours, this person either tunes and tunes-desperately
trying to make it sound right-until they literally throw him out, or
tells them their "strings are shot" and they need a new piano!

 

There is a fellow from Marshfield who tunes locally and has a good
reputation. And there is one in Rolla whom I have never met, but have
never heard anything bad about. Second Street Music Academy in Dixon has
a lady who tunes, very well I'm told. I'm not sure she comes this far
south, though.

 

On the other hand, I'd like to remain friends and, just perhaps, your
tuner, too. I'm trying to build a business, provide the best service I
can, feed my family, behave honorably, and make as many friends as I
can. If I blew it, somehow, I'm sorry.

 

Very truly yours,




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