Tuning price

[David Andersen]

So I thought I was gonna just let this one go, shock everybody with my high
LA prices, and leave it at that, but I can't.  Thank you, Brad Smith, for
saying eloquently what I'm going to say a little more forcefully.

Most of us have an unbelievably varied and custom skillset; we are honest,
and careful, and do the best job we can; why the HELL do some of us persist
in thinking we're not as worthy as the plumber or the cable guy of getting
paid what we're worth?  Fifty bucks for 60-90 minutes of focused, difficult,
custom professional work? That's pathetic, in Minot, ND, or anywhere else.
$91.00 in London or Amsterdam is pathetic. Can I vent?

We have spent our entire history as piano artisans, by and large,
undervaluing our skills and work; I see it all over; if I hear another
pianotech tell me they can't charge any more because people don't really
give a s**t, or can't hear the difference, or whatever excuse they come up
with, I think I'll throw up. I work my a** off to do the highest quality
work, provide my customers with beauty and enjoyment, educate them, and
allow them to relax and trust that they will be taken care of.  How much is
that worth?

I heard a guy teaching a class at a national convention say that a pair of
pliers that cost maybe $60 was the most expensive tool he ever bought, and
that he just can't see spending money on tools for "just pianos."
What can I say? What if your doctor felt that way?  Or your accountant?
Or your gardener, for God's sake?  Wake up, ladies and gentlemen.
You need to take care of your families and get paid what you're worth.

You caught me in a cranky, preachy mood....rrrrrrrr.

David Andersen