need some opinions

[Don]

Hi,

I'm sure that most of us have had clients that frustrate our best efforts.
Human beings do foolish things--that's our nature.

Les, imho, did "over interpret" the advice given by saying "in writing"
that the piano may be destroyed. He used potty language to a client in a
business letter. It may have been unwise of him to write such a letter to
the client. If he had not posted that the list the "damage" would only have
been local. But now it is embedded in the archives for all to read for all
time. (Be careful what you say here?)

Folks responded to the "over interpretation" by saying the piano would not
be damaged, and certainly not destroyed, just that the tunings would be
"unstable". While I have seen damage from "shared" pianos from serious
errors in judgment on the part of one of the others working on it, saying
it is destroyed is going too far.

The worst case of tuning error presented to me as B3 on a Steinway D being
tuned 26 cents sharp. I do not understand how that would be possible using
an EDT--but that is what I found. There were no complaints from anyone
about that "tuning" either. I can't say it caused damaged to the
instrument, but it did upset me. I did not let the client know, for I have
no idea if the performer or some other third party decided to "improve" the
work.

In my own situation I feel the organization which has been "riding two
horses" for a long time is "using me" to "let the other tuner know his
services can be dispensed with". Perhaps this is how Les is/was feeling. Or
perhaps Les is "the other tuner" at the Church.

This exchange has served to make me realize this--so next time that client
calls I'll be telling them I'm available but I'll quote a price that will
be double my usual rates. If that is acceptable to them, then the time
after that I'll triple them.
Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat

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