The proper value of anything is simply what someone is willing to pay for it. Think pricing in terms of what the value is to the customer, not (just) your cost of providing the service. That said, I keep my eye on the hourly rates of car mechanics, plumbers, and other tradespeople. Most new customers don't even ask me about price, but for those who do and hesitate, I invite them to consider how much it would cost for them to arrange to have a mechanic drive 40 miles to their house and spend two hours tuning up their car in their driveway for them. And what if the car hadn't been serviced for two (or 5 or 10) years? I spend a lot of time educating new customers. If I find a piano a half-step flat, I let them know that the more the pitch raise, the sooner it will need tuning again. If they tune it every two years for the next six years, they'll have spend a lot of money, and the piano will be "in tune" for only a few weeks each year. If I tune it two or three times over the next three or six months, it will get up to pitch and stay there much longer. I let them know that the piano will go flat whether it's played or not, and that there's a consequence for not tuning it for several years. I do a pitch raise and fine tune on the same visit (unless it's off by more than 80 cents or so!). I explain this as two tunings, but I only charge 50% more, because the computer assists me on the first pass (TuneLab-calculated overpull). An analogy that works is that you can't start with 1000-grit sandpaper if the wood is rough. When gas hit $2.20 out here, I started a 20 cent per mile surcharge (for customers over 20 miles away). I divide that among the customers I serve that day, to encourage them to help me find other nearby customers (since I service rural West Virginia). I often drive 150 miles a day for three customers. Most of my customers call me because of some major life event: they're retiring, and want to learn piano; they want to give the piano to their grandchild; they just inherited their mother's piano. In each case, they're aware of the deferred maintenance, but they've set a goal, and are willing to pay what it takes to achieve it. Institutions are often the opposite... ;-( --Cy Shuster-- Bluefield, WV
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC