Valuing ourselves

[David Love]

Unfortunately, it's more complicated and regional than Ric or David A are
suggesting.  You have to make assessments based on where you are in your
career, where you work, what kinds of opportunities there are.  For me, an
established tech in one of the highest markets in the country with high
density urban benefits (San Francisco), where the median priced house is
$750,000, I can (and must) charge $225 for a 1.5 hour appointment or $160
for a Basic Service appointment (1 hour) which puts me at the higher end but
not out of bounds.  Someone in rural Mississippi or Alabama would be crazy
to ask those kinds of prices.  The other issue to consider is what function
service calls play in your entire business plan.  The reality is, you make
more money when you don't have to travel and when you can benefit from value
added, i.e. rebuilding, more extensive shop repairs, action rebuilding,
etc..  While I think it's important to keep pace with your fees and not fall
into the trap of fearing a rise in prices, you will be best served in terms
of earning money by expanding your repertoire to include more extensive
services and sales.  It's only where you can benefit from value added (and I
don't mean the tax) that you have any chance of making more than an hourly
wage and escape the built in limitations of that type of enterprise.   

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 alan forsyth
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 3:22 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Valuing ourselves

Yikes! If I charged that here it would be almost cheaper for people just to 
go out and buy a new piano every time it needs tuning, as in cheaper to get 
a new printer rather than buy the ink refills. There ain't many high end 
pianos around here, even though the brand new 4X4 is in the driveway and a 2

hectare plasma screen hangs on the wall in every single room of the 
house.(not my house).

AF
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brekne" <ricb at pianostemmer.no>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 6:02 PM
Subject: Valuing ourselves

My standard price over here is 1150 NOK + 25 % VAT. Thats roughly 210
dollars plus the VAT.