Under an hour tuning (was labor rates)

[David Renaud]

Economics; keep it simple. 
I believe my customers want me to keep it simple.
I need to keep it simple for my sanity.
One fee for everyone.

  If it takes a hour good, If it takes 1.5 hrs, so be
it. I could have done the 1.5hrs in a hour with more
concentration. Wins some, loose some. So I make 35$
per hour some days, and $45 per hour other days, on
the road, with travel time.

  This is normal practice in other trades/arts.
ex; As a musician I am paid a minimum fee of $86 to
show up and perform. This may purchase up to 3hrs of 
time, but the gig may be 2 hours, 1 hour, even a 30
sec fanfare. $86 is the minimum fee to go through the
preparation, travel, & deliver the service or I do not
show. There is enough work. If they don't like
it, thats fine, I don't have to do it.

  It boils down for me; we set our terms,people hire
us if they want. If we're so busy, and in such demand
that we can charge $100 per hour, and people still 
overwhelm us with work, good for us. But most of us
mortals must remain competitive. Expecially when
building a business, pondering value/time/product are
important. "Lost leaders" in time can win clients,
or loose money depending on your point of view. As
my business has matured I'm convinced my clients want
to predictable tuning fees regardless of time.
Do what you believe is right, and live with the
consequences.

Another way to look at it. A one hour tuning is $80.
If I take longer, I should charge more, but I don't.
Got to love those regular clients, they produce
a good living.


                       One point of view
                       
                       Cheers
                       Dave Renaud
                       RPT
                       Canada

  




> I'm really just trying to understand various
> philosophies for fee schedules. I know many techs
> basically sell a service call as a specific amount
> of time for a given fee. In that situation, the
> piano gets whatever it needs most in that amount of
> time - High-end grand or Betsy Ross spinet. I
> certainly understand Conrad's point about
> diminishing returns on tuning effort. But if one
> person is getting 2 hours service for $X, and
> another is getting only 1 hour service for the same
> $X, that seems less than fair to me. The two quoted
> statements above appear to contradict 
> 
> Terry Farrell
>  

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