service call charges

[Kallie Swanepoel]

Hi Ed

I like the way you're thinking.  I don't have a hourly rate, but I take
the time to do the job in consideration when quoting for larger repairs,
and I do charge a call-out fee, even if I only have to quote on a job,
or if I have to evaluate a piano.  Although, I do not charge a call-out
fee together with my  tuning price.

In general piano technicians in South Africa are scared to have this
type of approach. I know quite a few who do not even charge a call-out
fee, I do not care what fellow piano technicians or customers think
about my prices, I charge what I feel my work to be worth.
Unfortunately I'm not the cheapest in town, but I still have quite
enough work.  For all my customers, the quality of my work is much more
important than the price they are going to pay for it.  In the beginning
I got quite upset with technicians charging far below my rate.  One can
only do so much work in one day - and if you're working hard every day,
and you can still not make ends meet, you're fees are probably too low.
I know quite a few struggling technicians in SA, but they won't put
there rates up, too. Afraid that there might be a tech working cheaper
than they are, and they might then not get the job.  Now, I'm happy with
my rates as is, for I know I also won't make it if I do the work any
cheaper.  I also pay my two assistants accordingly, for I want them to
stay with me, be happy in there work, and do proper work as well.

Kallie Swanepoel
 
Piano Tuner/Klavierstemmer
 
Skype Name:
KallieSwanepoel

Phone: +27 (0) 12 379 3762
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 261 6942
Voice Link: +27 (0) 88 129 8775
Fax: +27 (0) 86 633 2999

http://www.kallieswanepoel.co.za


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf Of A440A at aol.com
Sent: 13 November 2006 05:31
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: service call charges



<<  I would like to know when you do and do not charge for service
calls.  Tunings?  Repairs?  Returning to pull a new string up to pitch?
I know a tech who starts charging by the hour as soon as he gets in his
car. What works for you and your clients? >>

Greetings, 
   This pricing business depends on the individual's reputation more
than 
anything else.  The longer a self-employed person is in business, the
more they 
know, (or should).  Thus, their time is more valuable than the beginner.
The 
longer they have been doing quality work, the stronger their reputation,
the 
more trusted they are, the more they are worth to discriminating
customers.  
That being said, I submit we all owe it to ourselves to make our time as
valuable 
as possible.  That is why we stand the expense of conventions, seminars,
etc. 
 
    Even though my prices for private customers are high, I can easily 
justify a somewhat reduced rate at the University because I do so much
work over 
there on my own schedule, and the credibility of being associated with
the school 
makes it easy for me to have a continuing supply of customers elsewhere.
I 
don't spend a penny on advertising and I have more work coming at me
than I can 
do.   I also find myself retuning the same stage pianos several times a
week 
and I charge a regular tuning fee every time I hit the stage, even
though it is 
often that it takes far less time to leave the piano in tune on
successive 
visits.  
  The recording studios are usually looking for "competitively" priced 
tuners, so I was glad to finally price myself out of that end of the
business.  
   I charge from the time I leave my shop until the work is done. This 
effectively makes my travel time pay only half as much as time on site.
If I replace 
a string in a piano, I charge a regular hourly rate, (which isn't much
for a 
string, I admit), and usually will not charge to stop by and retune it
when I 
am in the area, again.  It depends on how much of my time it takes to do
this. 
 Sometimes, it is only a 5 minute chore and the customer relations end
of the 
business is better served to have done it gratis.  
   
  Consider that auto mechanics can average $ 75-90 per hour, plumbers
often 
charge $ 80 per hour, electricians that or more, and copier technicians
average 
about $ 150 per hour.  How many copiers cost as much as a grand piano? 
     A tuning visit that takes 90 minutes and pays $135 means that after

local taxes (10%) you have $ 122. Then overhead (that phone you use, the
car and 
its expenses, cost of tools, etc), takes another 10% so you then have $
110.  
Uncle Sam and FICA are going to take 30% of that, so you may end up with
$ 75 
for that job.  Say you do four of these a day, five days a week, you are
taking 
home $ 1500 per week.  That is a heavy tuning load and after a number of

years, you will probably need medical expenses.   
   A good rule of thumb is that if you are booked months in advance, you
are 
not charging enough, and if the phone is not ringing at all, you are
charging 
too much for your reputation to support.  The fear of losing customers
because 
you are charging too much will cost you far more in the long run than
the 
actual loss of a few customers.  If nobody is complaining or questioning
your 
price, you are not charging enough, because there are customers out
there that 
will complain about any price!
 
Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html