Saturday, December 08, 2007

Just Bizarre

Of course the holiday season is a busy time for a piano technician. Seems a lot of people that own pianos that haven't been serviced in decades, decide that they just have to be tuned before Christmas. If I'm out of the house for more than a half hour, I'm sure that my answering machine will be blinking when I return.

I tuned for the Rockport Art Association early this afternoon. While in town, after I finished the tuning, I strolled over to Tuck's Candy to see Bob and Eunice. Bob was there but Eunice wasn't. Then I took a walk out Bearskin Neck. I returned home at about 2:30 p.m. It was nice to have a bit of down time, but after relaxing for an hour or so I decided to get some housework done. Out came the vacuum and I made a quick job of vacuuming the entire house. All 700 square feet of it! Afterwards, I played around online for a bit and then made myself an early dinner and watched the news. Amanda needed to be picked up from work at 7:30 and as I was heading for the door to go get her I noticed the caller ID flashing.

Huh, how had I missed a call?

Oh yeah, the vacuuming.

I decided to listen to the message before leaving.

It was one of the oddest business calls I've ever received.

It started with some incoherent mumbling and then the lady gave her name. I couldn't understand exactly what she said. Something like Toochoo? I couldn't figure out the first name even after a repeat playing. Then she said she lived in Rhode Island, in a town that is nearly 2.5 hours drive from here (one way). She has a player piano that she wants me to fix. Could I please stop by? She is very anxious to have it playing again. Especially with Christmas so close. Would I please come down and fix it for her.

All the time her speech seemed disjointed and mildly garbled yet it was possible to concentrate closely and make sense of the sounds. Then she left her phone number, emphasizing to dial 711 (or is it 771? oh well I've written it down somewhere) first so as to use the service for people with impaired hearing.

Now I understand!

But why is she calling me? I'm far too far away. There are two player piano technicians near her in Rhode Island and there are a total of five others closer to her than me! I checked my business email when I got online tonight hoping that she had sent an email as well as phoning. I'm quite sure she found my info through a player piano site. Seems since she would have the email address it would be the easiest way to communicate. No such luck.

So, armed with the names and phone numbers of the two techs near her, I'll be calling her sometime tomorrow. I'll let her know that I just don't travel that far!

'Tis the season.

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7 comments:

Annette said...

It would be interesting ot find out what she meant by Toochoo, wouldn't it?

deb said...

I just did a reverse look-up using her phone number. The name is pretty much like the pronunciation but the spelling is different. Her street address sounds beautiful. I wish I could post it, but for obvious reasons can't.

Little Wing said...

Maybe she heard of your reputation!!!!
That's always a possibility!
She wants the best!

deb said...

Thanks, LW. Sounds good until she got in touch today...I recommended that she call one or both of the player piano techs in RI and she said she had already done that and they wanted nothing to do with the piano.

I'll be writing a post about needy customers and their pianos.

Little Wing said...

Now I am wondering why they wanted nothing to do with her piano!!!!
Was it THAT bad!!!!!

dickiebo said...

I'll bet you end up doing it! We all know that you're a bit of a soft touch when it comes to these sob stories. Anyway. It's better than wandering around Bearskin Neck all day! Incidentally. Are all the shops in Bearskin Neck open in winter, as there seem to be an awful lot of them.

deb said...

LW, I think it may have had more to do with her than the piano, and the fact that the piano may be in very dire straits gave them the excuse.

Dickiebo, No I won't and no they aren't!