nickels and dimes do add up, but...

[Steve Borgstrom]

The below business plan thought is a great idea and I have not the 
foggiest notion of how to do it, how to word it, etc.

Would anyone be willing to share a copy of their business plan, 
deleting or censoring somehow anything they wouldn't want to share or 
that would be personal?

How about a price list? I sometimes have a hard time knowing how much 
to charge, since I'm just starting up...

Please go easy on me if I'm asking for the moon and stars here, I'm 
just learning! <grin>

Thanks!
Steve Borgstrom
Brooklyn Park, MN


On Thursday, May 8, 2003, at 05:58  PM, Owen J. Greyling RPT wrote:

> Tom,
> Simple..In a service business, someone ALWAYS pays. If you are working 
> on an
> instrument that doesn't belong to you, someone else should be paying 
> for
> that service...not you. If you are not compensated for your work, all 
> of it,
> YOU are paying for the privilege of working on someone else's piano.
> Been there, done that!
> This problem is easily and permanently solved by sitting down and 
> writing
> out a "Business Plan". You will not likely make a conscious decision 
> to give
> away your earning potential, before you've earned it.when you are 
> wearing
> your 'business hat". I'm not as harsh as I sound, honestly..but I work 
> to
> hard to be poor. Bet you do to!
> Regards,
> Owen
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Tvak@aol.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 3:31 PM
> Subject: nickels and dimes do add up, but...
>>
>> I have been wondering how some of you handle the little incidental 
>> things
>> that sometimes need to be done on a tuning call.  I find it difficult 
>> to
>> charge someone for something that takes very little time, and I like 
>> to do
>> something a little extra if I can.  I think it makes the customer 
>> feel like
>> he is being taken care of and not being taken advantage of.  But 
>> then, where
>> do you draw the line?
>>
>> One place that I've drawn the line, is if the customer asks me to fix
>> something that is bothering him.  I am more inclined to charge him to 
>> correct
>> a problem he is aware of and wants remedied.  Even then, if it takes 
>> less
>> than 5 minutes, I can't seem to put it on the bill.
>>
>> And what about things that perhaps only you have noticed?  Here are 
>> some
>> things that one comes across pretty regularly.  Would  anyone care 
>> tocomment
>> on their policy regarding the following: (on a vertical piano)
>>         Tighten a loose hammer butt flange to correct a floppy hammer?
>>         Tighten 3 loose hammer butt flanges?  Five?
>>         Adjust a leaking damper?  Three dampers?  Five?
>>         Adjust the lost motion from a damper pedal?
>>         Ease a key?  Three keys?
>>         Adjust a backcheck to stop a double-striking hammer?  Three? 
>> Five?
>>         Align a hammer to strike all three strings?
>>         CLP a sluggish hammer butt?
>>
>> Would you:  A) charge him for it?
>>             B) just leave it like it is?
>>             C) not charge him, but  let him know you took care of the 
>> problemfor him?
>>
>> Just curious how some of you might approach this.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Tom Sivak