Pianotech

Hello All,

I'm planning to inspect a piano for a private party who is out of state.  The piano is in a dealer showroom.  I'm curious your thoughts on how to approach communicating the information gathered with a dealer or seller of a piano in this type of situation.  I've been been through an awkward home inspection before, where the seller was present, and it seemed inappropriate.  In these kinds of situations, are you an open book to any questions the dealer may have about the piano or do you approach it as confidential information for the clients ears only.  After all, I work for the client, not the dealer and any information I gather could be used as an advantage by my client in price negotiations.

What do you think?

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Luke Taylor
Duarte CA
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You are working for the client. You owe the dealer no information. But be sure the client tells the dealer you are coming.

Inspect the piano and do a full evaluation and send only him the information. As I said, you are not obligated to give any information to the dealer, even if he asks.

Wim Blees.
Sent from my iPhone

Original Message:
Sent: 9/9/2024 3:11:00 PM
From: Wim Blees
Subject: RE: Piano Inspection/Assessment at a Dealer

You are working for the client. You owe the dealer no information. But be sure the client tells the dealer you are coming.

Inspect the piano and do a full evaluation and send only him the information. As I said, you are not obligated to give any information to the dealer, even if he asks.

Wim Blees.
Sent from my iPhone

Original Message:
Sent: 9/9/2024 3:29:00 PM
From: Allan Sutton
Subject: RE: Piano Inspection/Assessment at a Dealer

The primary ethical obligation is indeed to the client who hired you, not the dealer. However, there are professional and practical considerations to balance as well. Here's a suggested approach:

1. Clarity with the client: Before the inspection, confirm with your client their expectations regarding confidentiality and how they want information shared.
2. Professionalism with the dealer: Introduce yourself to the dealer, explain your role, and politely set expectations. You might say something like: "I'm here to inspect the piano for a potential buyer. I'll be thorough but careful with the instrument. My full report goes to my client, but I'm happy to answer general questions about the piano's condition."
3. During the inspection:
   • Focus on your work and avoid unnecessary conversation about findings.
   • If asked direct questions, give factual but limited responses. For example, "The action seems to be in good working order" rather than detailed assessments.
   • Deflect questions about your client's intentions or negotiations.
4. After the inspection:
   • Thank the dealer for their time and cooperation.
   • Provide a brief, general summary if asked. For instance: "It's a nice instrument. I'll be sharing my detailed findings with my client."
   • Avoid discussing any issues that could impact negotiations.
5. Report to the client: Provide your full, honest assessment to your client as agreed.

This approach maintains your professional integrity, respects your client's interests, and keeps a cordial relationship with the dealer. It's a balance between being completely closed off (which could create tension) and oversharing information that should remain confidential.

(Written with the help of ai, Claude.ai specifically)

Allan Sutton, m.mus. RPT, TEC
www.pianotechniquemontreal.com

I really dislike inspecting a piano for a party who has not seen the piano themselves first. I feel it is such a subjective purchase, especially if the potential buyer is a player. However, if they've hired you to inspect, do as thorough a job as possible and get back to your client with the written assessment. It would be wise to put something in the evaluation that might cover your liability in case you missed a hidden problem. Even if the seller is present, they may or may not understand what you will say to the buyer. Take photographs when possible, too, because you don't want anything to go wrong in the move and be blamed for it. 

Another awkward situation, which I haven't completely figured out how to deal with, is when a dealer automatically pays a commission to the tech if a sale transpire between them and the client you are working for.  I was hired by the client to look at the used instrument in the showroom before they made a decision to purchase. In this one example, I told my client, after giving him my assessment, the truth about the store's policy. I said I would be paid a commission if the piano was purchased but if he decided not to purchase the piano, then I would ask him to pay for my time. Another way around it, I suppose, is to be paid by my client and refuse the commission, especially if the commission is less than what you would be paid by the client. On the other hand, if the sale will produce a bigger commission than your usual inspection fee, you might not want to refuse it. I'm still working it out. 

I like Allan Sutton's (and his a.i.'s) approach. If you are doing this in a showroom for a particular dealer, you want to keep it as cordial as possible because you never know when you might have to be back there again. On the other hand, if this is in a home, you still want to be kind and professional. I had a situation where the seller was a friend of the buyer. Actually, it was more of a donation because the buyer was looking at it for a new music school. The piano was an x-player piano and it was old. This was easy to tell them the truth. I did donate my fee, however, for the good cause. 

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Kayoko Forrest
President
Los Angeles Chapter PTG
1112 Montana Avenue #322
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 829-4644
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Whenever I do an evaluation / inspection as a purchase consultation, I make it a point to tell both parties involved that I won't get involved in their price negotiations. I'm there to evaluate the condition of the instrument, and as part of that evaluation, I also give them an estimate on what it would cost to address whatever issues are found. How they use that information is up to them.

For me personally, I'm not into piano sales. I don't watch the market close enough to know what would be a fair price for that particular piano (outside of obvious things, like not paying thousands of dollars for a spinet). My job has always been on the technical side of things. That's my area of expertise. If someone wants to take the information that I give them and overpay for the piano anyway, that's their choice. The value of an object is ultimately what someone is willing to pay for it, and that price is set by the buyer, not the technician.

Part of my discussion with the potential buyer includes helping them set realistic expectations before they hire me. If someone expects to pay $100 for a 70-year-old piano and then get it in good working order with a single tuning, they're going to be very disappointed. I'd rather them be disappointed before I waste my time, calendar slot, and their money.

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Benjamin Sanchez, RPT
Piano Technician / Artisan
(256) 947-9999
www.professional-piano-services.com
www.FromZeroToSixFiguresBook.com
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