[CAUT] becoming a university tech. HELP!

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Daniel,
    Don¹s advice is very good. I¹ll add that one could bid ³parts at x%
discount from list² or something along those lines, as a ³teaser.² I did
that years ago, and it provided the department an excuse to hire me over a
competing bid which came at a lower per hour. As an ³option² one could offer
a discount for prompt payment (2% 10, net 30, or something along those
lines. The likelihood of any music program actually paying a bill within ten
days is infinitesimal, but offering terms like that can be a competitive
advantage). With respect to gross receipts tax, I think they are just
wanting to make sure they are clear whether you are including it in your per
service or per hour bid, or whether it is an add on. IOW, they are asking
you to provide a bid that includes the tax, so all bids are on a level
playing field.
    This post brings up an issue that I think we, as a caut community,
should address: the bidding process, how we can best respond, how we can
best educate the music programs about the process. I think most of us are
agreed that bidding piano service is a horrible idea, which leads to bad
results. It is, however, a reality in many higher education situations, and
probably most K-12 situations.
    Are there people on this list who have dealt successfully with this sort
of system? Any good strategies? Ways to influence the system to push it
toward qualified personnel rather than lowest dollar?

Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico


On 6/30/06 2:42 PM, "Don Mannino" <DMannino at kawaius.com> wrote:

> Daniel,
>  
> I wouldn't be surprised if the people in the office which wrote this
> information haven't a clue either.  This is probably generic language for
> general bid requests for everything from window cleaning to new building
> construction.  If this were a proposal for a single piano rebuilding, then you
> would provide an itemized list of the parts to be used, extra costs related to
> the job (moving, etc). and options (higher price for genuine HG. Bay parts,
> for instance).
>  
> Prepare a bid based on the number of pianos and the relative condition of the
> pianos, plus the number of services per year on each piano.  Specify in the
> contract that your prices are for regular maintenance only and do not include
> parts or major reconditioning / rebuilding work.
>  
> Then include a paragraph stating that additional work on the pianos may be
> required beyond the contract terms from time to time, and these would be
> estimated and contracted on a per-job basis.
>  
> Good luck!
>  
> Don Mannino
> 
>> 
>> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of daniel
>> carlton
>> Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 8:58 AM
>> To: caut at ptg.org; pianotech at ptg.org
>> Subject: [CAUT] becoming a university tech. HELP!
>> 
>> hi all 
>> a university in my area has put out a request for proposals for pianos tuning
>> services, and i'd like to put in a bid, but i'm not really sure how to put
>> the proposal together. they have a format for how to put the proposal
>> together, but i'm confused about some of the things they are asking for, or
>> maybe it's just the way they're wording it.
>> the part that confuses me the most is the cost proposal.
>> "please provide...an itemized list of billable parts, compilation expenses
>> and option cost separately."
>> i've never used this terminology before. what exactly might billable parts
>> include? what in the world are compilation expenses? what is option cost?
>> they also want me to include gross receipt tax. does that mean to simply tell
>> them what the current tax rate is and that i will apply it to whatever work i
>> do? 
>> 
>> i appreciate any input from anybody.
>> 
>> thanks
>> 
>> dc
> 


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