David, I take care of ALL the pre-qualification, such as you state below, BEFORE I even step foot in the customer's house; on the phone! I have a simple, effective system, and it works great- for me. Terry Peterson >From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net> >That's not how I present it. Before I ever state the fee I go through my >usual inquiries about type of piano, make, last time it was serviced, any >particular problems they are having or want me to address. >David Love > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "pianolover 88" <pianolover88@hotmail.com> >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: March 16, 2002 9:49 AM >Subject: Re: Fees > > > > I don't believe it's a good idea to tell the customer, "I charge $100 >per > > hour", or whatever. I charge by the job based on everything involved, >plus > > travel time, mileage and gas. > > If you went to have Laser eye surgery and the Doc told you "I charge >$20,000 > > per hour", you'd run outta there so fast you'd leave your shoes behind! >That > > figure is not exact, but we know that the actual procedure takes only a >few > > minutes per eye, and costs, depending on the deal you find, between > > $1,000-$3,000 per eye! Of course, the Doc isn't charging JUST for those >few > > minutes, but for post op, all the pre-op prep, and has to pay his staff, > > office rent, and the cost of his laser. > > But if he WERE to advertise his "hourly" rate, he wouldn't be in >business > > very long. I have NEVER been asked to "justify" my rate, and I don't; I > > charge for the particular job I'm doing and that's that. > > > > > > > > Terry Peterson > > > > > > >From: Wimblees@AOL.COM > > >Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org > > >To: pianotech@ptg.org > > >Subject: Re: Fees > > >Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2002 01:34:46 EST > > > > > >In a message dated 3/16/02 4:34:12 AM !!!First Boot!!!, > > >davidlovepianos@earthlink.net writes: > > > > > > > > > > Don't take me quite so literally. > > > > > > > > David Love > > > > > > > > > >David > > > > > >I realize that the story you gave is not a word for word telephone > > >conversation, and neither was mine. And I am not trying to persuade you >to > > >change your practice. I wish you all the luck in the world with it. I >just > > >wanted you to be aware that what you are doing might not solve the >problem > > >you described. It doesn't make any difference what you charge, and how >you > > >justify it. Someone is going to ask you to explain your fee structure, >and > > >they will not be happy with it. > > > > > >One of the problems we have in this business is that we are dealing >with > > >two > > >different price structures. One is a set fee for a set task. ($80 to >tune >a > > >piano). The other is an hourly wage to do everything else. Now we may >have > > >come up with set fees for doing other things, ($250 to put on a set of > > >bridle > > >straps, $800 to regulate an action, $350 for a new set of keytops). but > > >they > > >are all based on the amount of time we spend doing them, multiplied by >the > > >hourly rate we charge, (plus parts). > > > > > >That is why we should set our tuning fee by what we charge per hour. >But > > >you > > >first need to figure out what that hourly rate is. Vivian Brooks and I >both > > >have excellent classes on this, and if you look in the archives, or on >the > > >CD > > >ROM, you will probably find many articles on the subject. > > > > > >One thing I find disturbing, is there are tuners who charge $70 per >tuning, > > >and take an hour and half to do that tuning. But then they charge $70 >per > > >hour to do technical work. That means if they need to charge $70 per >hour > > >to > > >pay the bills, every time they go do a tuning, they loose $35. If they >did > > >20 > > >tunings in a week, they will have lost $700. They should be charging >the > > >same > > >for a tuning as they do for technical work, which would be $105. But >that > > >would be way over what everyone else charges. So something's got to >give. > > >My > > >recommendation is to learn to tune faster. > > > > > >Again, David, please don't think that I am arguing with what you are >doing. > > >As I said, if you think it is fair, and the customers are satisfied, go >for > > >it. > > > > > >Wim. > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
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