New Year's rant; my 2 cents

[David Love]

The "Full Service Appointment", which we've discussed on the list on several
occasions and is suggested by both Andrew/Rebecca and Susan, is the logical
answer.  I also don't like to feel like I'm charging for every little thing
I do.  The basic fee covers enough time to do the little things like Susan
mentioned: a minor cleaning, a bit of lubrication, touch up voicing, etc.
Additional work beyond the scope of the basic fee/time is scheduled later as
mentioned by Andrew/Rebecca.  I think that's a good way to approach it.  I
do think it is more likely that people will be annoyed by the list of minor
charges than they would be by a higher to begin with fee which covered the
same things even if the amounts turned out to be exactly the same.  

On the other matter, the total income one produces is more likely a function
of the economic environment one lives in, how much you want to work, and
your ability to expand your services and volume through the use of
contractors.  You can barely live where I live for less than a "six figure
income", and because of the prevailing rates, it doesn't take much to get
there.  Producing a high six figure income (or a six figure tax bill) takes
more organization and thought, making decisions about what you must do
yourself and what you can entrust to others (with your oversight, of
course).  In the end it can be more financially rewarding, less stressful,
and allow you to spend more time on the areas that you consider important
for putting your personal stamp on the projects, are particularly good at,
or just enjoy more. 

Live to work or work to live--you don't always have to make that choice.


David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Andrew and Rebeca Anderson
Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2006 9:10 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: RE: New Year's rant; my 2 cents

I think this discussion has erupted because of different approaches 
to piano service.  I sell piano service in typical blocks of 
Time.  Within that block of time I prioritize what needs to be done 
and I do what can be done in the amount of time.  I will sell more to 
the customer if they will buy more.  I rarely ever just "tune" a 
piano (it has to be pretty bad if that is all I get to).  I suggest 
service for the next appointment and this usually works well.  People 
are suspicious of "nickel & dime-ing".  You can hard-sell, or you can 
point out the need and schedule service.  I work better with the 
latter.  Our business is about more than tooning and when we make the 
rest part of what we do we can be comfortable when it fits in the 
time allotted.  When more time is needed you can sell it on the spot 
if it fits in your schedule or you can schedule it later.  Some 
people warm up to added service by having it pointed out and then 
having it grate on their sensibilities until they are ready to pay 
for it.  Others want it now, be careful that you can keep your next 
appointment. ;-)

Andrew Anderson


t 10:40 PM 1/1/2006, you wrote:
>People can"justify" not charging for their time and criticize others 
>who do by calling them "hustlers". I charge for my time, period. I 
>am also fair, friendly, and above all, professional. My customers 
>appreciate these qualities and tell their friends, andthey tell 
>their friends, and so on and so on, to paraphrase a famous old 
>commercial. Happy 2006. And by way, I have more than enough personal 
>time for friends, RC flying, Unicycling, composing, billiards and 
>whatever else I feel like doing. I'm lonin' it all!
>
>Terry Peterson
>
>
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net>
>Reply-To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
>To: "'Pianotech'" <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Subject: RE: New Year's rant
>Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 20:03:24 -0800
>
>I'd like to think that there is a real possibility of balance where you
feel
>adequately compensated, don't have to hustle for every nickel and dime,
>don't feel like you are giving it away, don't feel guilty about a six
figure
>income, can live wherever you please and have time for other things in your
>life besides pianos.
>
>
>
>David Love
>
>
>
>For the second time in not so very long, someone is talking about
>me "working for free" if I don't charge a bundle for various minor
>services. In fact, the previous time, someone said that my opinions
>didn't have to be considered, because I "worked for free."
>
>I think I can make a good case for my pricing practices, which
>suit me, my area, my customers, their pianos, and my bank account
>just fine.
>
>I suspect that this hustler mentality is forced upon people by their
>choice of location ... or perhaps their choice of location followed
>naturally from a hustler mentality. If someone chooses to live in
>a region where living costs and overhead expenses are sky-high, that's
>up to them. Perhaps they like having to put in all that time on
>freeways getting to jobs in a large region. Perhaps they like
>making six figures by hustling all day 6 days a week, so that they
>can support our government by being in a high tax bracket. Perhaps,
>they simply have a lot of dependents or illness in the family, and
>must work that hard. (If so, my condolences ...) Perhaps,
>they even like working for super-rich people and big, up-tight
>institutions, which I have found, with some notable exceptions,
>to be very over-rated.
>
>Whatever one's income, region, needs, etc., there are two ways
>to price: either one sets one's basic fees high enough that the
>little extras like vacuuming are already covered, or one nickels-and-dimes
>customers by fattening up the little chores into full-fledged
>"services" for which one must extract sizable fees. To achieve
>this, one must put on a salesman's hat. It doesn't fit me. Nor do
>I enjoy spending 30 minutes or an hour thoroughly cleaning a
>grand, when I can get the worst of the detritus, dust, grit,
>fingerprints, paper clips, etc., seen to in about five minutes.
>
>By making the little stuff a normal part of basic piano service,
>one has the freedom to choose how much of it to do or not to do.
>One also does not need to chat up a customer to wring some more
>money from them. And what happens if they don't feel like paying
>for a big-deal cleaning? Does one just leave the piano filthy,
>and wade through the grime for the rest of the tuning? And if
>they turn down "extra" $-costing service, there is that sour taste in
>everyone's mouth afterwards. I can get along quite well without
>that sour taste.
>
>Everyone is welcome to run their businesses exactly as they please.
>If someone wants to charge a second full tuning fee for sticking
>around, touching up a tuning for five minutes, and going for free to a
>(good) concert, also getting known by sight (and liked) by a lot
>of the audience, that's fine with me. Do whatever suits you.
>
>I chose an easy-going laid-back informal place, with lots of
>educated and enlightened people living nearby, in a lovely region
>(somewhat over-damp some times of year, like now) where living costs
>were reasonable. I settled down, my work got more and more
>interesting, the concert work arrived, steady repeat customers gradually
>appeared (without phoning or postcards from me) and I'm moving
>toward a lighter work load as I near retirement age. It
>all suits me just fine. I don't intend to burn out, pushing
>for $$$ all the time. I'm solvent, I like the freedom, and I'm
>doing it all in a way both I and my customers like.
>
>So -- what's a holiday without a good rant? -- you can take your
>six figures and stuff it into the mortgage of your overpriced home,
>your "health" insurance, your liability insurance, your tool insurance,
>your annuity for when you just can't hack it anymore, your high
>car insurance, your exorbitant state and local sales taxes, your
>advertising, the upkeep of your fancy vehicles, your high grocery
>and restaurant costs, lots of bookkeeping to keep track of it all,
>and a good chiropractor to deal with the physical results of too
>much tuning and driving, etc. etc. etc.
>
>And of course, I could be completely wrong about your lifestyle,
>your customers' lifestyle, and your cost structure. It's always
>possible to be completely wrong. If the shoe doesn't fit, just
>don't put it on. Do what suits you -- as I do, without apology.
>
>Happy New Year, anyway.
>
>(thanks, Conrad, for the sleek new 2006-model flamesuit ...)
>Susan Kline
>
>
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