Hi Chuck
I quite appreciate your Journal articles and agree with your take on
this issue - please continue when you have time
Perhaps I could relate my own experience from a previous career as
owner/operator of a commercial recording facility. Before beginning a
project I would meet with the client away from the studio to go over
their concept and ballpark their budget, just to see if they wanted to
continue. I would ask what they expected their finished project to
accomplish in the end. If they glazed over, I would give them some "for
instances" - "are you presenting this project to a record company A&R
rep for consideration?" or "is this a demo to scare up some bar & club
work or to showcase your original songs?". Often the answer would come
back "I have always wanted to go through the process of recording a CD
of my original music with all my musician friends and I don't really
care if anyone ever buys the end product."
All of these reason are legit. The last reason is the one that sets my
mind most at ease, because with the former, I would have to explain with
real statistics the odds against the client satisfying their
expectations in the end. That's the point. It's their money and in the
end they decide what they want to do with it. As long as expectations
are tempered with knowledge of reality, I would continue with any
project that came through the door. I would not charge less for a less
promising project. I would certainly remind a client of their original
expectations if during the production they began to get away from their
target. Oh, and I had all the details of the pre-production and
production meetings on paper in clear language with client's initials.
In the end, I believe that both my clients and I were saved a lot of
grief and stress because of this exercise.
As a newer piano tech, I intend to employ the same practice with my "old
upright" and other clients. That is, clarify upfront what the likely
cost & possible overruns will be, and the likely outcome of the work
both in terms of function & real market value, acknowledging the
client's sentimental motives. Once _they_ make a decision, we move on
with no guilt. I'm sure I'll refuse work because I simply don't want to
do really nasty stuff or I'm too busy or it's too dangerous or I haven't
yet acquired the skills to fairly serve the client. But as to the value
of the instrument and the justification for major work to be done, I'll
leave that to the now-educated client.
Phil
Chuck Behm wrote:
> List - Sorry, unfinished draft was sent, I'm not sure under what
> subject heading, if any - hit the wrong key and it was gone into
> cyberspace. Was carrying on about sentimental vs. commercial value.
> Doesn't make much sense as is, I'm afraid. Will complete thoughts
> later, if anyone's interested. Have to head out now, however, for a
> day of tuning. Chuck Behm
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--
/Artist Piano Care/
E X C E L L E N C E ~ F I N E LY T U N E D
web: www.artistpianocare.ca
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cel: 905-626-3727
phil at artistpianocare.ca
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