overcharging?

[pianoman]

Hi Dick,
	Price in monetary terms doesn't mean much in itself.  Here in St. Louis we
have people charging for tuning in the $40 range still and at least one at
$75.  What is expensive to one person is a good value to another.  I have
found that stating your price for tuning + any thing extra like a pitch
raise is put to them  on notice so they know that it may need more than
just a "Normal" tuning. 
	 Most of the time new clients translates into a pitch raise.  Because they
haven't had their piano tuned in a long time they probably don't know that
it takes a lot more work to pitch raise and tune compared to just tune.  I
also find it helpful to give them the choice whether to raise or not saying
that you are not making the decision for them because it is their money
they are spending.  If they choose not to raise the pitch I don't raise it
and figure that I won't hear from them again anyway.
		The way I raise is to raise all the way the first time and schedule the
next tuning in 2 weeks.  I tell them if they aren't serious about
scheduling the 2nd tuning don't pitch raise as they will just wind up with
a badly out of tune piano.  If they schedule the 2nd tuning and then back
out when I call to confirm the night before they get deleted from the
computer and a note made on their index card in my file that they didn't
follow through.  I erase them from my mind and go on to the people who
really care about their piano. 
	 We all get the short end sometimes and we need to reinforce in each other
that there are just some people who when the truth is staring them in the
face they don't recognize it.  Do let the lady know you are unhappy with
her husbands action.  She probably knows he does this often to other people
also.
	Here is what my wife does when someone crosses her.  You write their name
on a piece of paper, place it in a saucer of water and put it in the
freezer.  That fixes them every time.    :>)
James Grebe
R.P.T. of the P.T.G. from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com
"Success is not a goal, rather it is a way of life".