Consultation Fees

[Lance Lafargue]

Thanks Gina and List,
I understand what you're saying about helping folks as a volunteer, I just
have such a volume of calls that it effects my income and personal life
with my family.  After a ten hour day,  I want to (and should) spend time
with my 2,5 and 7 year old.  (I like to talk to my wife some too before
passing out.)  I'm not sure how I'm going to handle the double-dipping on
fees to customers and commissions from dealers.  I live 40-45 minutes from
the dealers and spend time going there to look over their stock, then
making twenty phone calls (talking to each buyer for several minutes) and
occasionally looking at the specific piano to answer more detailed
questions.  
The Fine book is a great resource for me and the customers and I use it
often.  I'm considering buying several copies at a time.  
So often I have helped buyers and sellers and I never hear from either of
them to let me know the instrument sold or to service it later.  After I
spent lots of time with a lady the other day she acted like I was a
telemarketer selling long distance service when I called her to schedule
the first tuning!
Lance Lafargue, RPT
New Orleans Chapter
Covington, LA.
lafargue@iamerica.net

----------
> From: EugeniaCar@aol.com
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Consultation Fees
> Date: Saturday, June 28, 1997 6:34 AM
> 
> Lance,
> 
> When I decided to become a piano technician, part of the rationale was
that
> tho I would never make the Fortune 500 List, the benefits of our
profession
> far outweighed the disadvantages. As a service professional, my time is
> money. When I donate my time to help educate the piano public, I consider
> this to be one of the more important contributions I can make as a
volunteer.
> 
> Ever since I saw the first bummer piano that someone bought without
having a
> technician look at it before purchasing it, I knew I had to share what
> knowledge I have to help, hopefully, future buyers from throwing their
money
> away. As you know there is a lot of information we can give over the
phone to
> assist them before we even go look at the piano. So I have always told my
> customers to have their friends call me before buying a piano. I do not
> charge for telephone time. I charge my regular tuning fee to go and
evaluate
> a piano; to me it's the same amount of time as a tuning slot and my time
is
> money.
> 
> Recognizing that a prospective buyer is a potential new customer, I may
spend
> up to 15 minutes with them, but no more in that initial phone call.
During
> that time I will have given them enough information that they can absorb
and
> remember (I always tell them to grab a pencil and write some of these
things
> down). I advise them to go look at the piano without me the first time
for
> after seeing it they might not even want it. Armed with the list of
things to
> look for at that initial visit, they can decide then if they are
interested
> in purchasing it. If so, then the next step is for me to go look at it.
> 
> When I evaluate a piano, I do not have the potential buyer be there. That
way
> I don't have to answer questions in front of the seller; and I explain to
the
> seller that I will give my recommendations to the potential buyer who is
> paying for this service. If the buyer wishes to share my findings that is
up
> to them.
> 
> One thing I do is refer Larry's book. You have several options here:
> 1. You can offer it to them yourself free of charge.
> 2. You can sell it to them.
> 3. You can direct them to the public library. (Vivian Brooks was the
first
> person I recall who recommended donating it to the library, with your
name
> inside as the donor.)
> 
> For people selling a piano, I keep the conversation down to 5 minutes
max. I
> take their name and phone number, tell them if I have anyone asking I
will
> give them the information. 
> 
> Personally, I have no problem with someone accepting a commission from a
> dealer or charging a potential buyer for our services. I, myself, cannot
> accept both. One or the other is fine, but not both for the same piano
> purchase.
> 
> Hope this helps some,
> 
> Gina Carter
> 
> In a message dated 97-06-28 06:01:29 EDT, lafargue@iAmerica.net (Lance
> Lafargue) writes:
> 
> << I spend several EXTRA hours each week being the local Larry Fine for
piano
>  buyers and sellers.  Word gets around and now I find myself returning
calls
>  most evenings to educate the public and keep them from getting a "bad
deal"
>  or help them get "the most for their dollar".  
>  I'm trying to figure out a fair way to charge folks for my time and
>  expertise because I spend way too much time on this each week.  
>  I now charge $40 to look at a piano and get 2 1/2% from dealers if I
send a
>  customer that buys.  
>  I was considering charging a fee up front and mailing them BASIC buyer's
>  guide info. and looking at one piano for them.  Each additional piano
would
>  be extra.
>  How do you techs do it? 
>  How do I get paid for time spent on pianos getting bought and sold
through
>  individuals??
>  How do I get paid for valuable info that saves the buyer/seller lots of
>  money, not to mention peace of mind.  I think most folks want the peace
of
>  mind that they're not getting taken.  Thanks for the responses in
advance!!
>  Lance Lafargue, RPT
>  New Orleans Chapter
>  Covington, LA.
>  lafargue@iamerica.net
>   >>
>