This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment >>You just told us that you can usually keep a piano going for 8 years no problem, even without the CA ... << Actually, I didn't say I could do it with no problem. I could do it but often it was a huge problem. CA helps to make it no problem. >>Consider the cost to me that it took to develop the expertise to do this job. Okay, I will. What costs? Your computer time? I certainly paid nothing to learn this job, except some extra time for that first Zimmerman, to do the work more laboriously than necessary. Did you travel to a distant convention, or pay somebody a bundle to teach you to put CA glue on pinblocks? >> Let's see, I spent many hours learning the craft, many hours and dollars practicing and correcting mistakes. I spent many years using CA glue in other applications learning its idiosyncrasies particularly how wood responds to it. I spend an annual fee to the PTG. I took the time to attend meetings and network with other techs. I took the time to attend seminars. And yes, I take time here at the computer culling these posts for nuggets. Those are all real costs. >>Consider how much money I am saving the customer. I'm afraid I'm more likely to consider the money you are taking from your customer. If you can keep the piano playable and tunable for pennies and minutes per tuning, what are they paying the $250 for? >> I could get a job at Wal-Mart for $5 per hour as well. How can I sleep at night charging $85 for a tuning? How can David Love charge $150? (Sorry to bring you into this, David. I certainly in no way begrudge you your rates. You earn every penny) What do you charge for a tuning, Susan, and how can you justify that knowing that comparatively most of the world only makes pennies on the dollar on a per hour basis? >>Consider that everyone of these jobs that I've sold my customers have been very happy to pay such an amount for all of those benefits. Would they still be happy if they knew you how little it cost you to do it? Have you really thought through whether your fees should reflect whatever you can get, versus whether they should be based on how much effort and expense you have to shell out? If they spend money on their pianos which they didn't need to spend, they don't have it for everything else. >> Well, they watch real close. They see me tip the piano, they see my get out a little bottle of glue, they look at how it is applied and they watch the clock. I don't do any trickery, no incantations, nothing up the sleeve. If they can't figure out my actual costs in a ballpark range I should be charging them triple. They aren't paying for the actual costs and they know it. They are paying for my expertise and the peace of mind of an 8 year warranty. Less than $30 a year is making their piano usable where it previously wasn't. I am giving my customers a warranty. You aren't. Tell me who is giving their customer a better value? >>Just my take on it -- we all have to figure out business ethics for ourselves. << I have no problem defending my charges. In fact I appreciate the challenge. But here is where it gets a little dicey. You have been pretty strongly implying that I am unethical in my charges. I consider myself a professional. I have 25 years experience and a degree in mechanical engineering. I have a strong base of satisfied customers who trust me with the care of their piano. I am not the cheapest tuner in the area and most of them know it. In fact, I always try to be the most expensive tuner in the area. If people don't want to pay my rates they are free to use someone else and I've even given out the names and numbers of my competitors to such people. My newest car is 7 years old. I live in a 100 year old house. I am not materially rich- I have too many kids. ;-) But maybe someday I'll be able to get $300/minute like the proctologist. Better yet, I'll just be happy with the real wealth that I do have. Blessings, Dean ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/e1/92/20/fa/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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