Customer Satisfaction

[Matthew Todd]

So, I have returned from the dreaded appointment.  It actually went pretty fair.  I tried several things on the note she was complaining about, but I don't really think it did much.  She actually said it improved, but it really didn't.  But hey, if she said it did, I wasn't going to argue with her.

The note in question is D-30.  The piano is a Baldwin grand, and the D is the note just before the copper wound strings.  I did two things to the note.

I spent some time voicing, and then I made sure the knuckle and jack relationship was where it is supposed to be.  It was off some.

If you were to play a D Major scale, by the time you hit D-30, it just doesn't quite match the previous notes.  It doesn't quite have the "life" the others have.  It is not bad.  In fact, if she didn't point it out to me (I wish she hadn't!) I wouldn't have noticed it when I tuned it a month ago.  There is just a little "thud" when you play it.  Or like the note is sounding with just a little less force and volume than the rest.  She demonstrated the way it sounds to her by playing a Sonata she had been practicing.  In the piece she is repeating the D, and that is how she probably discovered it.

I know this will be difficult to diagnose over the internet, and it is definitely not something severe that calls for another tech, but it is a good learning experience for me, and I did tell her I wasn't going to give up, or call her "picky" or "crazy".

Thanks!
Matthew

Michael Kurta <mkurta at roadrunner.com> wrote:           Matthew:
     First, get a clear explanation  and demonstration from the customer as to their complaint.  Some folks have  a hard time explaining so you'll need to help them with this.  You need all  the information you can get to diagnose accurately.  Second try your best  to remedy their problem.  95% of complaints are real and noticeable to the  player, though there are some which may not be correctable, and others that are  imagined.  
     Failing your efforts to make  them happy, call upon another, more experienced tech to help, even if you have  to pay for their time.  Chalk it up to training as we've all had to do this  once in awhile.  Sometimes a second opinion will reinforce your solution,  and the customer will be satisfied.  
     My favorite motto is:   "The customer isn't always right, but they're always the customer."  Good  Luck and let us know how it all worked out.
     Mike Kurta, RPT
     Syracuse chapter 
     Moving to the Chicago chapter  August 1.

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