Mark-up (was Steinway parts)

[David Love]

Bit of an overreaction David.  Padding was your choice of  words not mine.
Catch your breath and calm down. There was no disrespect expressed or
intended.  You expressed a concern of customers objecting to profit margins
on parts.  They may also object to overestimating labor in order to cover
contingencies.  Choose your poison I guess.   I don't really do things on a
bid basis so it doesn't affect me.  People get a detailed (and I mean
detailed) estimate/proposal which includes parts and labor broken out.  That
way, if something needs to change for some unexpected contingency-i.e.,
additional parts, additional labor--I can add it in and it's clear where
it's coming from and that it wasn't already included in the original
estimate.  I do offer a protection clause for them which says that the final
price won't exceed the estimate/proposal by more than 5% without their
written authorization.  If something comes up, I talk to them about it.  

 

Why don't you ask Dale how he structures his pricing on contract work, you
might be surprised (off list would probably be better).  Typically,
refinishing has no significant "parts" costs   

 

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Andersen
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 9:08 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Mark-up (was Steinway parts)

 

 

On Feb 13, 2008, at 7:30 AM, David Love wrote:





 If you are "padding" your labor to some would find that as objectionable
(or more so) than adding a reasonable mark-up on parts.

 

Well...it depends on how you're holding it, David Love. If my team did less
than our best on every bid, if we didn't put countless extra hours into the
job, talking and thinking and experimenting about it when we're "off the
clock,"  if it was a "pad" like defense contractors or Mafia guys put on,
just because they can, then your point is taken and processed. If you're
talking about me and my colleagues Dale Erwin, Steve Bellieu, and Phenoyd
Ezra, then please, please don't disrespect us by putting our love, our
passion, our artisan's fierce dedication, our natural and constant
"overtime," into that same smelly, thuggy basket. I hope you're not doing
that.

 

David Andersen

 

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