Thursday, March 27, 2014

Lost in Translation


This week, we received a call from a dealer whose customer had his flute serviced by Powell about a week ago.  The dealer said that the customer had the same problem with the instrument and needed it fixed in two days.  Although we could not possibly meet that deadline because of shipping time alone, we sent out a loaner flute.  The flute arrived at the dealer -- at the very same time the customer arrived with his flute.  The customer actually had a different issue with his flute than was reported to the dealer.  The customer's mother had spoken with the dealer, and unfortunately, something "got lost in translation."  So, there was a bit of a scramble to arrange repair for something that had been repaired already!

When it comes to repair, it really is best for the flute owner to speak directly with the technician.  As we can see from the situation above, if there is someone in the middle, the wrong information can get relayed -- causing lots of confusion!  So, if your flute is in need of repair, contact the technician directly.  There's no need to feel shy if you are not sure exactly how to explain the problem -- simply explain the issue to the best of your ability.  If the repair technician has additional questions, s/he will ask for more information to make sure everything is perfectly clear.

If you do have to relay a message to the technician via a parent or someone else, try to write down exactly what the problem is with the flute.  You may even draw a diagram if necessary.  In fact, if you find it helpful to diagram the problem, you could always scan the drawing and e-mail or fax it to your technician.  You could also photograph the area in need of repair on the flute and send the photos to the technician.  When it comes to repair, it's always best to relay as much information as possible, as clearly as possible.  This will help save time and hassle -- and assure that the proper issue is addressed.

Powell has a page on it's website that lists frequently asked questions.  There is also a link on the page to e-mail our repair technician directly.  Click here to view the page.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.