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As I started to tune a crusty Steinway 45" upright, I thought to myself, how can I get out of this? Just then the nice old woman client trips over the fall board and lands face down on the floor with blood pouring off her face. I patched her up and took her to the E.R.in my van. I asked her if I should call anyone. She said there is no one to call except for an 89 year old friend. I offered to wait until she was ready to go home. I sat with her and diagnosed her hypoglycemic shaking, got her a candy bar and stayed with her until the nurse brought her in for stitches. She said she "could get a cab later, can I give you some money now". I said "dont worry right now. Here is my address, I'll call you tomorrow". She thanked me again and shook my hand.

You performed a very kind act. I'm not sure if your question is in earnest or not, but I wouldn't charge anything for it.

I'd charge nothing. The value you provided to someone else far exceeds any price. I hope she is recovering from such a fall.

Extreme kudos to you!!!

Glen

Shouldn't I at least get paid for the service call?

Considering the circumstance, if it were me, I'd charge nothing.

In this day and age, a gift of kindness might just pay off for you in the long-run.

You asked for opinions and I gave mine.

You might have a different philosophy than I do and so be it.

Glen

I wouldn't charge anything either. Return later and tune it then.

Also think of the long term effects of charging versus not charging. In the short term, you may have lost the time for one service call(or more). But you feel good about yourself, and you made someone believe that there IS kindness in the world. In the longer term, she will say nothing but positive things about you as a person and as a professional piano technician.

What Dave said. Your actions proved the quality of your instincts, well done. Don't mess it up by over-thinking it!

She trips over the fallboard that you put on the floor?
I would also consider paying for the ER visit and thank your maker that you were not sued..

She already dusted the fallboard while on the floor and has had a few falls in the past. She admitted her negligence and her vision problems after the fall. She has medicare etc. and no genuine case. We've all placed case parts on the floor. This is normal procedeure for any technician in any profession. We cant put up child gates wherever we work.

But, we can most surely set our parts out of the walkway path which I always do. On grands, I will even place it underneath the piano so it is out of the way of everything including me.

The parts were under the coffee table, not in the walking path of the room. Some peoples' rooms are so small or clutered, there is no perfect place for the case parts.

Well, let's hope she has a speedy recovery. Anybody can get sued, right or wrong. That's why every business person should have liability insurance, including piano technicans.

i would suggest it's time for you to move on to the next tuning. Good luck.

We are human beings first and technitions 2nd. I agree with the majority. Let it go. She very well may pay you anyway but let it happen if it does.

I have a regular client with a nice dark mahogony Acro console. She has a little mini-poo-pomy-something dog and a collar with a little bell. Friendly critter bounding up and down the stairs. Set the front piece down, tuning away things got quiet and noticed a slight crunching sound. Turned about and there was the puppy chomping away on the front piece. Mushed up the corner big time. Lady bustled up scolding the dog. "Oh, me its ALL my fault! I should have kept him in the kitchen!"

I don't leave anything in a walking path, including tools. I put upright parts against a wall or couch. Grand parts under the piano or against the wall or couch. Not only do people trip over things, I've had kids walk on music desks like they were a playground toy - one kid broke the music rack! It's amazing how much stuff people have in the piano room - some customers have zero working room, and worse, no light!

I just love the grand pianos with keyboards facing the wall and just enough room for the bench and NO room to pull the action. On carpet with caster cups. And a dozen loose hammers.

Sam, you're not living right. The rest of us never have to deal with things like that. (Well, almost never. It's usually pencils, paper clips and playing cards in the action for me.)

The above advice should be included in every new techs course work! You are right on about this situation and the case part advice is very correct.
You guys are very good!!!

A good deed well done...

Good Karma...

Put the invoice book away....

And smile....

Then call her in a couple of days and see how she is....

Cost to you... virtually zero

Benefit to her... incalculable ...

I called her this morning. She thanked me for saving her life. She took 20 stitches. I forgave the fee and rescheduled. She is now my biggest fan.