Klarinet Archive - Posting 000101.txt from 2004/04

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <arlyss1@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Looking into a repair service you have never utilized; was, When
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 14:47:31 -0400

Dan Arsenault wrote:

>I have had no reservations in recommending the Brannens to others who have used them. I almost met Kelly on my last trip to New York a year ago, but he was ill at the time. I've read enough of his posts here to respect his opinion and lack of malice, but my experience was good.
>
>
Dan, your post reflects a part of what I, as a prospective customer,
would be looking for, as well as what Dr. McClune, Nancy and others have
written. I think, basically, that I didn't make clear, when I initially
responded to Kelly Abraham, that my point was this: I appreciated him
posting his results because, as someone who has never used that
particular shop, I would want to know what HIS experience was. I also
found what others wrote useful - descriptions of what was done, and why,
etc. Cost is, as I said earlier, an important factor when one decides
to get work done.

If I've never used a particular shop, I would only have the experiences
of others to go on. Kelly's post contained details that were quite
valuable. So have several other posts to klarinet, pro- and con-, that
I've read, yours included. It is in the details, that, in my opinion,
the value lies.

I suppose, in the end, when one is considering whether or not to send
one's horn to a shop one has never done business with before, and one is
considering the experiences of others, it pays to find out certain facts
from those who have experience with that shop:

1) Is return shipping provided to your area? If not, why?
2) Is the shop willing to give you a fairly detailed estimate of the
work they will be doing?
3) Were the repairs/overhaul(s) made to the satisfaction of the previous
clients?
4) Were there frequent unanticipated cost overruns? If so, is there a
consistent pattern with these? If not, for clients who did experience
these, were they to be reasonably expected?
5) Do they work on the brand of horn the client owns?
6) Are the materials needed for the job in stock or will they need to be
ordered?
7) If you live outside of the country the shop is located in, which
currencies do they accept? (For example, if I owned Howarths, and had
to send them to the UK for work, I may have to have a bank cheque made
out in £ sterling to cover the cost of work if the shop did not accept a
VISA card online or a cheque made out in US $)
8) Are the people who work in the shop fairly easy to contact? What
hours are they available to talk with you, if you are not in the area?
Do they check their e-mail fairly often? Do they have a website? Do
they advertise consistent rates for work, such as rates for a particular
brand of clarinet, and for professional level clarinets vis student
model horns?

I am quite sure this is not an exhaustive list by any means. However,
perhaps it can start some discussion about instrument repair, clarinet
work in particular, as well as other instruments.

Patricia Smith

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