referall fees

[JIMRPT@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 27/08/01 5:05:52 PM, tompiano@gate.net writes:

<<" Jim,

  I guess I opened a can of worms and ruffled a few feathers along the way. 
">>

Tom...worms are good for the soul occasionally and you ruffled not 'my' 
feathers. :-)
Ethical concerns didn't even enter my mind in my response.......hmmmm perhaps 
I need to think about that one.(?)

 The primary tech has the right to set whatever price he and the customer 
agree on and the primary tech needs to take into account his own business 
needs.....................

 Our own experience does indeed color our opinions and attitudes for 
example...........severrrrral years ago I undertook the rewhatever of an S&S 
with the *stated* price of *8,400* with 20% going to the primary tech. After 
the job was done, and several months later, the customer called me to tune 
the piano since the primary tech was out of town. While I was there she 
mentioned how pleased she was with her piano and that she thought the price 
of *14,200* was really well spent. The customer did not know that I had done 
the work. I asked her who had done the work and she told me....yada 
so&so..........................and pulled her copy of the contract out of the 
bench along with her other records of the piano. The price quoted was indeed 
14,200, it was 'my' quote printed on the other techs letterhead. 
Unethical?...... Between the customer and primary tech? No absolutely 
not....Unethical between the primary tech and myself?...........'possibly' 
not really...... except that I had been told the quote was for 8,400 and I 
agreed to work with those figures. Will I 'ever' work with that tech again? 
Absolutely not. Did the primary tech do anything wrong? Not really, but they 
can now do that "nothing wrong" with someone else.

 The question of "ethics" never entered my mind but the question of 'trust' 
certainly did. Subcontracting and/or cross referrral is a great thing for 
everyone involved. As long as the playing field is honest, open and 
trustworthy......... This includes the 'add-on' contracts you describe. 

 So we really agree Tom..huh?
Jim Bryant (FL)