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The facility at Cunningham Piano Company is in multiple buildings. The restoration facility, located around the corner from our showroom has been without power since the hurricane this past weekend, leaving work undone and pianos undelivered (because we need electricity to move the elevator).

Several employees from the electric company have been out and they have all told us that there is a problem with our dedicated transformer. However, since the transformer is dedicated to us, there are not throngs of customers without power, so apparently we are at the bottom of their repair list.

I have tried to urge, negotiate, and cajole the company to place us higher on that list to no avail. Each day they tell us that it is likely that we will have power the next morning - and so far - nothing.

Does anyone have advice and/or experience dealing with a large faceless entity like a utility company? This is becoming very frustrating, and frankly, very costly.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Ask them for a claim form. You are going to need one.

Hi Rich,
True story. Some years ago a terrible storm left many local areas without power. A gal I know was going on two weeks without and so she drove around, found the nearest work crew and brought them donuts and boxed coffee from DD's. Explaining she was getting desperate she gave them her address and had power by the end of the next day. A kindly bribe can work miracles.

Rich,

Sorry to hear that. My parents were in a similar instance when Katrina hit Louisiana. It was not their business but their home that was on some sort of dedicated transformer / line. All homes in their neighborhood were up with power in a couple of weeks or so. Their power was not back on for 2 months.

Not sure if this is an option for you - or your electrical demands, but my parents took it upon themselves to purchase a generator that would run their whole house - of course their demand is nothing like yours. The got a model that ran off natural gas since they had gas running into their house anyway.

In the end they got their "power" back on in a few days instead of the 2 weeks it took everyone else. (Remember Katrina happened in August - very hot in south Louisiana at that time.) Also, they now have a generator that kicks on anytime they have a power outage of more than 15 seconds.

Maybe you can get some sort of generator that will run just the "essentials" of your business.

Good luck,

Jonathan

Sorry to hear about your electrical power problems, Rich…

If it's going to be a while, the auxiliary generator sounds like an option. You can rent the larger KW generators from industrial tool and equipment rental business.

I hope they get the power back on soon… one thing about it, you can still play your acoustic pianos by candle light!!

Rick

1I am really sorry about your electricity problems, Rich. I hope that they are fixed ASAP!

How about renting a generator right away to get back into business (and maybe charge the electric company with the cost of it)

Does anyone have advice and/or experience dealing with a large faceless entity like a utility company? This is becoming very frustrating, and frankly, very costly.

I know a guy from South Philly, Tony. For the right money he'll get the job done ... or else. He can make it look like an accident.

The problem looks like a need to decide about a strategy for upcoming more probs of this kind. Reason: very probably the climate and weather will not get better but get worse: more storms, more power cuts coming up in the next years.

So a workshop owner has to look carefully after his needs for water, electricity and maybe other resources like compressed air, to be generated by electric power or by fourstroke motorized systems.

There are some calm tiny four stroke engines for purposes like that, I don't know their availability in the Philly region, but would like to point out to Honda equipment and some english one: Briggs & Stratton. They produce not only lawn mowers but also generators and pumps and compressors.

Water: maybe a neighbour owns a swimming pool. Who is willing to serve "his" water reservoir for handcraft purposes if necessary.

Classic "consulting" approach:

1- describe situ "how it should be" with criteria (with figures if applicable) and ranking (ABC analysis, A = must, B = important, C = nice to have)
2- evaluate your actual status against the criteria
3- describe a (feasible) way from 1. to 2.

= = =

A friend of mine once engaged a guy for mowing his lane during holidays. The guy cut the wire. At the same fuse also the deepfreezer was cut off of electricity - without the guy having recognized this.. Two weeks later: What a mess.. They had to throw away half a ton of beef. And had severe molestation of the noses involved..

A really good electric installation: it is not as simple as it is said..

Hope this may have helped a little..

I'd comment but i don't want to waste the electricity so I'll make this short

good luck!

Utility companies can be the WORST.

Tell them that you'll be sending them a bill for your losses - then DO IT. When you tell them that "this" will cost THEM money, they'll usually respond far better.

Its worked for me in the past - and my father before that.

Sorry bout this Rich. I think you have gotten some good advice here. IN dealing with Utility companies you have to briefly tell the person with whom you are speaking the problem and then ask if they have the power to do something about it. When they say no, keep going up the food chain with the same approach. You may eventually speak with someone who will be sympathetic. Pretty unlikely though. Stay calm and polite, and stay on point.
I think that generator idea is the way to go to protect yourself in the future. I really feel for you on this. If I can help, I will. Give me a call and let me know, although I am sure you have plenty of good local resources.

Best of luck with the electricity, Rich; I look forward to visiting the factory again when it is up and humming. It was pretty cool to tour it in the dark though. Keep up all the great work and make Philadelphia proud. On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia...

Rich : call KYW News Radio..I'm sure PECO wouldn't want bad press..and should have you up PDQ!

Thank you for all of the ideas.

It turns out that I met a lineman yesterday afternoon who was also a Hammond organ player. We started talking and I have obligated myself to help him find a good used 122 Leslie speaker.

When we came in this morning - Viola! POWER!!

Again - thank you!

Did you use the threat of viola music to get them to turn on the power?

Yes, I did. The threat of viola music can be more frightening than just about anything else we can imagine - particularly when I am playing it. It worked wonders.

I also took a quick French lesson today, so when our foreman said, "Voila! POWER!", I understood him.

Thank you Keith.

Congratulations on getting your power back on, Rich! It is amazing how we get used to it!! (We don't miss the water till the well runs dry )

Also, it sounds like you used good tact to help prompt the powers that be...

Rick

Good News Rich!

I've done this many times...