Distance charges: Was Under an hour tuning

[Clyde Hollinger]

Ric,

Yeah, in the early years I did this for a little while, splitting up one mileage
charge if two or three clients were close to each other but collectively farther
away from me.  Nowadays each one pays the full mileage charge, which is somewhat
to my advantage, and I willingly admit this to them if they ask.

The main reason I settled on this policy is consistency.  In my way of thinking
the client will understand if their tuning is 3-6% more each year due to
inflation or whatever.

BUT, if they have a good memory (and some of them do) they might have trouble
with (hypothetically) $65 two years ago, $80 last year and $71 this year, even
if I give an explanation like, "Well, last year your piano was the only one I
could schedule on this day, so I had to charge extra for the mileage."

There is a second reason.  Suppose a client calls and asks if it costs less if I
do the neighbor who lives nearby on the same trip, and I reply yes.  But when I
call the neighbor I find that we have different ideas of what is "nearby," and
they live eight miles farther away.  (Something like this happened once.)  I
painted myself into a corner.  How close is close?

Third reason:  I call the distant client about scheduling the tuning, and if
they know the mileage charge changes like that, they say, "Well, the next time
you're in the area give me a call."  Ooooh, I would hate that, because there
things that can easily mess up the most carefully laid plans.  What if I won't
be in that area for another three months?

All this shows why I resist going very far out of my normal territory.  When I'm
called about beginning service for a more distant piano I generally refuse
politely and state why.

Your final remarks about simplicity and complications are good ones.  Like I
said before, in my mind it is important to have policies/charges that have good
reasoning behind them.  That doesn't mean the client will necessarily agree.

Regards, Clyde

Richard Brekne wrote:

> So... what about the 4 pianos in the same place 25 miles away scenario... do
> you charge each of them the full mileage or do you split it up.... and what
> happens if you split it up  into four and the fourth piano turns out to be a
> no show ?... Or what happens if next year you go back and this time there is
> only 2 of them so they get hit with an additional 25 bucks a piece and
> wonder what gives....
>
> There is  always something to make it difficult to be fair no matter what
> you do. At some point the issue of fairness must yield to the issue of
> simplicity. Complications cost too you know...:)

> Clyde wrote:
> > If I have to travel 20-25 miles from home to tune a piano, yes, of
> > course I charge more than for pianos that are within 15 miles, but the
> > mileage charge is a separate item on the invoice.  The tuning charge
> > doesn't change based on location.  I have a very clear policy, I can
> > easily explain it, and it has never been a problem.