[pianotech] mouse contamination from the dark side

[Rob McCall]

Well, I guess I'm a specialist.  :-/  I had one today and I have another one tomorrow.  I always move the piano outside or I don't do it. I wear nitrile gloves, a mask, long sleeve shirt, etc.  I stay on the upwind side and like today, it was 90F and I was hot and sweaty.

But I make nearly twice my regular hourly rate.  I consider it hazardous duty pay and my clients are very excited about the prospect of having someone else deal with it.  They usually are happy to pay the price. In the end, the piano is clean and it doesn't smell, the client is happy, and I can buy more tools than I was expecting...  :-)

Regards,

Rob McCall

McCall Piano Service, LLC
www.mccallpiano.com
Murrieta, CA
951-698-1875

On Jul 29, 2012, at 14:00 , Mark Purney wrote:

> I agree. I consider this to be specialty work, like smoke damage or finish repair. It's not an every day thing like fixing pedal squeaks, which is something all of us deal with constantly and should be skilled at. The great thing about specialists is that we can refer our clients to them when it's a less-common job that we'd prefer not to do, for whatever reason. There is nothing wrong with that. The specialist is happy to get the job, we should be happy to give it away, and the client feels respected that we would bring in a specialist to make sure their piano gets the best possible care. It's a win-win for all.
> 
> We don't need for every technician to be an expert at cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing urine-soaked pianos.
> 
> I do a good job of cleaning my cat's litter box, and that's enough for me. I'm content with not expanding on that skill set as a paid service. :)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 7/28/2012 8:47 PM, Euphonious Thumpe wrote:
> 
> Besides the disease issue, though, "there is no accounting for taste": so if some choose to have pianos in their homes which smell or even reek of excrement, that's their business. But I am not one, and neither are those whom I would choose to have for customers. That's my right, is it not?
> 

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