Overcharge?

[THEOFONE@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/15/98 9:10:34 PM Eastern Standard Time, PDtek@aol.com
writes:

<< 
 A 51 cent pitch raise and tuning requiring 3 1/2 hours?! I don't know who Joe
 Garrett is but I would say he could stand to hone his skills a bit, learn to
 work more efficiently, or stop day dreaming on the job.
 
 And if I multiplied 3 1/2 times my hourly fee, the above tuning with a 1/4
 step pitch raise would cost my customer over $200.
  >>
            Its the money Dave , not the time. Its the value of whats done,
not the time. The AVERAGE technician is NO speed demon when it comes to tuning
speed.  The Guild test gives you 4 hrs or so to tune a piano with NO pitch
raise to 80% !!!! NOT counting scoring time. I have not seen Joe Garretts book
either but average is different than what a highly skilled technician is.
Time studys are usually an average of the best AND worst times.An auto Flat-
Rate book gives times of the best technicians with ALL the proper tools and
the fastest times NOT the slowest. I have NEVER seen a car mechanic meet or
beat a time for a repair in a flat-rate manual!  That to me is the cheapest
way to fix a car , NOT by the mechanics time.  I think (IMHO) we should look
at the value of what we do, as opposed to the time. The value of a 1/4 tone
pitch raise should be more than a NO pitchraise tuning. He allready got
ripped-off.I hate to see that. His Guild chapter should BLACKBALL that
customer. I also agree with skill-honing, BUT, dont increase your efficiency
by 50% and charge 1/2 as much because you charge by the hour. I guess I have
more questions than answers.
                                                    Theodore Mamel RPT
                                                     Pittsburgh Chapter