Types of customers -- FUNNY and TRUE!

[Paul McCloud]

Hi, Gregor:
	I hope I'm wrong, but I would fear that I would be next on her
list of ex-tuners.  I had a similar situation where the owner complained
about the last tuner.  His hearing was apparently affected because I
tuned his Baldwin Hamilton twice very carefully, but he complained that
some of the notes sounded bad.  He wanted me to refund his money.  
	People with hearing aids often have trouble hearing the piano
properly, and convincing them that nothing is wrong with the piano is
nearly impossible.  
	Glad to hear you became the hero.  Hope it stays that way.

Paul McCloud
San Diego


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Gregor _
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 9:53 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: RE: Types of customers -- FUNNY and TRUE!

I tuned a Bechstein upright today for a very old lady with hearing aids.

Communication with her was nearly impossible because she did not hear 
everything what I was saying. She complained about the former tuner. She

played a C major chord on C2 and complained about the grumbling nature
of 
that chord. I tried to explain her that this is normal on every piano
and 
that she very likely is mixing up the octaves. No, no, that was not
before 
the other tuner came. It was clear that I could not help her. No matter
what 
I would do, the result would be the same: chords in that octave just 
grumbel, even on a Bösendorfer Imperial! But it was useless to explain
her 
that. So, I started and did a very good tuning (thank you, Verituner).
She 
observed me all the time during tuning. Then she checked the tuning and 
played a C major chord, but now on C3. Aaaah, much better.

I was the third tuner since october. The first guy tuned, she
complained, he 
tuned again, she complained, he touched up again. One week later another

tuner came: tuning, complaining, good bye. She asked her family and any 
visitor for the sound of that C2 chord and everybody confirmed the 
grumbeling nature. That was an evidence for her that all the tuners were

idiots!

She had a good feeling with me, because I told her immediately what I
was 
honestly thinking (no idea if she really understood me). And she said
that I 
was working much more thoroughly than the other tuners. And she
complained 
that one tuner had striked the keys much too hard and loud. Aha!

Poor old lady. Arguments were senseless.

Gregor




>From: PIANOTECHNICIAN at aol.com
>Reply-To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Types of customers -- FUNNY and TRUE!
>Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 11:10:55 EDT
>
>Most of the thousands of customers we've all had fall into certain  
>distinct
>categories, and in my humble opinion here they are. You have the
eccentric
>old piano teacher widow type, who has between 4 and 8 cats and  she
talks 
>your
>ear off during the entire tuning, telling you how the world has  gone
to 
>hell
>and things are not like they used to be (she's got a good point  here).

>Then
>you have the curious type, who sits or stands over you watching
intently 
>during
>the entire tuning, fascinated at your every move. The you have  the
>hospitable type, who never fails to offer you food and drinks, and even

>invites you to
>join them at the dinner table. You have the mechanical type, who  takes

>apart
>the upright piano before you arrive, so that when you get there, all
you
>have to do is start tuning. Then you have the average housewife type,
who  
>never
>plays the piano but wants you to come once a year just to keep it in
>shape.Then you have the super rich type. He or she never meets you, as

>everything is
>in the hands of the housekeeper.Then you have the cheapos, who try  to 
>bargain
>you down no matter how reasonable your price is. This, thankfully, is  
>rare.
>Then you have just the opposite -- the tippers, usually men, who always

>throw
>in an extra 5 or 10. Then you have the complainers - -you do a
marvelous
>job, transforming a horribly out-of-tune piano into a masterpiece, and
they 
>sit
>down and play the highest B and C and complain that they don't sound
right!
>Then  you have the concert pianist, who gives the piano a thorough
workout 
>and
>compliments you on a fine job. Then you have the friendly type who,
after
>knowing him for years and years, you consider more of a friend than a 
>customer.
>Then you have (for single guys only) the girlfriend type who, after
tuning 
>the
>  piano, you don't know whether or not to ask her out for a date. And 
>finally,
>the  geriatric couple, whose house looks like something out of a 1940's
or
>1950's  movie -- the carpeting and all the furniture is about 60 years
old,
>including the piano. Everything has that quality 1940's look. The  
>telephone is
>that standard black desk phone that weights a ton, and when it  rings
you 
>hear
>that "ding a ling" sound instead of the modern electronic ring.  Just
hope
>that when they tip you, they're not back in the 1950's by taking a
dollar 
>out of
>their pocket instead of a ten!
>
>Jesse Gitnik
>NYC
>Since 1980
><BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers
free
>email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL at
>http://www.aol.com.

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