Bad Experiences with Blind Tuners

[starstruck5]

Over the years I have had some really awful experiences with blind tuners - but there was no other choice in the area in which I lived.  It even seems a bit mean beginning a thread on it - because blindness is a terrible handicap - but all the same, since I have decided to repair my old piano - I am going to need a technician - and blind people are limited in the repairs they can carry out.  Thankfully I have noticed a fairly local ad by someone who claims to have great qualifications, and the ability to restore! So I am hoping this will work out.

 I would not consider employing a blind tuner again -

Reasons being:
 -
1. Having my piano tuned horribly sharp!
2. Having their dog attack my beloved parrot, Frankie
3. Having a string broken during a routine tuning  and me having to pick up the bill
4. Being accused of trying to cheat a blind person becuase I genuinely mistook a five for a ten -
5. Having someone in my home who is rude and impatient. Went nuts just because I wanted to play the piano for a while after the tuning - and also I wasn't really happy - but still paid in full.


Has anyone else had bad experiences with blind tuners?

Surely someone has something good to say about them?

I even got to the point wjhere I thought a digital piano was a good buy because I wouldn't have to worry about having to go through any of the above!

[silverwoodpianos]

Some different points of view to consider;

1.   Having my piano tuned horribly sharp!

Can’t make any comments about this one because I was not there to inspect the tuning. Perhaps without vision the machine was on an incorrect setting….

2. Having their dog attack my beloved parrot, Frankie

A guide dog is a specially trained animal to guide a handicapped person around of course it will be somewhat protective. Perhaps Frankie, if he is so beloved as per the claim, why is the owner not responsible enough to remove Frankie from the area where the tuner and his vision guide have to be? So the guide dog is acting like a guide dog and it is the guide dogs fault? Who has the ability to remove the bird? It isn’t the tuner or the dog……

3. Having a string broken during a routine tuning and me having to pick up the bill.

This is correct; when tuning the tuner only pulls the wire to 60% if its tensile strength. If it breaks it is hardly the fault of the tuner but most likely faulty wire or deteriorated wire (rust, etc.)
   

4. Being accused of trying to cheat a blind person because I genuinely mistook a five for a ten –

Again can’t comment on one side of the story……

   

5. Having someone in my home who is rude and impatient. Went nuts just because I wanted to play the piano for a while after the tuning - and also I wasn't really happy - but still paid in full.

Tell you what. Put on a blindfold. Then spend the next two days with the blindfold on attempting to live your life. As you are now missing one of your senses and must rely on the other senses in order to communicate and navigate, perhaps if someone interrupts one of the remaining senses, in particular hearing, which in a vision impaired person is paramount, you might get a little cranky too.

I can imagine for a vision impaired person having someone interrupt the hearing process which takes away another sense for them would be quite annoying.

You know when all else fails try thinking like or about the other party involved.

[starstruck5]

First of all I know that blindness is a terrible handicap - but if you offer a service to the public where it involves being invited into their home - then any giant chips on shoulders should be left outside. Else, don't become a professional tuner! During this particular session the guy had a call from his wife - and he snapped her head off as well for merely being concerned. Being blind is no excuse, since I have dealt with others who have been much more pleasant. So all this crap about me wearing a blindfold is missing the point.  Being handicapped doesn't entitle you to be a arshole.

As for my parrot being in the same room - well this was the second visit from this particular tuner - because I wanted to help him - his previous tuning hadn't been too sharp (and he didn't use an electronic device.) That time his dog was an old honey coloured labrador - really beautiful and placid. The second visit the dog was a new black animal - very frisky - so I really didn't expect it to jump up at my parrot - The same session I went to the bus stop with him - cos I didn't have a car in those days - and that black dog would have led him into the river if it hadn't been for me. 

Despite that, I decided to employ him a third time - because he said the dog had been rehomed - and he had a better dog - though I did take Frankie upstairs that morning!  It was then I had my string broken and it is still false to this day!  The string was certainly was not rusty. 

The last time was with the horrid guy - I didn't realise he was blind until he showed up -Actually the tuning was a present - so I didn't arrange it -  I also resent your assumption that I would even think of cheating a blind person ! It has nothing to do with seeing both sides - also this guy didn't have a dog he had a human helper - so it would have been pretty stupid of me to try and cheat someone -while there was a sighted helper around! Though I should have cropped him more than five quid for neglecting the top ten notes anyhow! He thought I wouldn't notice and that's why he got tetchy.

I will never employ a blind tuner again - end of story.

[nyiregyhazi]

1. Having my piano tuned horribly sharp!
2. Having their dog attack my beloved parrot, Frankie
3. Having a string broken during a routine tuning  and me having to pick up the bill
4. Being accused of trying to cheat a blind person becuase I genuinely mistook a five for a ten -
5. Having someone in my home who is rude and impatient. Went nuts just because I wanted to play the piano for a while after the tuning - and also I wasn't really happy - but still paid in full.

