Break Time

[David Love]

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I guess I should be more attention to these posts when my I am cited in =
an
argument.  Just for the record.  My tuning only rates are $135.  A pitch
correction of modest proportion adds $25.  My typical 1st appointment or
full service rate is $175 for a 90 minute appointment.  What that =
includes
depends upon what is needed.  I am not rigid about type of service I =
will
provide.  Though I have my preference, I let situations and customer =
needs
dictate type of service and associated fees.

=20

David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net=20

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On =
Behalf
Of Susan Kline
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 8:52 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Break Time=20

=20

When I'm starting to write this emotional-ethical kind of post, I=20
can see that my emotional reaction to the state of the world as a whole =
--=20
the hurricanes, the debt, the vanishing oil, the war, etc. -- is leaking =

into whatever else I write. It's time to take a break from pianotech for =

awhile ... anyone, feel free to write me privately, off list ...=20

That said, I have to answer a little of Dean's post before disappearing. =


Susan=20


At 08:16 PM 9/23/2005 -0500, you wrote:



>>Consider the cost to me that it took to develop the expertise to do =
this
job.=20

Okay, I will. What costs? Your computer time? I certainly paid nothing =
to=20
learn this job, except some extra time for that first Zimmerman, to do=20
the work more laboriously than necessary. Did you travel to a distant=20
convention, or pay somebody a bundle to teach you to put CA glue on=20
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.=20


So, you generalize your fee for the CA work onto your whole training and
work experience -- I don't. I figure that if CA had never entered the =
scene,
I still would have put in just as much work and time on the rest of the
piano training as I did. Learning about CA didn't add appreciably to the
general educational expense, and it's saved me incredible amounts of =
time
and grief.=20




>>Consider how much money I am saving the customer.=20

I'm afraid I'm more likely to consider the money you are taking=20
from your customer. If you can keep the piano playable and tunable=20
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?=20


I charge $85 for a tuning, $90 on the coast or when I have to drive an
equivalent distance. David Love obviously charges $150 partly due to the
living costs of his area. Mine are moderate, though a lot of the country
would call them low. I keep my rate roughly equivalent to decent tuners =
in
the area, though I try to be on the high side. I can sleep at night just
fine with my $85, partly because I try to give my best when doing =
"ordinary"
tunings, by including minor repairs and stuff like CA on loose pins, so =
long
as they don't seriously increase my work time. If they are going to, I
discuss options with the owner and we decide what to do.

I also know that our whole society has been getting, if not a free ride,
certainly unjust profits from a lot of the world, such as bananas for 39
cents a pound. I don't like it, but I don't see how to change it, other =
than
buying local when I can, and being willing to pay a fair price for =
decent
work, and never darkening the door of stores like Walmart. I do a =
certain
amount of charitable giving where I think it will help. And if certain =
piano
owners really don't have enough to get their instruments working, I take =
the
regular fee, but add in quite a bit of pro bono work. This happens maybe
once a month or so. =20




>>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.=20

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?=20


I submit that I give them a better value, since I get their pianos with
loose pins working and charge them nothing extra, instead of $250. If =
they
and you are both happy with your fee structure, that's your business -- =
but
I don't think that charging $250 for a 30 minute job will ever become =
part
of my business (barring a Weimar-style hyperinflation.)=20




>>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.=20


As I've said several times, your business ethics are up to you, not me. =
I
can say that an hourly rate like that, for ME in the area where _I_ live =
I
would consider unethically high. If you're comfortable with it, that's =
your
affair.=20

I have nothing against your experience, your qualifications, your =
expenses,
or your life style. I have 27 years of experience, and two applied music
degrees. I get by ...=20

So long -- I may lurk now and then, but I'll take a break for awhile. =
While
I feel I can stand by what I've said, I don't think we should be posting =
in
this frame of mind. =20

Susan=20


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