how to politely ask for a raise

[Fenton Murray]

Right on, Ed!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <A440A at aol.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 6:40 PM
Subject: Re: how to politely ask for a raise


> Brian writes:
>
> << How would you handle this?   Or...would you just leave the situation as 
> it
> is? >>
>
>            If you leave it as it is, you are going backwards,
> professionally.  I don't think I have ever 'asked' for a raise. I  had to 
> price my time for
> whatever market I could cobble together would bear. I knew I wasn't 
> charging
> enough when I began to turn customers away because I didn't have the time. 
> A
> higher price took care of that problem, and more than paid for itself with 
> the
> added income offsetting the few lost customers.  Then, soon enough, I 
> started
> to run out of time, again.  Raise'em,  I say.
>    You want clients that understand your need to raise your prices, 
> yearly.
> If not, you will pay for the difference, year after year, for as long as 
> they
> are your customer.  We can't leave it to the clientele to shape us, we 
> want
> to shape it, so, as our business progresses, our prices should gradually 
> rise
> upwards.  Away from apprentice wages, where we all began, away from 
> beginner
> prices, and by the time we finally have to end our career, we should be 
> getting
> top dollar for our area.  At least, that is the ideal progression I have 
> in
> mind.
>       As we do, our customers will reflect a higher degree of cost and
> value.  And we won't be saddled with an appointment book full of bottom 
> dollar
> clients!  This is a good thing.
> Regards,
> Ed Foote RPT
> http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
> www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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>