The topic sounded interesting at first and I was at least expecting some interesting points. But what kind of absurd list is that supposed to be? You think all blind people are rude and confrontational and that they all tune pianos sharp? Perhaps you needed to get something of your chest, but this is just an extremely silly and petty thread.

Also, I find it interesting that you felt a need to insist that you weren't trying to cheat him, all over again- despite nothing in the other poster's response that even referred to that. Regardless, whether you were trying to cheat him or not, if you're handing money to a blind person I think it's basic courtesy to check it properly first- considerably moreso than with a sighted person. You were certainly in the wrong on that.

[silverwoodpianos]

 

I even got to the point where I thought a digital piano was a good buy because I wouldn't have to worry about having to go through any of the above!

Buy a digital.

BTW I find your signature line quite ironic…..

cheerio

[starstruck5]

Actually I created the thread to see if someone had anything positive to say about blind tuners. Apparently not.


I don't care if people don't agree or call the thread petty.

Whatever.

[Bob]

I know of a near-deaf piano tuner.   He uses a tuner machine. 

Maybe there's someone else who could tune?  Someone farther away who might come out sometime? 

[nyiregyhazi]

Actually I created the thread to see if someone had anything positive to say about blind tuners.

What's next then? A thread about women tuners? A thread about black tuners? This is extremely silly. While there might be reasonable questions about certain aspects of maintenance, the idea that blind tuners would be any less capable of tuning a piano is simply nonsensical. To put them together as some kind of collective is plain silly. Tuners are judged on their individual performances. What kind of responses were you hoping for?

"Blind tuners suck!"

"Blind tuners are the best tuners in the world!"

etc?

[Bob]

Yes, it sounds like one bad individual.  I'd find someone else.  The service doesn't sound that great.

[ethure]

I don't feel this has anything to do with him being blind, he's just really not very nice. sorry for your experience Good luck next time!

[alessandro]

My father was blind and piano-tuner (besides his job as organ-player).   Blind people are often educated in institutes to become piano-tuner.   He certainly was highly sensitive.   No the easiest person to live with, to use a euphemism.   But in playing Bach and in piano-tuning he was really good.   People loved his tuning.   He had a vast list of fix "clients".  Among them a producer of rock concerts, so he also tuned Stevie Wonder's or rockband Queen's piano, he tuned the piano for the Queen Elisabeth Contest when the "normal" tuner was not available...   I know he had very good "ear", ear for "well-tempered" tuning, ear for timbre, colour, power, clarity, he was really a music-passionate.  (one of his favourite hobbies was to get to the organ of churches, cathedrals)...  He was a perfectionist.   Frankly, since I lost my father and our piano (I have already a new piano), believe me ;I never had my piano tuned as good as the one we had at home when it was tuned by my father.  
Are there bad blind tuners ? Most probably.   Just as there are bad "seeing" ones.  My last two tuners could both see, but frankly, they are not as good as my father was.

Very kind greeting to you all.

[starstruck5]

What's next then? A thread about women tuners? A thread about black tuners? This is extremely silly. While there might be reasonable questions about certain aspects of maintenance, the idea that blind tuners would be any less capable of tuning a piano is simply nonsensical. To put them together as some kind of collective is plain silly. Tuners are judged on their individual performances. What kind of responses were you hoping for?

"Blind tuners suck!"

"Blind tuners are the best tuners in the world!"

etc?

Not exactly,  I was hoping for something like the previous poster.  But you do have a point, and we all make mistakes sometimes. Maybe I will change my signature - to 'oops, I did it again!@

I am grateful to the posters who at least made positive suggestions and didn't insult me!

If any moderator is reading this though - could you delete the thread?

[silverwoodpianos]

But you do have a point, and we all make mistakes sometimes.

So do blind piano tuners. And they don’t need to be generalized about or stereotyped in a place such as this especially when they are unable to offer any rebuttal.

Interesting to note that while petitioning the moderators to be excused from a mistake here, there is an unwillingness to offer a handicapped person the same compassion being requested.

[starstruck5]

So do blind piano tuners. And they don’t need to be generalized about or stereotyped in a place such as this especially when they are unable to offer any rebuttal.

Interesting to note that while petitioning the moderators to be excused from a mistake here, there is an unwillingness to offer a handicapped person the same compassion being requested.

On second thoughts let the thread stand - cos I liked Allessandros post - I will ignore your nasty barbs silverwood - you don't know me and you have no right right to judge me based on one post.   I have refrained from insulting you back, precisely because I don't know you either. 
I am sure you are the most noblest, compassionate person on the planet.