I share your pain because there are always going to be difficult and demanding clients that insist it is the technician or the piano or both and never them. You can do your best work but heavy hitters are going to wail away knocking out tunings, break strings and complain . You did not mention the instrument or its condition or what her specific issues are. I think it is best to stay out of it and ask her to take up the issue with management. If she has a technician that satisfies her so be it on the other hand perhaps they will really screw up the piano and she is happy with that because its "her" tech.
I tuned a grand in a restaurant setting for a jazz pianist and he complained loudly it was terrible and worse after the tuning. So I went back on my own dime and spent time doing some hammer voicing, tweaked the regulation etc He calls me back after his next gig and said I dont know what you did but the piano sounds great. The piano was a typical neglected restaurant grand but I did what I could. Of course I recommended more work but the owner of the place was unwilling to do anything.
A great piece of advice I got from Franz Mohr was to answer the artist with the phrase "I will see what I can do"
PS I think many of the bangers and heavy hitters have some form of hearing issue because technique as well as muscle memory replace hearing themselves.
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James Kelly
Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
Pawleys Island SC
(843) 325-4357
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-03-2026 12:28
From: Fred Sturm
Subject: Outside help
My take is that this is a problem for the professor in question to resolve together with the administration. I might inform my supervisor of what the professor is saying, as an FYI. Leave it to them to work it out. I would not initiate the hiring of someone else, but I would also not object to it.
While it is kind of your problem, since the care of all the pianos is your responsibility (preferably being able to meet the needs of all the students and faculty) that doesn't mean it is your responsibility to resolve it, beyond continuing to do your best work.
Original Message:
Sent: 3/3/2026 8:34:00 AM
From: Norman Vesprini
Subject: RE: Outside help
Wim:
Sorry for this crummy situation. I have over 20 year full time institutional piano tech work; one thing I've learned is that 'where there are faculty there will be difficult faculty'. My gut reaction would be: do your best work; ignore the faculty member's complaints; don't engage them directly or comment on their playing style or the style of their students; do not hire an outside tech (asking for trouble); talk to admin privately if the faculty member is rude/impacting your ability to do your work; be the 'quiet winner' by knowing you are doing your best work and showing magnanimity of character.
Tough one there. Don't envy your situation.
Yours,
Norman
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Norman Vesprini RPT
Piano Technology Program Manager
Notre Dame IN
(574) 631-3021
Original Message:
Sent: 03-02-2026 15:00
From: Wim Blees
Subject: Outside help
I am one of two technicians at a university. While there is no contract, by mutual understanding, we are the only one the school calls for all piano work. At the school there is one professor who is "difficult". It seems she is never satisfied with the work we do. She's the jazz piano instructor and claims it's our fault the piano in the jazz rehearsal room doesn't stay in tune, which in reality doesn't stay on tune because her students play very hard, and they keep breaking strings. Her students are following her playing style.
My question is this. Even though we are not under contract, since she is not happy with either of us, would it be appropriate to ask the department chair to tell this professor to find her own technician just to take care of the piano in the rehearsal room? Or should we just suck it up and do the best we can?
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Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
St. Augustine, FL 32095
Wim@Tnrwim.com
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