Dave Bunch's advice

[KeyKat88 at aol.com]

Greeetings, 

  RE: Bald. Acro. with splitting bridge & 2 broken strings sold by dealer.

     How did this all end up?.....Well I called the dealer, I told him the 
customer was pretty mellow,  about the whole thing (i also mentioned that I 
didnt emphasise the severity of the problenm TO the customer, but I did inform 
that it needs $100 worth of attention)  and then I told the dealer that I think 
the guy paid too much for the piano. I told him what I wanted to keep the piano 
going; and that +keep the piano going+ was the best I could do for $100. 
(Otherwise it would be a new bass bridge and strings in a Baldwin 
Acrosonic)...umm...Even if it was feasable who is going to pay for that?.....I dont think so.


       THe dealer responded by telling me that the other floor piano tuner 
that they use had not beeen in the store for a while and that the other tuner 
usually looks over/goes over the used pianos when she is there. An that this 
Acronsonic "silpped through the cracks". 

           He said taht they price the used pianos so that a newer item would 
look more appealing, and that for the price that this guy paid, he could have 
spent $150 more and had a Kawaii electronic piano. He said they price the 
used pianos like this in hopes of selling the customer something better, making 
them seee that if they just spend a few hundred more....

           Ultimately, he told me he would pay for the piano repairs, and 
that I could go back to the customer and tell them that the store says that the 
customer can return the Acro and get credit for another something new (acoustic 
or elec)  or keep this one and keep it going and that it would be paid for.

    Wheeeeeyyeeew!!! Geesh... What a "choice"! 

JUli
PA 

           
  In a message dated 4/13/2006 7:48:23 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
VOCE88 at aol.com writes:
I will see your Amen - and raise you 2 Hallelujahs!

Rich Galassini
Cunningham Piano Co.
(800) 394-1117
Adding an amen to this response,
Ruth Phillips
info at alliedpiano.com
 
 
 
After reading some of your responses, I thought I would play devil's advocate 
for the dealers.. Yes, there are shady, disreputable dealers out there. I 
have had the good fortune of working for good dealers that genuinely want their 
customers to be happy. There have been times when these dealers have sold bad 
used pianos that had problems that they really did not know about. They are 
salesmen, not technicians. In every case, they have made good on repairs after I 
have brought them to their attention. The key here is to bring the problems to 
the attention of the dealers, NOT the customer. I have had dealers send me 
150 miles to service pianos sold at a remote sale because they live in fear of 
tuners that just love to point out defects on their new purchases and at the 
very least imply that the dealer was trying to cheat them on the deal. If you 
KNOW your dealer is treating customers unfairly, then all bets are off and it 
would be in your best interest to discontinue your assoc!
 iation with them in order to protect your own reputation. However, if it is 
possible that the dealer was not aware of the severity of the piano's 
condition, then give them the benefit of the doubt and let THEM know of the problems 
first.
 
Dave Bunch
 
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