School district contracts

[Billbrpt]

In a message dated 4/28/98 12:10:59 AM Central Daylight Time, PDtek@aol.com
writes:

<< The winning bid is usually in the neighborhood of $10 per piano for 265
pianos. (Snip) the pianos are to be tuned during the summer. Then, if anyone
in the music department determines in October that the pianos have not been
properly tuned, the tuner must retune the pianos again at no additional cost
to the school district. >>

Unbelievable!  Now I have heard everything!

You probably won't get the contract right away but I would submit a statement
that tells them what the reality is.  Include PTG and Dampp-Chaser marketing
materials.  Quote going rates for the piano tunings and nothing less.  All of
the cleaning, alignment, tightening , regulation and voicing work will be
necessary on each one of these instruments too.  About a half day's work on
each.  Quote a fair market rate for all of that too.

Find a way to state that this is the reality of the situation and that a way
should be found to start with the most important instruments first.  Tell them
what the intruments cost and that they all should have a lifetime of at least
50 years with proper maintenance.  Tell them what proper maintenance is and
that it means much more than tuning alone.  Tuning 3 times per scholastic year
(end of August, December and Mid-late April) should be considered a minimum
even with humidity control.

I refused to tune any pianos in my local school district for similar reasons
(but $10.00??? and retune again for nothing???  GEEEEZ!!!!  Give me a
break!!!!) for many years.  Now, I am the principal contractor.  It took
getting through to the right administrator.  They have the money, they just
don't know how to spend it in the right way.  You have a very difficult
barrier to cross but it can be done.  It simply will not be worth it to you to
do anything but good work at fair market rates. 

 Maintain your principals and submit your proposal each year.  If you can get
a chance to talk to the arts administrator one-on-one, this may help.At a time
when the Madison School District was saying they "had no money" (to buy new
pianos), I get what they do have to service them.  If you can convince them to
spend on service what they would have spent on a new piano that would have
very quickly deteriorated, you will have won the battle.

Good luck.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin