pitch raising survey

[Clyde Hollinger]

I talked with a technician once who charges double the tuning rate if the piano
is 50 cents flat, and doubles the charge again if it's 100 cents flat.  For
example, if the tuning charge were $70, then a 100-cent pitchraise and tuning
would be $280.  Now I've been told we can never call anything regarding pricing
unethical, but if I were on the receiving end of that deal, I'd feel ripped off
for sure.

My personal practice is to charge for work actually performed.  I don't jack up
the charge for everyone with the assumption that I will have to do a pitchraise.
I suppose that could be done fiarly if you give a discount when a pitchraise is
not needed.  I also don't do much for free.  They pay for what they get.

Regards,
Clyde Hollinger

Bdshull@AOL.COM wrote:

>  List:
>
> I finally couldn't resist putting in my two cents (or 5) worth:
>
> I've been thinking about this for a while, and this thread has encouraged me
> to make a decision.  After charging 10 bucks extra for pitch compensation for
> the last 15 years (real smart, 10 buck 15 years ago was a lot more than it is
> today), I am going to raise my fee for the pitch raise substantially.  What I
> have done in the past is to charge a first time fee for whatever the piano
> needed - straight tuning, pitch raise, lowering, whatever - and on repeat
> tunings stick to my base rate if the piano is tuned annually or more
> frequently.  Not too bad except that I end up doing a lot of pitch raises for
> no extra charge.  Now I am going to raise the pitch raise fee and guarantee
> my base rate only if there is a working climate control system in the piano.
>
> I just tuned a U1 today which has had a system in it since new 15 years ago.
> Winter dryness hadn't budged this piano from A440, all across the scale.  As
> long as I replace the pads it is rock stable. Typical of my Damppchaser
> system pianos.
>
> Considering the effectiveness of a humidity control system in a piano, I am
> going to reward my clients who have it with a predictable tuning maintenance
> fee.  The humidity system preserves the piano, the tuning and my sanity
> (especially with the Steinway uprights, which are big headaches without
> humidity systems).
>
> Bill Shull
> University of Redlands, La Sierra University, Riverside City College
>
> In a message dated 3/7/00 8:53:00 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> keyboard@cysource.com writes:
>
> << >Just wondering, at what point do techs start charging for pitch raises?
> (or
>  >lowering)
>  >I always include a little pitching in my standard tuning fee but what is a
>  >little? I believe if a customer has failed to keep the piano tuned they
> need
>  >to pay for the extra work. It is normally expected for the pitch to drift
>  >some between schedule tunes but how far until we start charging for those
>  >pitch fees? Care to comment?
>  >BP
>
> > At this point it looks like tuning any piano that is over 5 cents low is a
>  pitch raise in most opinions.  To me, that means that every piano tuning is
>  a pitch raise because I can't remember when I have found a piano that was
>  less that 5 cents off.  I guess maybe "one price fits all".
>
>  Dave>
>   >>