surcharge

[Richard Brekne]

Me neither... as I have said several times... Many, if not most, tuners are
underpaid... due largely to some kinda self undervaluing or something of the like.
We just dont "believe" we are worth it. Believe me !  You ARE worth it. You fellows
who have gone to all the trouble to become RPT's, and follow up with seminars,
reading, experimentation, conventions, writting journals....learning all what it
takes despite the lack of certified schooling and readily available instruction and
course material (as compared to most other trades)

You ARE worth a real professional rate and you CAN charge this WITHOUT fear of
loosing income. Quite the opposite your income will increase and your work load
with decrease and at the same time become more serious in nature.

I make a very good chunck of money each year indeed.. and I work hard for it and
make sure that I am giving my customers more then their moneys worth,,, AND I make
sure they are aware of this. The word gets out after a few years of this,,, at
least amoung those kind of customers worth having. Start a 5 year plan aimed at
moveing in this direction and see what you can accomplish !

(grin... 5 year plans... the only sensible idea ever to come out of communism.)

Avery Todd wrote:

> Richard,
>
>     Not too many tuners "I" know charge $100 per tuning. :-)
>
> Avery
>
> At 09:49 PM 03/08/00 +0100, you wrote:
> >Roy... given the fact that many (if not most) tuners way undercharge for their
> >services given the amount of training and experience they have,,, and
> >given the
> >difficulty in obtaining this training... and given the fact that there
> >simply is
> >no body around besides us who has the slightest notion of just what it is we
> >really have to try and accomplish...I say the fear of "gouging" is at best
> >grossly overstated.
> >
> >If you tune 400 pianos a year and arent making 40 grand after travel expences
> >and the like... you are charging too little.
> >
> >Roy Ulrich wrote:
> >
> > > I think a lot of people are falling into the trap of thinking 20 cents a
> > > gallon increase equates with large increases in prices for everything. As a
> > > tuner who buys a tank of gas about twice a week, I look at the _real_
> > > numbers:  15 gallons @ 1.36 is $20.40; 15 gallons @ 1.56 is $23.40. Do I
> > > need to gouge all my customers with an increase of $5 or $10?
> > >
> > > If you average a dozen tunings a week and charge an additional $10 each,
> > > that's $120 a week increase to cover less than seven bucks worth of
> > gas. Who
> > > becomes the bad guy now, Standard Oil or you?
> > >
> > > Roy Ulrich
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Wimblees@AOL.COM <Wimblees@AOL.COM>
> > > To: Pianotech@ptg.org <Pianotech@ptg.org>
> > > Date: Wednesday, March 08, 2000 9:02 AM
> > > Subject: surcharge
> > >
> > > >With the increased cost of gasoline, and higher prices to follow, I am
> > > >contemplating doing one of two things: raise my tuning fee $5 or $10, or
> > > add
> > > >that much as gasoline surcharge to every appointment.
> > > >
> > > >The increase in fee would appear like a permanent solution, but might be
> > > >looked on as charging too much to soon. (I increased my price by $5 in
> > > >September.) The surcharge, I think, might be understood by my customers.
> > > >(They all know we are paying much more for gas.) And if prices come down,
> > > as
> > > >they are predicting they will in the fall, I can remove it.
> > > >
> > > >What are some thoughts on the matter.
> > > >
> > > >Willem
> > > >
> >
> >--
> >Richard Brekne
> >Associate PTG, N.P.T.F.
> >Bergen, Norway
> >
> >

--
Richard Brekne
Associate PTG, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway